Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Courageous Voices that Shook the Nation to Action

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. In this Martin Luther King, Jr. day lesson, students learn about the holiday for Dr. King through literature and music. Students learn the lyrics to Stevie Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze Martin Luther King's message of nonviolent protest discover how individuals adapted his message to their own communities and situations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Andrew Young

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners explore Andrew Young and his role alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights Leaders

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate three American leaders from the Civil Rights Movement while they examine the early 1960's and the topic of racial equality. They listen to music from the era, read speeches, and look at images of Martin Luther...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

ANTICIPATORY SET

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students are be able to analyze primary sources (photographs and speeches) and write a definition of American Democracy. They are shown a photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. by Ben Fernandez, students are asked what is happening in the...
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
1
1
Museum of Tolerance

The Pursuit of Democracy and Diversity: The Trial of Pro-Social Injustice in Historical Documents and Accounts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Look at Race in America Using Statistics

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the issue of racism in America.  In this American History instructional activity, 11th graders analyze charts and graphs on blacks and whites in America.  
Lesson Plan
1
1
Center for Civic Education

In the Shadows, Agents of Change

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Most of your learners have probably heard of Martin Luther King, Jr., or Cesar Chavez, but could they also recognize the names of Betty Friedan or Dolores Huerta? Give your learners the opportunity to discover the many accomplishments of...
Activity
Curated OER

Peace Education | Wreath or Tree Craft

For Teachers K - 5th
What is peace and what does it mean to our society? To understand why peace is celebrated and what character traits or concepts relate to the action of peace, learners engage in a discussion, story time, and a craft project. The lesson...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On the Other Side of the Color Barrier: Segregation and the Negro Leagues

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study segregation that occurred in the past and that is currently occurring. For this equal rights lesson, students use primary source documents to student segregation of the past. In a culminating activity, students find or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students will recognize the problem of prejudice and racism in the history of America especially during the time of Martin Luther King Jr. They will also recognize that feelings can be expressed through the written medium of poetry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music of the Civil Rights Era, 1954-1968

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

Violence Prevention

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Compare and contrast the ideologies of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle schoolers conduct research regarding civil rights and rhetorical strategies used in political speechs. They examine the strategies that both men employed...
Primary
Freedom Archives

Special St. Augustine Issue

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
The articles and images in the June 1964 edition of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Newsletter detail the events in St. Augustine that were instrumental in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The stirring...
Writing
Fusco’s English Class

Journal Writing Prompts

For Students 5th - 9th
Inspire thoughtful journal entries with these detailed journal writing prompts. The resource includes 24 prompts that require learners to write expository, persuasive, and sometimes creative journal entires.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Scholastic

Ruby Bridges: A Simple Act of Courage, Grades K-2

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
A civil rights movement lesson designed specifically with the Common Core State Standards in mind, young learners are introduced to the story of Ruby Bridges as the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary...
Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

Rhetorical Devices in Political Speeches

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...
Lesson Plan
Adult Fiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Ghost Boys: Educator Guide

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...
Unit Plan
2
2
Ashoka

A Toolkit for Promoting Empathy in Schools

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Instill kindness with a unit all about empathy. Lessons and activities follow a prepare, engage, reflect, and action sequence. Learning experiences include making the classroom a safe environment, peer-invented handshakes, discussions...
Lesson Plan
Teaching for Change

Stepping into Selma

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights marches are the focus of a lesson designed to introduce learners to people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Class members set into the role of one of the participants,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dr. King and His Advice for Dreams Deferred

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students analyze Dr. King's public addresses and Langston Hughes' poetry as a study of the Civil Rights' nonviolent approach to making an impact. In this protesting lesson, students read poetry of Hughes and speeches by Dr....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans in California’s Heartland – The Civil Rights Era

For Teachers 11th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What I Dream For:

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students investigate about the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr., watching video clips from unitedstreaming. They identify ways that they can help make Martin Luther's dream of peace a reality. Pupils identify contributions that...