18 Lesson Plan 4 (Dig Deeper) Examining a Court Case Students can work independently or in collaborative groups for this lesson. Duration: 1 class period or homework assignment Materials: Deborah Johnson and Zandra Rolón Part II archival audio oral history (the audio file is located at UnErased.org/NYC8; see the Addenda for the transcripts) Guiding Question: How did the 1984 court case of Rolón v. Kulwitzky clarify anti-discrimination laws? Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to ● examine specific discriminatory policies and practices related to sexual orientation and gender; ● identify the process of a court case through the Comprehension Practice worksheet; ● contextualize academic language connected to the court system; ● demonstrate understanding of idiomatic expressions, contextual references, and metaphors. Step 1: Introduce Deborah Johnson and Zandra Rolón Part II archival audio oral history (for background information, see page 19). Step 2: Students listen to the audio recording. Step 3: Students complete the Language Practice worksheet (page 13 of the Student Guide; Answer Key on page 21). Step 4: Students complete the Comprehension Practice worksheet (page 15 of the Student Guide; Answer Key on page 23). Language Practice is designed to provide scaffolding for English Language Learners or other learners who need language and vocabulary support. Comprehension Practice is designed to help contextualize the Civil Rights Movement as it relates to the processes of the court system, positioning of arguments and their rationale, and the social and cultural perceptions connected to arguments and their rationale. 15 Comprehension Practice Directions: After listening to the second Johnson and Rolón Give Voice to History Project archival audio oral history, answer the questions below. For a transcript of the interview, see the Addenda. 1. What does it mean to “file” a case? _________________________________________________ 2. What two laws did Allred use when filing the case? ____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. What was the purpose of the injunction? ____________________________________________ 4. What reason does the first judge give for not ordering an injunction? ______________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 5. Line 44: What is the double standard that Johnson refers to when speaking about the lower court? __________________________________________________________________ 6. The case was on the front page of several newspapers. Why do you think this was front-page news in 1983? ________________________________________________________ 7. What did the appellate court decide? _______________________________________________ 8. What impact did the California Supreme Court’s decision have on the appellate court’s ruling? _________________________________________________________________ 9. The Papa Choux restaurant closed the booths and held a public wake for the death of romantic dining. What do you think their motivations were for doing this? __________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 10. Johnson compares their case to incidents in the segregated South. To what incidents might she be referring? Is this a fair comparison? Why or why not? ________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 13 Language Practice Directions: After listening to the second Johnson and Rolón Give Voice to History Project archival audio oral history, answer the questions below. For a transcript of the interview, see the Addenda. 1. Line 17: “When we filed, we filed under two laws.” a. To whom does “we” refer in this sentence? ___________________________________ b. What does “file” mean in this sentence? Is it a verb or a noun? __________________ ____________________________________________________________________ c. What are other meanings of the word “file”? __________________________________ 2. What is a city ordinance? __________________________________________________________ 3. Can you think of a current example of a city ordinance? __________________________________ 4. Line 28: What are two other ways to say “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah”? _______________________ 5. What is an injunction? ____________________________________________________________ 6. Line 50: “We were basically asking him to jump the gun to…”What is the meaning of the idiom “jump the gun”? __________________________________________________________ 7. On lines 57–60: a. To whom does “he” refer? _______________________________________________ b. To whom does “I’m” refer? _______________________________________________ c. To whom does “You” refer? _______________________________________________ 8. Line 64: What is another phrase that means “in lieu of”? _________________________________ 9. Line 67: “He didn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole.” a. What is the meaning of the idiom “not touch something with a ten-foot pole”? ________________________________________________________________________ b. To whom does “he” refer? ________________________________________________ 10. On line 87, what does “window” mean? Is it the kind of window you look out of? ____________________________________________________________________________ Immigration reform activists with raised fists protest at the White House in Wash- ington, D.C., May 1, 2010. Photo by Shutterstock.com.