Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Nonviolence

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the philosophy of nonviolence developed by Martin Luther King, Jr. and how this turned into practice during the Civil Rights Movement. They compare these teachings to those of Mohandas K. Ghandi.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Egypt's Nonviolent Revolution

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the nonviolent protests of the Egyptians. In this current events lesson, students watch a video and read articles about the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Middle schoolers compare the Egyptian protest to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

New Voices for African Americans

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders study Malcolm X and black power. In this African American lesson, 11th graders write a journal entry about black power and create a timeline of the events during the civil right movement.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Children's March

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students watch the film, The Children's March. In this civil rights instructional activity, students view a video on the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery Alabama. Students then complete a worksheet that will prompt a classroom...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

What is Equality and How Does it Affect Me?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore the concept of civil rights and the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther Kind and others utilized non-violent protests to achieve their goals. They participate in a variety of discussion and role play activities during this...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Flag Burning: Worksheet

For Students 8th - 12th
In this Bill of Rights worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions that require them to agree or disagree with 10 statements about flag burning and citizen's rights.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Are The Freedom Riders

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students consider the role of the Freedom Riders. In this American Civil Rights instructional activity, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding the participants in the Freedom Ride protest. Several...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mandela The Man

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore civil rights by reading several biographies. In this Nelson Mandela lesson, 9th graders discuss the trials and tribulations Nelson Mandela had to face in South Africa and how they were similar to the problems Martin...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Roots of Ahimsa

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Young scholars investigate the philosophy of nonviolence. In this Ghandi lesson, students discover that Gandhi inspired many civil rights leaders with the idea of ahimsa. Young scholars complete venn diagrams, create timelines, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suffragettes

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate peer pressure by discussing women's suffrage. In this Women's rights lesson, students explore the history of voting in the United States and when women were finally allowed to do so. Young scholars create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Making of a Holiday: MLK, Jr. Day

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students explore the life of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss the events surrounding his death and the significance of the federal holiday honoring Dr. King. As a class, they read about Dr. King's work for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Protest

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain how Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. They discuss how her actions were heroic and how they affected the civil rights movement. They reflect on the lesson in journal entries.
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
Curated OER

Nonviolent Resistance: Gandhi and King

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use the internet to research the major events and dates of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In groups, they use this information to create a poster to present to the class. They reflect on how these two men...
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Timing is everything. Introduce young historians to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" with a resource that underscores the significance of the timing of the Good Friday Birmingham march, King's subsequent...
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...
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...
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
Curated OER

Nonviolence as a Tool for Change Lesson 1

For Teachers 8th - 11th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The March from Selma to Montgomery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine voter discrimination. In this Civil Rights lesson, students watch segments of "Eyes on the Prize" and discuss the organization of the march from Selma to Montgomery. Middle schoolers conduct interviews...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bill of Rights Day (December 15th)

For Teachers 4th - 6th
On December 15, 1791, the ratification of the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the UnitedStates of American by three-quarters of the states took place. These were subsequently incorporated into the Constitution and became...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sixties Protests and Social Change

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bill of Rights

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine various Supreme Court Cases.  In this American Government lesson, 9th graders research a specific Supreme Court Case.  Students create a multiple choice assignment based on their assigned case.