Curated OER
Land, Liberty and the Struggle for the American Dream
Students investigate equality by reading a historical fiction book in class. In this civil rights lesson, students read the story Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with their classmates and define the Jim Crow Laws that kept blacks...
Curated OER
Segregation
Learners consider the implications of prejudice. In this segregation instructional activity, students experience a simulation that has school staff favoring learners with blue eyes. Students discuss the simulation experience, watch "The...
Curated OER
King Campaigns in Birmingham
Eleventh graders discuss the contributions of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. For this civil rights movement lesson, 11th graders read Rev. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail", answer questions about the letter, share their...
Curated OER
Nonviolence the Road to Freedom
Eleventh graders discuss the use of nonviolence. In this civil rights movement instructional activity, 11th graders write a journal entry on the differences between Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., discuss nonviolence and...
Curated OER
New Voices for African Americans
Eleventh graders study Malcolm X and black power. In this African American lesson, 11th graders write a journal entry about black power and create a timeline of the events during the civil right movement.
Curated OER
The Roots of Ahimsa
Students investigate the philosophy of nonviolence. In this Ghandi lesson, students discover that Gandhi inspired many civil rights leaders with the idea of ahimsa. Students complete venn diagrams, create timelines, and discuss...
Curated OER
Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this African American history lesson, students compare and contrast the tactics employed by Malcolm X and Martin Luther...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King and Writing as a Tool for Social Change
Students explore writing as an agent for social change. In this Social Studies lesson, students examine the power of writing using Dr. King's Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Students will practice the technique of persuasive writing...
Curated OER
MLK: using Nonviolence to Make Positive Change
Students read about Martin Luther King and discuss the rights and responsibilities of citizens. In this Martin Luther King lesson, students recognize the vocabulary words associated with freedom and nonviolence. Students view...
Curated OER
African Americans in California’s Heartland – The Civil Rights Era
Events related to the Civil Rights Movement in Sacramento, California during the 1960s offer class members an opportunity to compare the nonviolent resistance approach favored by Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP with those of the...
Curated OER
Religion in Social Change: What's God Got To Do With It?
Young scholars determine how religion influences social change. For this religion and social change lesson, students examine how the religious beliefs of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were inspirational as they worked to...
Curated OER
Continuing Gandhi's Legacy of Cross-Cultural Understanding: Central Asia and the Middle East
Students investigate the lifestyle of Gandhi by creating a Venn Diagram. In this biographical lesson plan, students compare the philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi while discussing their teaching methods....
Curated OER
I Have a Dream Podcasts
Young scholars write dream speeches and record them as Mp3's. In this speech lesson, students watch Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, "I Have Dream Speech." They use the writing process to develop a dream speech which they rehearse. They record...
Facing History and Ourselves
Eyes on the Prize Lesson 1: The Philosophy of Nonviolence
Students explore the concept of nonviolent demonstration. In this Civil Rights Movement activity, students investigate examples of injustice and discuss the philosophy of nonviolence fueled by leaders of the movement. Students apply...
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify...
Curated OER
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a study in celebrating people
Learners analyze obstacles in their own life by studying Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this humanity lesson, students create T-charts listing the obstacles one faces in life and how they can be overcome. Learners compare and contrast...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Choosing to Remember
Mamie Till, the mother of Emmett Till and civil rights activist, believed that her son's murder was the last straw before public outrage over racial injustice spilled over into the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. A history...
Curated OER
The Power of Protest
Students recognize the power of protest. In this civil rights lesson, students consider the success of Rosa Parks and her protest that sparked the movement. Students study the Montgomery Bus Boycott in depth and reflect on Parks's...
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Peacemaker Biographies
Learners examine the lives of people who stood up for their beliefs. In this biography lesson, students research the lives of people such as Gandi, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Robert Kennedy. Learners use a graphic organizer to...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr.
Second graders discover contributions made to society by Martin Luther King Jr. In this civil rights history lesson plan, 2nd graders are read two books about Martin Luther King Jr., answer questions about the books, and...
Curated OER
Responses to Racially Imbalanced Schools
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...
Curated OER
Contributions that Martin Luther King Jr. Made to Society
Second graders discover the positive effects Martin Luther King, Jr. had on society. In this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders investigate racial tensions from sixty to seventy years ago and view a video about MLK, Jr. Students discuss...
Curated OER
A New Twist on Race Relations
Learners analyze the impact of American Bandstand on race relations. In this race relations instructional activity, learners use the music and dance show American Bandstand to learn about race relations. Learners categorize pivotal...
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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...