From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/97/crow/crowhome.html
The content focus of this site is the "history of segregation in the United States from 1897 until 1953" with special emphasis given to the belief of "separate but equal." The site includes a comprehensive lesson plan for teachers, which includes collaborative activities and role play opportunities for students as they explore the time period and get a "feel for the events of the time." The link includes online activity pages as well as links to related topics and resources. One weak point of the lesson is the limited focus on assessment of student understanding of the content.
Overall Rating: 4

Jim Crow Laws
http://www.jacksonsun.com/civilrights/sec1_crow_laws.shtml
This link, a subsection of The Jackson Sun site, provides examples of Jim Crow laws in 16 states. The content can be useful for grades 4-12, however, "the articles should only be used in conjunction with other resources and materials." A caution should be given that this is "only a sampling of the many laws African Americans were forced to abide by in this time."
Overall Rating: 3

Jump, Jim Crow, or Did Emancipation Make Any Difference?
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/~ljones/Jimcrow/index.html
Created by Lynn Jones, a librarian at UC Berkeley, this site is an American history teaching resource that provides basic information concerning the historical context of Jim Crow. Contained in the site is a glossary of terms that provides the definition, along with background information on the Emancipation Proclamation, the Freedmen's Bureau, Black Codes, the Ku Klux Klan, and lynchings. Equally important, this site also provides links to other history sites that feature slave narratives, as well as images of and songs about Jim Crow. Easily navigable, this site is valuable for teachers, students, and enthusiasts of African American studies and American history.
Overall Rating: 3

PBS: Africans in America, Part 3 "Brotherly Love 'Jim Crow' Historical Document"
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h489.html
This is very good Web site designed to be used in conjunction with a PBS video series. It is divided into three areas: a descriptive narrative, a resource bank and a teacher's guide. This specific page explains the origin of the term Jim Crow in relation to minstrel shows. The links are the most valuable part of the site since they contain a chronicle of slavery in the narrative area plus excellent teacher support in the teacher resource area. The site loaded quickly and was easy to navigate. One caveat, the site was designed to accompany a video series, thus while valuable information is available without the videos, the most complete use of both the site and the teacher resource guide will require obtaining the video program. The information is appropriate for all grade levels but is geared toward middle and high school students.
Overall Rating: 3

An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and their Effects on Race Relations: by Jennifer Blue, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1996/1/96.01.01.x.html
This is a great site for a primary grades teacher looking for lessons on the effect of segregation on people. The site contains a complete unit plan for a first grade class including a list of teacher and student resources. The site has little visual appeal; it is designed as a teacher resource with lesson plans that are detailed enough for easy adaptation to any elementary teacher's class. The ideas behind the lessons could be adapted, with some work, by middle school teachers for their students. The site loads quickly and is easily navigated. The only links provided are for other unit plans on differing topics designed by teachers attending the institute. Thus, if a teacher desired more information about the segregation, Jim Crow, etc. this site would not lead them there.
Overall Rating: 3

Radio Fights Jim Crow
http://americanradioworks.org/features/jim_crow/
This was a great site! It is an excellent source of audio material that would make a wonderful addition to a learning center on Jim Crow. The site offers audio clips from the 1930s and 40s. It is important that the teacher provide context for students as some of the language and jokes are not considered appropriate for our times. This material is best used by secondary students or by teacher who wish to include an audio clip as part of a lesson. One word of caution, the audio worked best using Real Player. The site did not open on one of my computers but did on the other. Thus, the teacher will need to be sure that the necessary software has been downloaded to play the material. The site also has several nice pictures from the time period.
Overall Rating: 3

Yahoo Directory: Jim Crow Laws
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/History/U_S__History/By_Subject/Legal/Jim_Crow_Laws/
The yahoo directory site containing links to content "pertinent" to the investigation of Jim Crow Laws is quite extensive. There is an "amazing amount" of information to sort through. One drawback is the lack of uniformity among the links, which may confuse users and "present a problem." The abundance of links may lead to spending time "going down an endless path of links."
Overall Rating: 3

History/Jim Crow
http://www.africana.com/Articles/tt_026.htm
This site contains encyclopedia style information. The links, particularly the secondary links are the most valuable. The site loads quickly and navigates easily. The main page opens to a photo of segregated facilities that does not enlarge, and therefore, is hard to decipher. The narrative explains how the Jim Crow laws limited the rights of African Americans and includes citations to major historian's writings on the period. The information is not difficult to read and would be an excellent start for a middle or high school student undertaking a research project. This site does not include teacher materials and thus is basically appropriate for initial research on the time period for either students or teachers.
Overall Rating: 2

Race and Place: An African-American community in the Jim Crow South
http://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/afam/cvillecontents.html
This is a very good Web site for students and teachers who would like to focus in on the impact of segregation in a specific southern community: Charlottesville, VA. The Web site is part of the University of Virginia's Center for Digital History. There are links to the Holsinger Studio Collection of photographs and to the Charlottesville Reflector, an African American Newspaper published weekly from 1933-1935. The links that provide the most information relate to political events during the time period. There are links to a large amount of information, but it always requires several "clicks" to reach the page desired. There are not any specific links aimed at either teachers or student support. The site is appropriate for research by teachers, middle and secondary students.
Overall Rating: 2