The Struggle for Integration

This informational reading worksheet supports students in Grades 5 and 6 as they build historical understanding, reading comprehension, and civic reasoning through the study of school desegregation after Brown v. Board of Education. By examining the phrase “with all deliberate speed,” state resistance, and the 1957 Little Rock Nine crisis, students analyze the gap between Supreme Court rulings and real-world implementation of civil rights.

Learning Goals

• Civil Rights & Desegregation (Grades 5-6) – Understand the challenges of integrating public schools after Brown v. Board.
• Legal Implementation & Resistance – Analyze why some states resisted desegregation and how the federal government responded.
• Key Events & Enforcement – Examine the significance of the Little Rock Nine and President Eisenhower’s actions.
• Evidence-Based Reading – Use details from the text to answer comprehension and analysis questions.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Clear Informational Passage – Explains complex legal and historical ideas in student-friendly language.
• Focused Comprehension Questions – Reinforces close reading, summarization, and critical thinking.
• Flexible Use – Ideal for civil rights units, independent practice, small groups, or formative assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen historical reasoning and civic literacy by exploring how desegregation unfolded after Brown v. Board. By analyzing resistance, enforcement, and key events, learners gain a deeper understanding of the struggle to turn legal decisions into lasting social change.

This worksheet is part of our Brown v. Board of Education collection.