New ReviewMartin Luther King Jr. Day isn't just about remembering the history of the Civil Rights movement. It is also about teaching the value of service, using King's life as a model. A video resource traces King's life and legacy, while...

New ReviewPresident Barack Obama set aside March 31st to recognize the efforts of Cesar Chavez to improve the conditions of migrant workers in the United States. A short video provides a brief biography of Chavez and his approach to labor...

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...

Scholars read and become familiar with peaceful protests detailed in the story, Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by Jim Haskins. Pupils reexamine the tale and use the Six Steps to Nonviolent Direct Action in...

In the story, Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport, listeners become familiar with nonviolent protests of the Civil Rights Movement through music. Scholars then compose original...

Scholars take in a new view of Rosa Parks with the story, Rosa by Nikki Giovanni. Following the reading, learners examine primary and secondary sources that detail the nonviolent protest known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Accompany a reading of, Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford, with an in-depth investigation into nonviolent protest using primary and secondary sources, narratives, and documentary excerpts. 

A lesson begins with a read-aloud of the story, A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson. Scholars then take part in a discussion about the nonviolent methods featured in primary and secondary sources. 

Expand class members' appreciation of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A powerful resource examines King's speeches, writings, and actions that reveal his deep commitment to a nonviolent approach to Civil Rights. Learners watch a...

Malcolm X was a complicated man that few in white America understood. After sharing what they know or think they know about this civil rights leader, about nationalism and Black Nationalism, class members view a two-part documentary...

To demonstrate their understanding of the differences in the philosophies of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X class members read short biographies of the two famous civil rights leaders, analyze statements made by both men, and then...

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...

What is the difference between lawful protest and civil disobedience? Why is the difference important? A 16-slide presentation clearly defines the differences and presents strategies for nonviolent resistance.

With new leadership comes new hope! After years of violence, the people of Colombia elect a new president ... could this mean an end to conflict? Civics scholars take part in a large group role-playing exercise designed to illustrate the...

Have you ever fought publicly for an idea you believe in? Scholars research and analyze the right to demonstrate peacefully. Incorporating different real-life scenarios as well as legal decisions exposes the concept of democracy and free...

Countless peaceful protests occur in a healthy democracy, thanks to the forefathers of civil disobedience. Teach pupils about the importance of civil disobedience and a powerful minority with a video on Henry David Thoreau, which...

Young people played significant roles in the Civil Rights movement. Class members examine the contributions of Barbara Johns, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith, and the children of Birmingham,...

Introduce class members to Gandhi's non-violent, non-cooperative ideas with Richard Attenborough's 1982 bio-epic. The film traces the experiences that gave shape to Gandhi's ideas and the actions that eventually lead to the end of...

Is violence inevitable, or can peace overcome war? A Crash Course World History discusses how Leo Tolstoy influenced Mohandas Gandhi to use nonviolent resistance against British Imperialism, and how Gandhi's example became a model for...

Before Woodstock, there was Newport. Get plugged in to the social changes of the 1960s with a lesson that looks at Bob Dylan's performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival as a symbol of the radical changes that marked the era.

Class members read "Satvagraha," the concluding section of Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos' Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science and analyze how the authors support their claim that terrible...

Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil changed history. Their sit-in at the lunch counter of the Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 became a model for the nonviolent protests that...

Individuals read a passage about segregation, as a homework assignment, before coming to class the next day to learn about the Greensboro sit-ins—a landmark event during the civil rights movement. Packed with guiding questions, group...

Young historians inquire about how the events leading up to the boycott helped establish equal rights for African Americans. During three rounds of group thinking and reading of historical documents, class members make claims in...