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| Students can check here for daily updates of missed assigments. Here are some sample assignments: Exploring the Lasting Impact of the Civil Rights Movement Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students investigate important themes, figures, and events of the Civil Rights Movement. They then create a class mural that both synthesizes their knowledge of this period in history and demonstrates their understanding of the continuing impact of the movement on American society. Objectives: 1. Students will reflect on the meaning behind a song related to the Civil Rights Movement; share prior knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement through a brainstorming activity. 2. Students will learn about the connection between song and the civil rights movement as explored in a concert for children by reading and discussing the article "Family Fare: A Joyful Noise." 3. Students will investigate various aspects of the Civil Rights Movement. 4. Students will develop creative presentations focusing on their researched aspects of the civil rights movement; perform presentations for the class; develop a class mural synthesizing and connecting information from the presentations and exploring the continuing impact of the movement on American society. Resources / Materials: -recording of "We Shall Overcome" -student journals -pens/pencils -paper -classroom board -New York Times article "Family Fare: A Joyful Noise" -research materials with information about the Civil Rights Movement (class website) -art materials for creating presentations Activities / Procedures: 1. WARM-UP: At the beginning of the class, play "We Shall Overcome" for students. After listening to the song, students respond to it in their journals, answering the following questions (on overhead projector): "What do you think was the intended purpose of this song? What images came to mind as you listened to it? How did this song make you feel?" (5 minutes writing time.) After a few minutes, encourage students to share their journals with the class. Explain to class that this song was popular during the Civil Rights Movement, and conduct a short discussion about how this song relates to the concept of "Civil Rights." Then, as a class, brainstorm on the board a list of events, speeches, other songs and organizations that come to mind when thinking of the Civil Rights Movement. Ideas include the Montgomery bus boycott; the integration of Central High School in Little Rock,' Arkansas; sit-ins; the marches in Birmingham and Washington; the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.; the "I Have a Dream" speech; the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; and the Freedom Riders. Keep this list on the board for use later in class. 2. As a class, read and discuss the article "Family Fare: A Joyful Noise," focusing on the following questions: a. What is "Sweet Honey from the Rock"? b. How did Freedom Riders create their songs? c. What famous civil rights songs are based on older versions? d. What event is the concert commemorating, and why? e. Why will the group perform songs about other events as well in the performance described, and how do they relate to the other commemorated event? 3. Divide students into groups of four, and have each select a different civil rights movement topic from the website. Using all available resources, each group researches their aspect of the civil rights movement, focusing on the following questions (written on the board for student access): --Who was involved in this piece of civil rights history, and what role did each play? --What occurred to prompt this event? What impact did it have on the civil rights movement and the people involved? --Where and when did this event take place? --Why was this piece of civil rights history central to the movement as a whole? --How does this topic still resonate in the United States today? 4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each group creates a presentation, in any visual form that they choose, that includes both a creative element and a thorough explanation of the significance of the subject of the presentation within the civil rights movement as a whole. Groups should be sure to include answers to all of the research questions. Since each of these aspects of the civil rights movement overlap (e.g., famous speeches are recited by famous people during important events), groups should be monitored to ensure that they do not choose topics and presentation methods that are too closely related. In a future class, groups should give their presentations in chronological order. Then, using the information from the presentations, the class creates a mural to hang in the school that commemorates the civil rights movement and connects the topics of all their groups' research into a cohesive whole. Students may also choose to include modern images to reflect the lasting effects of the civil rights movement. Further Questions for Discussion (Students will be asked to reflect and write about these questions, in preparation for discussion): --What does the phrase "civil rights" mean? What are some civil rights? What do you think is the importance of civil rights? --Why do you think that music was such an important part of the Civil Rights Movement? --Why do you think the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has become a national holiday? What other famous figures are commemorated by holidays, and why? Evaluation / Assessment: Students will be evaluated based on completion of journal, participation in class discussions, thoughtful participation in group research, well-developed group presentation of research, and participation in creation of class Civil Rights Movement mural. The Life and Death of Martin Luther King, Jr. Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students examine Dr. Martin Luther King's activities in the Civil Rights Movement. Then they will have the choice of a few different persuasive letters assignments. Objectives: 1. Students will reflect on King's teachings. 2. Students will learn about Thurgood Marshall's impressions of King. 3. Students will investigate various aspects of the civil rights movement. 4. Students will learn about King's thoughts on his life and work. 5. Students will write a persuasive letter in which they explore the lasting importance of King's work. Resources / Materials: -student journals -pens/pencils -paper -research materials with information about Dr. King (class website) -history textbook Activities / Procedures: 1. WARM-UP: What do you know about Dr. King's life and death? (5 minute writing time.) 2. Discuss warm-up. 3. Students will work with a partner in the LARC. Each pair will investigate the section of the syllabus concerning Dr. King. They will try to answer these questions: -- Who did Dr. King try to emulate? -- What were Marshall's overall thoughts about King? -- How was King successful? In what ways was he unsuccessful? -- What can be learned from King's life? His death? -- What lasting lessons can still be learned from King's teachings? 