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

The Language of Human Rights

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Did you know that there are 15.2 million refugees in the world? High schoolers will read "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" and learn how they can get involved to lower this surprising number. To really encourage involvement,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rosa Parks Changed the Rules

For Teachers K - 5th
Students complete a diagram of the Montgomery bus that carried Rosa Parks into the history books. They read about Rosa Park's contributions to the Civil Rights movement. They role play Rosa Park's refusal to move to the back of the bus.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring the Heroes of Social Justice Movements

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore social justice, the civil rights movement, and everyday heroes. They view video clips, learn about James Armstrong: The Barber of Birmingham, and create their own hero wall. They present their walls to the class and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson: Emory Douglas: Revolution in Our Time, Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
I love lessons like this because they let kids see the power of art, poetry, and activism in times of social injustice and unrest. They'll analyze the art used by Emory Douglas in the production of the Black Panther newspaper and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Story: Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolence

For Teachers 1st - 4th
In this parent and child activity, young learners read Martin’s Big Words and a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is a wonderful guided reading pdf that defines challenge words and provides reading tips. The object of...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist

For Teachers 3rd - 7th Standards
Cesar Chavez believed so much in the cause of farmworkers that he put his money where his mouth was. Chavez quit his well-paying job to organize them into labor unions. Using a speech, photograph, and short biographical video, pupils...
Lesson Plan
National Constitution Center

Civil Liberties and Rights Worldwide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do governments differ in how they protect human rights? While the United States prides itself on its Bill of Rights, other countries have their own ways of protecting citizens' liberties. An interactive website, paired with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Separate is Not Equal: Brown vs. Board of Education

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Brown vs. Board of Education was a landmark case, but what other cases were influenced by its decision? By researching 1 of 14 civil rights legislative events, scholars follow this court case through recent events. Keeping in mind 6...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Should Homosexuals Have the Right to Laws Protecting Them From Discrimination?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore discrimination issues in America. In this homosexual rights lesson, students listen to their instructor lecture on antidiscrimination laws and gay rights. Students respond to questions about the Romer v. Evans case.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Services

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate important themes, figures, and events of the Civil Rights Movement. They create a class mural that demonstrates their understanding of the continuing impact of the movement on American society.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rights-Minded

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students expand their knowledge and understanding about the civil rights movement by investigating the lives of some of the people who contributed to it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Journey to Civil Rights

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Young scholars investigate the concepts that surround the Civil Rights Movement. They conduct research with the help of the teacher and use chart paper to create posters about major people involved. Students also complete a timeline...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rev. Joseph Lowery: What Makes a Civil Rights Leader?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the attributes of civil rights leaders. In this Civil Rights Movement lesson, students design "body biographies" of selected civil rights leaders after they have conducted research and discussed the qualities of leaders.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights: An Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers take a closer look at the political side of the American Civil Rights Movement. In this 20th century American history lesson, students research the contributions of President Johnson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and J....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils analyze historic rulings that played roles in the Civil Rights Movement. In this civil right lesson plan, students research Internet and print sources regarding Plessy v. Ferguson, Sipuel v. Board of Regents of the University of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Education as a Civil Right

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the implications of segregation. In this Civil Rights lesson, students investigate what equal education is as they discover the state of Boston schools in 1960. Students define civil rights and discrimination as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Liberties and National Security

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars identify the civil liberties outlined in the U.S. Bill of Rights and discuss the importance of these liberties in today's society. They research examples of when Congress has taken legislative action to protect national...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music of the Civil Rights Era, 1954-1968

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars experience the aesthetics of music and learn about freedom songs that motivated the Civil Rights activists. For this music history lesson, students learn how music can motivate and move listeners. Young scholars then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (and affirmative action) and how it has influenced American history in the decades since it's signing.
Lesson Plan
Teaching for Change

A Documents-Based Lesson on the Voting Rights Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How did the Voting Rights Act affect the daily lives of American citizens? A document-based lesson developed by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC) presents a case study of the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Government and Your Right To Vote: Voting Rights In America

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Gaining voting rights was difficult over the course of decades, but the debate over who should actually be allowed to cast a ballot remains. Scholars explore the history of the struggle, including the fifteenth and nineteenth amendments,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding the Music of the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students examine protest music and songs from the Civil Rights movement. In this music of the Civil Rights era lesson plan, students listen to selected music before working in groups to determine who the music was directed at, what...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GET UP, STAND UP: Fighting for Rights Around the World

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore basic human rights as they explore music by black artists. In this human rights lesson plan, students examine music as a cultural reflection of the justice issues. Students analyze Jamaican roots reggae of the 70s,...

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