Separate is Never Equal

Diverse, Informative, Realistic, Artistic, Cultural 

Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh 

Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers an imprint of Abrams, Copyright 2014

When Sylvia Mendez and her family move to Westminster, California, she is exciting to start school. However, when her aunt goes to the local public school to enroll her and her siblings, they inform her that she cannot attend the school. They would have to attend the Mexican school instead. The Mendez family decides to take matters into their own hands and take the case to court with one goal in mind – desegregation. 

Grade level: 5

Lexile Measure: AD870L

Description: Nonfiction 

Suggested delivery: Read aloud  

Electronic Resources:

Civil Rights Article

This kid-friendly website describes the basics of the Civil Rights Movement and Jim Crow Laws. It also includes links to other related articles such as Civil Rights leaders, major events, and a timeline. It can be used for students to do research on the Civil Rights movement to help with their comprehension of the book. 

Mendez vs. Westminster Video

This is a video about the Mendez vs. Westminster court case. It includes interview footage with Sylvia Mendez explaining her experiences with case. This can be shown to before reading to go along with their research about the Civil Rights Movement. It can also be shown after reading to aid comprehension of the book and help students understand that the events and people in the book are real.    

Teaching Strategies

Key vocabulary:

·         Inferior – of lesser quality

·         Ethnicity – a group of people who share common cultural traditions

·         Testify – to talk and answer questions about something in court

·         Petition – a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to change or do something

·         Injustice – unfair treatment

·         Segregation – the practice of keeping people of different races or religions separate from each other

·         Lineage – a person’s family background

·         Ruling – a court decision 

Before reading: Have students complete an anticipation guide that includes information presented in the book. The guide should include statements which students can agree or disagree to in order to find out what they already know about the topic and what they need to learn.  

During reading: Have each students write down notes in their journals in a split-page note taking format. The three sections should be main ideas, details, and summary.

After reading: Use their notes to fill out a graphic organizer explaining the pros and cons of segregation using examples found in the book.. 

Writing activity: Consider the question, “What do you think of the parents who didn’t sign the petition? Do you agree or disagree with them? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer. Have students write about a page response to this question. 

 Tonatiuh, D. (2014). Separate is Never Equal. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.