Education Reform
Discover how education has changed in the United States and who made those changes happen.
Embedded Files
About
About
Today, most children in the world have access to some form of education, But this was not always true. It took people who understood the value of schools and teachers and who were willing to fight to help build and create the many systems of education found today throughout the world.
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
What is education reform and why is it important?
In what ways has education changed and improved over time in the U.S.?
Who are the people who have fought for education reform?
Choose a Focus
Choose a Focus
Use the Suggested Activity to learn about your chosen focus in a fun way. Or visit the Activity Library to pick another interactive activity.
Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Use the Suggested Activity to learn about your chosen focus in a fun way. Or visit the Activity Library to pick another interactive activity.
Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Horace Mann ⚒️
Horace Mann ⚒️
Horace Mann believed that all children had a right to a good education. He also believed that the government should help fund schools in every community. His fight to change the education system helped establish the public schools that are found all across the nation today.
Essential questions:
Who was Horace Mann?
What did he do to change education In the United States?
How is he a Changemaker?
Suggested Activity: And the Winner Is...
Sylvia Mendez ⚒️
Sylvia Mendez ⚒️
In Southern California in the 1940s, white children and Mexican-American children went to different schools. But in 1947, Mendez was part of a court case that changed that. That ruling changed not just the school system but caused a ripple of change in many other aspects of life.
Essential questions:
Who was Sylvia Mendez?
What was the court case Mendez v Westminster about?
How is Mendez a Changemaker?
Suggested Activity: Act It Out
Curricular Connections
Curricular Connections
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Related Social Studies Topics
Timeline Challenge
Start a class timeline (or add to an existing timeline) showing important events in America's ongoing education reform.
Create
(Not sure what to do? Create a Google slide that shows how schools have changed in the last 100 years!)
Fun Stuff
Re-enact the court case of Mendez v Westminster using this script.
Image Attributions
Education Reform banner: Russell Lee, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsHorace Mann: Francis D'Avignon, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsSylvia Mendez: Sylvia Mendez, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Page updated
Report abuse