TITLE: Washington and DuBois: Crusaders Against Prejudice
LESSON AUTHORS: John Pearson and Jeremy Conrad
KEY WORDS: Jim Crow Laws, W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, Black Codes,
Plessy vs. Fergusson, Tuskegee Institute, NAACP
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
TIME ALLOTTED: ~45 minutes
RATIONALE/PURPOSE:
This lesson is intended to introduce students to two of the major points of view regarding
African Americans’ struggle for equality and integration into society in the post-Civil
War era.
NCSS THEMES:
Culture and Cultural Diversity:
NCSSI. SWBAT: analyze and explain the ways in which two major factions of African
Americans, led by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, attempted to address the
widespread discrimination against African Americans during the post-Reconstruction
Era.
Individual Development and Identity:
NCSSIV.1. SWBAT: describe the ways Washington’s and Dubois’ various group and
cultural influences contributed to the development of their sense of self.
NCSSIV.2. SWBAT: analyze the role of perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs in the
development of Washington’s and DuBois’ personal identities.
Individuals, Groups, and Institutions:
NCSSV. SWBAT: understand the concepts of role, status, and social class and use them
in describing the connections and interactions of whites and blacks, Northerners and
Southerners, and their respective leaders, during the post-Reconstruction Era.
Power, Authority, and Governance:
NCSSVI. SWBAT: apply concepts such as power, role, status, justice, and influence to
the examination of the issue of racial prejudice and discrimination.
Civic Ideals and Practices:
NCSSX. SWBAT: practice civic discussion and participation through a structured debate
format.
SOL: VUS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how the nation grew and
changed from the end of Reconstruction through the early twentieth century by:
c) analyzing prejudice and discrimination during this time period, with emphasis on
“Jim Crow” and the responses of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE:
• Responses of African Americans
o Booker T. Washington believed the way to equality was through
vocational education and economic success; he accepted social separation.
o W.E.B. DuBois believed that education was meaningless without equality.
He supported political equality for African Americans by helping to form
the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP).
ESSENTIAL SKILLS:
• Formulate historical questions and defend findings, based on inquiry and
interpretation (VUS.1c)
• Develop perspectives of time and place (VUS.1d)
• Interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and other documents
(VUS.1b)
GUIDING QUESTION:
Imagine you are one of the millions of people currently unemployed in our country today;
you also happen to be African American. You find a listing for a great job, for which you
are well qualified. When you arrive for the interview, you are met with this sign (picture
on overhead). How would this sign make you feel, and what action(s) would you take in
response?
ASSESSMENT TOOL(S):
• Class debate: Washington vs. Du Bois – using the debate, students will
demonstrate knowledge of Washington’s and Du Bois’ ideologies.
o A point system will be employed to score the debate. All members for
each group will be awarded the same score. The group with the highest
score will receive extra credit on their next exam. Otherwise, the debate
will be an informal assessment tool to judge overall comprehension of the
topic.
BACKGROUND/LOOKING FORWARD:
• We recently completed a unit on the Reconstruction era.
• Just prior to this class, we have been discussing how Jim Crow Laws, Black Codes,
and the Plessy vs. Fergusson decision systematically disenfranchised and
discriminated against African Americans.
• Following this lesson, we will begin discussion of westward expansion, the growth
of industry, the labor movement, and progressive-era reforms (including the push
for universal suffrage).
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
1. SWBAT describe the philosophies of both W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T.
Washington.
2. SWBAT explain the similarities and differences between the ideologies of W.E.B.
Du Bois and Booker T. Washington
MATERIALS: HISTORICAL SOURCE(S):
• PowerPoints with historical photographs of Du Bois and Washington
• Excerpts from Washington’s Atlanta Exhibition speech (handouts)
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:
• Notesheets for Du Bois and Washington
• Debate format instructions
PROCEDURES/PROCESS:
• JUST DO IT!/Hook:
o When students arrive in classroom, a photograph will be projected on the
screen, showing a black man encountering a Jim Crow-era “whites only”
employment sign. The image will be accompanied by the following
guiding question:
o Imagine you are one of the millions of people currently unemployed in our
country today; you also happen to be African American. You find a listing
for a great job, for which you are well qualified. When you arrive for the
interview, you are met with this sign (picture on overhead). How would
this sign make you feel, and what action(s) would you take in response?
o Student will be directed to write a free response to the guiding question;
they will be given approximately five minutes to write.
• Transition 1: explain the schedule/format for the day’s lesson
• Objective 1: lectures on Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois
• Evidence of Understanding: debate (informal assessment of knowledge gained by
lecture)
• Transition 2: explain the debate format
• Objective 2: debate the contrasting philosophies of Washington and Du Bois
• Evidence of Understanding: class completes Venn diagram (closure activity)
MODIFICATIONS/ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS:
• Visually-impaired students move to front of classroom
• Homogeneous groups for debate
CLOSURE/WRITING PROMPT/RUBRIC:
• Just Do It! writing prompt: Imagine you are one of the millions of people currently
unemployed in our country today; you also happen to be African American. You
find a listing for a great job, for which you are well qualified. When you arrive
for the interview, you are met with this sign (picture on overhead). How would
this sign make you feel, and what action(s) would you take in response?
• Closure Activity: Class creates their own Venn diagrams in their notes