Jazz Academy
Let Freedom Swing
Three lessons in the Let Freedom Swing concert tour resource guide packed with information, materials, and activities that provide the context for any study of American history.
Curated OER
The Kennedy Administration and the Civil Rights Movement
Students evaluate the Kennedy Administration's involvement in the civil rights movement. In this Civil rights lesson plan, students read and take notes from speeches connected to the historic March on Washington from the National...
Curated OER
Black History: Famous People, Movements, Events (Crossword Puzzle)
If you want a light exercise to review 12 famous people, events, and movements in American history, with a focus on African-American history, this crossword puzzle may be useful. It requires familiarity with Rosa Parks, Martin Luther...
PBS
The Goals of the March on Washington
Who else had a dream other than Martin Luther King, Jr.? Pupils explore civil rights leaders in a fourth lesson out of a series of five about people who paved the way to freedom for African Americans. The inquiry-based unit has your...
Curated OER
Evaluating Nonviolence as a Method of Social Change
During a lesson on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, the Civil Rights Movement, and/or nonviolent resistance, students can gather their thoughts in this activity. The questions cover Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence, and two opinion...
Curated OER
African-American Civil Rights in the U.S.
In this African American history worksheet, learners respond to 39 identification questions that require them to define or list the significance behind 39 events and people associated with the American Civil Rights Movement.
Freeology
I Have a Dream Poster
An image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a line from his famous “I Have A Dream” speech will inspire your pupils to look beyond skin color and consider the character of others.
C-SPAN
1968: The Poor People's Campaign
The Poor People's Campaign of 1968 marked a shift in the civil rights movement to economic issues. Speakers in four C-SPAN video clips discuss different aspects of the campaign including Resurrection City, the Economic Bill of Rights,...
California Education Partners
Letter From Birmingham Jail
To demonstrate their ability to comprehend complex text, ninth graders are asked to craft an essay in which they use evidence drawn from "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to analyze how Martin Luther King, Jr. uses rhetorical devices...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Plans
Martin Luther King Jr. lesson plans can provide a way to delve into history and a discussion of what it takes to make a difference.
Curated OER
Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement
Students analyze Martin Luther King's message of nonviolent protest discover how individuals adapted his message to their own communities and situations.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Curated OER
In King's Words
Students analyze writings of Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. They read and discuss an article, and in pairs, research and analyze a written work or speech by Dr. King, create a mixed media collage to represent the text, and write an artist...
Curated OER
Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice instructional activity, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications,...
Curated OER
The Greensboro Sit-Ins: A Continuing Tradition of Nonviolent Protest
Students watch a video about nonviolent protests during the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss and write about the Greensboro sit-ins while deciding the effectiveness of this type of protest.
Stanford University
Letter from Birmingham Jail: The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action
What strategies are most effective in changing an unjust law? Class members examine the tactics used in the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 (Project C) to achieve social justice and social transformation. After examining documents that...
Curated OER
Understanding King's Use of Metaphors in the
One of the most famous and well-crafted speeches of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, consists of rich metaphors and rhetorical language. Using a provided graphic organizer, students analyze five quotes...
Curated OER
Segregation
Students consider the implications of prejudice. In this segregation lesson, students experience a simulation that has school staff favoring students with blue eyes. Students discuss the simulation experience, watch "The Eye of the...
Curated OER
Mandela The Man
Ninth graders explore civil rights by reading several biographies. In this Nelson Mandela lesson, 9th graders discuss the trials and tribulations Nelson Mandela had to face in South Africa and how they were similar to the problems Martin...
Curated OER
Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers
Students read about the civil rights movement in their textbooks. They engage in a whole-class discussion of how nonviolent direct action can be a powerful tool for bringing about social, economic, or political change.
PBS
Amid Rising Economic Inequality, Does America Need a Third Reconstruction?
Young political scientists investigate the Poor People's Campaign protest held in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2022. They research how the event was reported in various news outlets and consider their stance on whether...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Day
Students access a varitey of Martin Luther King, Jr. themed websites. They locate information about Dr. King and his leadership in the American civil rights movement. They take a virtual tour of his birth home and view photographic...
Student Handouts
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Analyze an abridged version of Martin Luther King Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Class members read the excerpt and respond to four provided questions, which focus on the content provided. Consider taking the time to read the entire...
PBS
The Sixties: Hitsville USA
James Jamerson. You probably heard him but may not have heard of him. But fans of Motown Records will certainly recognize his contributions to the sound that desegregated popular music during the 1960s. Challenge young history...