Brown v. Board of Education Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

What do you think of when you hear the word “racism”? (Tap prior knowledge)
What do you think segregation means? (Predict)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:20: In what ways did segregation affect Black people’s daily lives? (Make inferences; Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 2:49: How did local laws undermine the 14th amendment and what did “separate but equal” mean? (Make connections)

Timecode 3:32: Why was it important for the NAACP to expose inferior conditions in Black schools? (Make connections)

Timecode 4:40: How did Brown’s case against the Board of Education change history? (Identify cause/effect)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka topic. (Make connections)

What is the connection between segregation and racism? (Make inferences)

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.