In this lesson plan*, students will learn how to conduct and listen to oral histories in order to understand the legacy of segregation and the significant Supreme Court cases regarding this once common practice. This lesson should take five 50 minute long class periods to complete.

*This series of oral history lessons was created by Curtis Odom, a graduate student Stephen F. Austin State University, as part of his thesis work for a Masters Degree in Public History. The series was edited by Michael Raines, a teacher of Geography at Center High School, Center, Texas.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
§113.32 United States History Studies Since Reconstruction
(C) Knowledge and skills.                                            

(7) History. The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement. The student is expected to: (A) trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments; (D) identify changes in the United States that have resulted from the civil rights movement such as increased participation of minorities in the political process.

(18) Citizenship. The student understands efforts to expand the democratic process. The student is expected to: (A) identify and analyze methods of expanding the right to participate in the democratic process, including lobbying, protesting, court decisions, and amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

(21) Culture. The student understands how people from various groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious groups, adapt to life in the United States and contribute to our national identity. The student is expected to: (A) explain actions taken by people from racial, ethnic, and religious groups to expand economic opportunities and political rights in American society; (C) analyze how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups have helped to shape the national identity.

(24) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:  (C) explain and apply different methods that historians use to interpret the past, including the use of primary and secondary sources, points of view, frames of reference, and historical context.

Computers and Internet Access
Mack Hopkins Oral History Recording (Coming soon)
Transcript of Mack Hopkins Oral History