Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Activism in the United States

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the goals of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.  In this US History lesson, 7th graders read a newspaper article that reported a significant event during this era.  Students write a...
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

Dr. King and the Movement

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students complete activities about Dr. Martin Luther King's Civil Rights movements. In this Civil Rights lesson, students read a quote from Dr. King and discuss several questions about the topic and may use them as writing prompts.
Lesson Plan
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Defining US

Integration of Education and American Society

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How did the struggle for Civil Rights during the 1950s transform American society and politics? Why are American schools integrated today? Class members explore these essential questions by examining a series of primary and secondary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Differences Make Us Special

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students explore the similarities and differences among their classmates. They are introduced to the Civil Rights Movement-that all people be treated equally and fairly. Students discuss the importance of appreciating individual...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

When Youth Protest: Student Activism and the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, 1955-1970

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners explain the meaning of the following terms associated with the modern Civil Rights movement: segregation; integration; civil rights; civil disobedience.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Responses to Racially Imbalanced Schools

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners 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. Learners define civil rights and discrimination as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights Movement in America

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the Civil Rights movement as a culmination of history and cultural perspectives developed from the Slave Trade and Reconstruction. They identify leading persons and organizations and their personal philosophy to...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Lesson Plan: Montgomery Bus Boycott

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what about Claudette Colvin, Virginia Durr, Freedom Summer, or the Birmingham Children's Crusade? A five-lesson unit prompts class...
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...
Lesson Plan
PBS

The Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Fourteenth Amendment was extremely important to civil rights and is a crucial one to remember. The resource teaches about the Supreme Court decisions related to the amendment through writing exercises, reading, and working in small...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What rights are guaranteed to students? Do they align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was approved by the United Nations in 1948? Middle and high schoolers present persuasive arguments about the rights they believe...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Music: Its Message and Meaning

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners develop an appreciation for modern black music from a historical, political and lyrical perspective. They examine the political and the historical surge of the civil rights movement of the 1960's and how this surge directly or...
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

A New Generation of Fighters

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss the reasons why people are less likely to take a stand on issues today than they were in the past. In groups, they research the efforts of Kings, Parks and others to end discrimination and racism. They read excerpts of...
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
PBS

Jackie Robinson's Complicated — and Important — Legacy

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Americans tend to lock their heroes in history, holding these icons to a particular event or time. Jackie Robinson is such a hero, remembered by most for becoming the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Young historians...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In the 1960s, Why Were Boston’s Schools Racially Segregated?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the implications of segregation. In this Civil Rights lesson plan, students investigate what equal education is as they discover the state of Boston schools in 1960. Students define civil rights and discrimination as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Colored Troops

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the role that African American soldiers had in the Civil War and the impact they had on the US Civil Rights movement after the war. They complete a timeline, read an excerpt and analyze a primary image.
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Launching the Text: Building Background Knowledge of the Jim Crow South

For Teachers 8th Standards
Pictures and photographs help build background knowledge about a topic. Scholars participate in a gallery walk to learn more about the Jim Crow era of US history and the desegregation of schools following Brown v. Board of Education....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How does it feel? Why is the Civil Rights Movement so Important?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the Civil War. In this US history activity, 5th graders simulate what life was like during the Civil War by having two groups with one group given more materials than the other group. Students then draw a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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

Art: Faith Ringgold Story Quilts

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the impact of African American culture on the United States by inspecting Faith Ringgold's story quilts. Working in groups, they create a collective story quilt about current cultural issues. They research their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fight For Your Right - Leading A Revolution of Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine civil rights. For this civil rights lesson, students research human rights issues of United States history. High schoolers then discuss their research findings and write Bill of Rights statements for the topics...