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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mississippi Trial, 1955: Pre-reading Strategy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pink and Say, a picture book by Patricia Polacco, and an anticipation guide, set the stage for a reading of Mississippi Trial, 1955, Chris Crowe's novel based on the true story of the murder of Emmett Till. Instructional routines, the...
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Lesson Plan
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Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Choosing to Remember

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till and civil rights activist, believed that her son's murder was the last straw before public outrage over racial injustice spilled over into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. A history...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Connecting the History of Lynching to The Murder

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Though the murder of Emmett Till shocked 1950's America into turning attention to the racial crimes of the South, it was far from the first time racism had erupted into violence. High schoolers examine the killing in context with the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Confronting the Murder

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...
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Lesson Plan
Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Protesting Violence without Violence

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
The ultimate legacy of Emmett Till's violent death is its role in the non-violent roots of the Civil Rights Movement. A lesson compares contemporaneous articles with the lyrics of Bob Dylan's "The Death of Emmett Till" and prompts...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lessons of Emmett Till

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students participate in a WebQuest designed to take them on a journey into the darkness that is race predjudice and the often-violent means in which it is manifested. They investigate the murder of a 14-year-old Chicago boy visiting...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Case in Point

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students 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.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meting Out Justice

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the murder case of Emmett Till and identify the missing pieces from the case. Through research, they then work to fill in the gaps to create a basis for examining how justice might be served anew in this...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Pivotal Moment in the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the story of Emmett Till. In this Civil Rights Movement lesson, students investigate the impact of the Emmett Till lynching and trial. Students write a thesis statement that explores the lynching as a pivotal moment in...
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Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Hate U Give

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas became a quick hit in the young adult literature genre before its adaptation in the 2018 film of the same name. Use a thorough instructional activity, discussion guide, and series of activities to discuss...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil changed history. Their sit-in at the lunch counter of the Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 became a model for the nonviolent protests that...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Lynching of Emmett Till

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars will be introduced to the historiography of the Emmett Till murder to discover more about the case and to evaluate how history is reliant on interpretation. They will also refine analytical and critical thinking skills as...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thurgood Marshall

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students read about Thurgood Marshall and answer discussion questions about him. In this Thurgood Marshall lesson plan, students discuss the biography and history of him.