When is civil disobedience acceptable? Class members read examples of Jim Crow laws, an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," and a newspaper article and then consider the factors that make a law just or unjust.

Concepts

racism, martin luther king jr., civil disobedience, henry david thoreau, jim crow laws, the separate but equal doctrine

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Expand the lesson to include a discussion of the consequences of breaking a law
• Have class members read Thoreau's essay, "Resistance to Civil Government" before conducting the lesson

Classroom Considerations

• The opening activity mimics Jane Elliott's controversial discrimination exercise; before deciding to use the activity, read the many articles available online that discuss the intended and unintended consequences for participants
• The excerpts from King's letter are difficult to read; reprint the same paragraphs from an online source
• Establish a classroom environment for a safe, respectful discussion of sensitive and controversial issues
• The premise of the lesson is that some class members will object to and refuse to engage in the opening activity, which may or may not be the case
• No debriefing period is provided after the opening exercise; budget some time in the lesson for discussion

Pros

• The lesson stresses that civil disobedience involves breaking a law that participants regard as unjust

Cons

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.9-10.4 RI.11-12.1 RI.11-12.4