Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Many Faces of Paul Robeson

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss and construct timelines based on the life of author/performer/Civil Right's activist, Paul Robeson. They view photographs of him at various times in his life and discuss the roles he may have been playing at those times.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Story of Emmett Till

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students discover the story of Emmett Till. In this Civil Rights Movement lesson, students watch "Awakenings" and investigate the impact of the Emmett Till lynching. Students compose an essay that explore the lynching as a pivotal moment...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foreign War and Domestic Freedom: A Delicate Balancing Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate civil liberties in the U.S. They watch and discuss a PowerPoint presentation, conduct research on an event from a timeline, complete a worksheet, take an ideology quiz, and conduct a debate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case in Point

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars read about and discuss the re-opening of the Emmett Till murder case. They research and write about a famous civil rights trial and create a poster highlighting the importance of the trial.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All Access Spotlight: U2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students listen to songs from the group U2 to examine civil rights issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of Japanese internment. In this Japanese internment activity, students examine primary sources that enable them to discover what internment camp life was like and its implications, Students write their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Growing Like Dr. King

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore American History by reading biographical material. In this civil rights lesson, students read information about Martin Luther King Jr. and his successful demonstrations which led to equal rights for African Americans....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Martin Luther King Jr. Day

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore civil rights by researching the late Dr. King. In this African American leader lesson plan, 3rd graders read the book Martin's Big Words which explore the foundation of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s principals and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Adding to the Picture: The 1963 March on Washington

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Who do your scholars imagine when they think about the civil rights movement? If only a few faces come to mind, this lesson will expand their concepts of the movement's leaders. Learners examine an image of the 1963 March on Washington,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Kennedy Administration and the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students evaluate the Kennedy Administration's involvement in the civil rights movement. In this Civil rights lesson, students read and take notes from speeches connected to the historic March on Washington from the National Archives in...
Lesson Plan
PBS

March on Washington: A Time for Change

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians conclude their study of the events that lead up to and the planning for the March on Washington. After examining videos and primary source documents, they consider the civil rights objectives that still need to be...
Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

Making Lemonade: Responding to Oppression in Empowering Ways

For Teachers 11th Standards
An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Trouble in Little Rock: The Desegregation of Central High School

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study one aspect of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States; the battle over desegregating the public schools. They study the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas by producing a newspaper,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King and Malcom X on Violence and Integration

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were contemporaries. Both were gifted orators, both were preachers, both were leaders during the Civil Rights era, both were assassinated. But the two had very different views on violence and...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Birmingham, 1963: Spring Jubilation Part 2

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
The release of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Birmingham jail, the Children's March, and the bombings of the Gaston Motel and the home of Reverend A.D. King's home. As part of a study of the civil rights movement, class members...
Unit Plan
Washington University in St. Louis

Teaching Jazz as American Culture

For Students 6th - 12th
Jazz and the City, Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz and Gender, Jazz and Literature, Jazz and the Arts, Jazz and Film. Here's a packet of unit plans organized around themes that reflect American culture. Each unit examines how...
Worksheet
Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project

Dr. Martin Luther King's Visit to Seattle

For Students 7th - 9th Standards
How was the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. viewed by others during the 1960s? After watching an oral history video, your class members will learn more about Dr. King's ability to personally connect with others, as well as...
Worksheet
Student Handouts

Geography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 4th - 8th Standards
Young geographers follow Dr. Martin Luther King's journey during the civil rights movement by identifying major events on a map of the eastern United States, such as his birth in Atlanta, Georgia and his famous...
Handout
Curated OER

ACLU

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) good for America? The informative website is a one-stop shop for ACLU debate resources. Scholars read about the topics surrounding the issue, including free speech, national security, and...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

How Would You Feel? The Bravery of Civil Disobedience

For Teachers 6th - 8th
As part of their study of the US Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery bus boycott, class members read Dr. Martin Luther King's "Integrated Bus Suggestions." They then craft a short story about the first week of Montgomery...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking Barriers

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Determine how African-Americans have broken barriers in this history lesson. Middle schoolers discuss the 15th Amendment and the American civil rights movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect Union," taking care...
Lesson Plan
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Center for Civic Education

The Power of Nonviolence: Music Can Change the World

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is a fantastic activity through which class members discover how music has the ability to influence others in a meaningful way. After reviewing selected pieces and modern-day protest songs, learners will research other songs that...
Lesson Plan
PBS

African American History: Lunch Counter Closed

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies the Civil Rights Movement used to end segregation in the United States. After watching an video interview with Carl Matthews and Bill Stevens who participated...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Racial Equality: How Far Have We Come and How Far Do We Have To Go?

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Is everyone treated fairly in America? The culminating fifth lesson from a series of five has pupils explore racial inequalities from the 1960s and decide whether or not society has changed over time. The lesson comes with a speech from...

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