4. HOMEWORK: Each student will write a letter. Each may choose to: -- write a letter to the school board in which they attempt to persuade the members that Vicksburg Community Schools should have a holiday and/or a program to celebrate the life of Dr. King, or -- write a letter as a colleague of Dr. King (Abernathy, Young, Bevel, etc), explaining to a student the current value of the work he did 40 years ago, or -- write a letter to a textbook publisher explaining his or her concerns about the discrepancy between the textbook account and the reality of King's life, and asking that a more complete story be included. Evaluation / Assessment: Students will be assessed using a rubric that focuses on the writing skills that are being studied in class. Investigating the Lives of People Who Influenced the Civil Rights Movement Using Spike Lee’s 4 Little Girls Overview of Lesson Plan: In this lesson, students expand their knowledge and understanding about the Civil Rights Movement by investigating the lives of some of the people who contributed to it. Objectives: 1. Students will react to historic New York Times coverage of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. 2. Students will explore prosecuting attorney Doug Jones' relationship with this event by reading and discussing the article "Public Lives: An Alabama Prosecutor Confronts the Burden of History." 3. Students will research and analyze various events in the Civil Rights Movement. 4. Students will examine, through interview or research, the life of a person who contributed to the civil rights movement; draft a "Public Lives" article. Resources / Materials: -New York Times article: "Birmingham Bomb Kills 4 Negro Girls In Church; Riots Flare; 2 Boys Slain," -student journals -pens/pencils -paper -New York Times article: "Public Lives: An Alabama Prosecutor Confronts the Burden of History" -resources about the Civil Rights Movement (electronic textbook) Activities / Procedures: 1. WARM-UP: Students read Times article "Birmingham Bomb Kills 4 Negro Girls In Church; Riots Flare; 2 Boys Slain". Upon entering class, students respond to the following questions (written on the board prior to class): In your journal, answer these questions: What related events were happening in the United States at the time that this event happened? How does the language of the article reflect this time period? What part of what you read most affected you, and why? 2. Discuss warm-up. 3. As a class, view Spike Lee’s documentary 4 Little Girls. While watching, students will write 15 “I think I think”’s – questions, comments, ideas, insights, etc., about the video. 4. With a partner, read and discuss "Public Lives: An Alabama Prosecutor Confronts the Burden of History," focusing on the following questions: a. What happened in the fall of 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama? b. What were Doug Jones' primary interests in 1963? c. Why did Mr. Jones become interested in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing 14 years later? d. What role did Mr. Jones pay in the trial of Thomas E. Blanton, Jr.? e. What made it difficult for Mr. Jones to prove his case? f. What was the verdict of the jury? According to Mr. Jones, how does the verdict reflect upon the city of Birmingham? g. What is Mr. Jones personal history? h. What other case was Mr. Jones involved in during his investigation of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing? i. In what crimes is Mr. Rudolph charged? How does Mr. Jones feel about Mr. Rudolph's case? 4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each partnership selects a person who influenced the Civil Rights Movement event researched in the group upon whom to write a biography. (This will be read in class, and will offer biographical information as well as an exploration of the specific influence that this person had on a specific event). This person may be someone whose life is well documented in Civil Rights references in print and on the internet, or may be someone who the student knows and can interview. In researching this individual, students should consider how and why this person became involved in the Civil Rights Movement, how his or her participation impacted the event, how his or her background influenced his or her participation, and how this person's influence affected the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. Further Questions for Discussion: --In what ways did the struggle for Civil Rights in America start before the 1950's, and how does it continue to this day? --What are the legacies of the "Civil Rights Era?" In what ways do you see the results of this era in your daily life? --What do you think are the Civil Rights issues that remain unresolved to this day? --Why do you think voter register was such an important focus of the Civil Rights Movement? --What does Mr. Jones mean when he says that he was worried people would say, "O.K., this is Birmingham and Birmingham hasn't changed"? Do you think there are still places in America that overtly resist racial integration? --How do you feel when you read about acts of white supremacy and hatred? --Do you agree with Mr. Jones when he says "it is never too late for justice"? Extension: After watching the Spike Lee documentary 4 Little Girls, which explores the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, conduct a discussion using the following questions as a guideline: What was your emotional response to the film? What did you learn about the details of the bombing case? How did the style of this film help you better understand the event? According to this film, what role did the bombing play in accelerating the Civil Rights Movement? Coming of Age in Mississippi -- Anne Moody As we study Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi, we will try to understand the origins of her involvement in the Movement. As students read the book, they will record in their journals the events and incidents that were indicative of her life growing up in Mississippi. They should also record the events and incidents that might have led to Moody’s involvement. Students will try to determine the ways in which Moody was like, and different from, other people who had similar experiences. Students will compare her experience growing up with other Black Mississippians. Then students will compare Moody’s experiences with Black Southerners who lived outside of Mississippi. After students have made these comparisons, they will use the webquest and other resources on this site to try to determine why several Civil Rights activists became involved in the Movement. As we do these investigations, students will begin to decide for themselves what sort of person Moody was and is. As they learn about her, they can work towards making their own meaning of her story. |
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