Stanford University
Voices of the Struggle: The Continual Struggle for Equality
As part of a study of the Civil Rights Movement from 1868 to the present, class members examine first person narratives, the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, and other significant events in civil rights history. They then...
DocsTeach
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Fight for Civil Rights
Find clues to the past with photos! Young historians use a photo from one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful protests to practice photo analysis. Academics look at the image to gain clues about what is happening and why. To finish,...
Curated OER
The Civil Rights Movement
Students explore the events of the Civil Rights Movement. In this research skills lesson plan, students research the important figures, events, and ideas of the American Civil Rights Movement as they visit suggested websites that feature...
Curated OER
Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement
High schoolers explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history lesson plan, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and its...
Curated OER
Civil Rights Movement: Closing Day
Students explore the American Civil Rights Movement. In this African American history lesson, students close a Civil Rights unit by preparing Civil Rights Open House exhibits for an audience.
Curated OER
Exploring the Eras of the Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil Rights Movement
Eighth graders utilize many sources (books, computer, magazines, etc...) to research the eras of the Emancipation Proclamation and Civil Rights Movement and create a T-Chart comparison.
Curated OER
The Role of Affirmative Action in the Civil Rights Movement
Students debate Affirmative Action. For this Civil Rights lesson students examine the development of affirmative action. Students discuss whether affirmative action is advancing equality and civil rights or not.
Curated OER
Expanding the Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Introduce the class to the Civil Rights Movement by taking a critical look at the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. They will pay close attention to the role women played in organizing the boycott and bringing national attention to the...
Curated OER
Social Activism in the United States
Seventh graders explore the goals of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In this US History lesson plan, 7th graders read a newspaper article that reported a significant event during this era. Students write a summary of...
Tolerance
A Time for Justice
The Academy Award-winning documentary A Time for Justice launches a unit that examines America's civil rights movement. Class members examine key events and participants in the movement and consider how the civil rights movement changed...
Curated OER
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Civil Rights Movement Speeches
Examine three speeches while teaching Aristotle's appeals. Over the course of three days, class members fill out a graphic organizer about ethos, pathos, and logos, complete an anticipatory guide, read speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.,...
Adult Fiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ghost Boys: Educator Guide
The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...
Curated OER
Life and Times: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968
The life and times of Martin Luther King Jr. are outlined in this simple-yet-informative presentation. This is an image-rich slide show depicting scenes from his personal and public life. A great resource to use with a unit on the civil...
Curated OER
Civil Rights: Rosa Parks Centers
Research the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks. Set up different centers and have learners rotate through the activities aimed at researching Rosa Parks. They read The Bus Ride that Changed History: The Story of Rosa Parks, write a...
Washington University in St. Louis
Teaching Jazz as American Culture
Jazz and the City, Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement, Jazz and Gender, Jazz and Literature, Jazz and the Arts, Jazz and Film. Here's a packet of unit plans organized around themes that reflect American culture. Each unit examines how...
Time For Kids
A Peaceful Leader
The legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's life and message is just as important today as it was in his lifetime. Introduce elementary learners to the movement for civil rights with a timeline of Dr. King's life, as well as comprehension...
Curated OER
Civil Rights: An Investigation
Students take a closer look at the political side of the American Civil Rights Movement. In this 20th century American history lesson, students research the contributions of President Johnson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and J. Edgar...
Miama-Dade County Public Schools
African Americans and the Civil War
The American Civil War is the theme of this packet of materials prepared for Black History Month. Class members learn about the roles that African Americans played during the Civil War and examine the African-American experience after...
Penguin Books
Core Curriculum Lesson Plans for The Lions of Little Rock
Schools in the 1950s and 60s looked very different from the schools we know today. An educator's guide explores the civil rights movement and, specifically, the process of integrating schools. Questions cover key themes in the novel and...
EngageNY
Developing an Opinion Based on the Textual Evidence: Jackie Robinson’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement (Promises to Keep, Pages 50–57)
Caption this. Scholars look at pages 50-57 of Promises to Keep and discuss the photographs on the pages. They analyze the captions with the pictures and then discuss vocabulary such as human rights and civil rights.
Curated OER
Social and Cultural Issues in the Civil Rights Movement
Students watch videos, listen to speeches and analyze the information that is presented about the civil rights movement. They examine visual art of the period.
Curated OER
Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning
Cesar Chavez Curriculum Guide Day of Service and Learning
Cesar Chavez, the United Farmworker's Movement, and the struggle for Chicano Civil Rights are the focus of a Day of Service and Learning curriculum guide that asks participants to investigate the conditions, events, and attitudes that...
DocsTeach
Red Record of Lynching Map Analysis
Long before the civil rights movement, leaders were working to secure equal rights. An informative activity explains the 1922 anti-lynching campaign with a map. Scholars analyze the map, complete a worksheet, and participate in group...