National Endowment for the Humanities
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance
Was nonviolent resistance the best means of securing civil rights for black Americans in the 1960s? In this highly engaging and informative instructional activity, your young historians will closely analyze several key documents from the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 2: What Happened in July 1967? How Do We Know?
Even in a world in which dozens of participants and curious onlookers record every controversial event, the basic facts of what happened are often in dispute. Revolution '67, Lesson 2 explores 1967 Newark, New Jersey using an examination...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 1: Protest: Why and How
To some people, protesting is as American as apple pie, but the factors that lead to protests can be as confusing to veteran activists as to today's youth. Revolution '67 explores the riots in Newark, New Jersey as a case study. ...
Curated OER
Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. In this 1960s American history lesson, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
Curated OER
Protest Music Video
Students create an iMovie that expresses the meaning of a protest song from the 1960's or 1970's. They investigate the emotional and political overtones of the times and use images to interpret the song's meaning.
Curated OER
Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America
Young scholars explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
Curated OER
How to Teach the Legacies of the 1960s
Students consider which aspects of world around them have roots in 1960s, research and compare 1960s to today with regards to Civil and Women's Rights, Vietnam, counterculture, music, voting, and economic rights, and explore legacy of...
Curated OER
African Americans in California’s Heartland – The Civil Rights Era
Events related to the Civil Rights Movement in Sacramento, California during the 1960s offer class members an opportunity to compare the nonviolent resistance approach favored by Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP with those of the...
Curated OER
Social Activism In The United States
Middle schoolers explore justice issues. In this social activism lesson, students watch "Social Activism in the United States," and then locate newspaper articles from the 1960's and 1970's about events during the era.
Curated OER
Speak Out!
Learners are introduced to Yvonne Ranier's "Trio A" dance and investigate how to express concern over social issues through choreography. They research important issues from the 1960's, choreograph and perform original dances.
PBS
Lesson Plan: Divided Opinions
To gain a more in-depth understanding of the tumultuous 1960s, young historians examine video clips, listen to music, examine images, and interview survivors. Once they have a foundation of information about the period, class members...
Curated OER
Conveying Message Through Musical Composition
Students listen to and discuss various protest songs from the 1960's, and write original lyrics for a song addressing global or societal issues. They write a paragraph evaluating the efficacy of the song to convey a message.
Curated OER
Racism in Jazz
Students listen to the Louis Armstrong song, "What Did I Do to Be So Black and Blue?" and consider it as a protest song. They write in their journals about Armstrong, his music, and civil rights.
Curated OER
Catch-22
During or after reading Catch-22, have your high school scholars complete this research project. First they'll brainstorm a list of people they might like to research, then they'll dive into your library's resources! There are...
Curated OER
The Sixties Protests and Social Change
Students identify, examine and analyze photographs of the sixties to determine the forces of social change at work in America during this decade. They determine the goals of each movement and the methods used by each to achieve those goals.
Curated OER
Nonviolence as a Tool for Change Lesson 1
Students examine voting rights in the South during the 1950s and 1960s. In this civil rights instructional activity, students examine legal rights and the opportunity to cast votes. Students research primary documents regarding the topic...
Curated OER
Turbulent Times of the Sixties
Students explore 1960's America. In this American history lesson, students read about and research 1960's political and entertainment figures, social activism, the Civil Rights Movement, and environmentalism as they complete writing and...
Curated OER
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. In this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in...
Curated OER
African American Women Trailblazers
Young scholars take a closer look at the accomplishments of African-American women. In this African-American history lesson, students explore the work of Bessie Coleman, Gwendolyn Bennett, Lulu Madison White, and Zelma Watson George as...
Curated OER
First Amendment or Treason?
Students investigate the meaning of the First Amendments right of freedom of speech. They examine the anti-war movement that occurred during the 1960's in response to the war in Vietnam. While studying primary sources, they determine how...
Curated OER
Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this African American history lesson, students compare and contrast the tactics employed by Malcolm X and Martin Luther...
Curated OER
Fallen Angels
Learners read the novel, Fallen Angels, and examine the theme of coming of age during the Vietnam War. They create timelines of the 1960s, highlighting important issues of the era. They write research papers focusing on one particular...
Curated OER
Opposing Views on the Vietnam War
Students consider opinions regarding the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam activity, students compare Nixon and Johnson's policies about the war. Students also research the anti-war movements as well as the sentiments of the those how...
Curated OER
American Indian Civil Rights
Students examine social justice issues regarding American Indians. In this civil rights instructional activity, students investigate the Red Power Movement of the 1960's and 1970's. Students then roleplay interviewing Native...