A Self-Made Man: The Story of Thurgood Marshall
45 min
Lesson Components
A Self-Made Man – Handout A: NarrativeWalk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.
- What challenges are you facing?
- What fears or concerns might you have?
- What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?
Observation Questions
- Who was Thurgood Marshall?
- What was Thurgood Marshall’s contribution to the Civil Rights Movement?
- How does Thurgood Marshall’s work as a lawyer help shape his identity?
Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.
- What is the historical context of the narrative?
- What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
- How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
- How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
- How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
- What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
- Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
- How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?
- Students will analyze Thurgood Marshall’s life and actions and how they reflect his identity
- Students will understand how they can develop their own identity
- Students will apply this knowledge to focus and refine their personal identity