Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: Rosa Parks: A Quest for Equal Protection Under the Law
Teach young historians about the historical legacy of Rosa Parks with a multi-faceted lesson plan. Pupils follow stations and use journals to explore prominent events, analyze primary resource documents, and engage in interesting...
Curated OER
Standing Up to Injustice
To help students move beyond the role of bystander, give them real-world examples of young people who fought injustice.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance
Was nonviolent resistance the best means of securing civil rights for black Americans in the 1960s? For this highly engaging and informative lesson, your young historians will closely analyze several key documents from the civil rights...
Alabama Learning Exchange
African American Civil Rights Movement
An excellent resource defines the African-American Civil Rights Movement from the early 1900s through the legacy left in modern times. Every major date, event, and key player is described under clear overarching categories. The NAACP,...
Curated OER
Keep Your Eye On the Prize
High schoolers learn about citizens who were actively involved in the civil rights movement, and the strategies they used to overcome the Jim Crow laws that were so prevalent in the 1960s. They investigate the voting amendments of the US...
Curated OER
Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the Most Meaningful Way
Lead your class on a journey into the Deep South so that they understand the true meaning of what inspired this holiday.
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is a great book for studying the Civil Rights Movement. Use this packet of worksheets to track reading, elicit responses, and promote book-related activities. Character analysis, prediction and short essay skills will be...
Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: What Is Nonviolence? What Does It Cost?
Your young learners will delve into the language of primary source documents in order to identify the characteristics, benefits, and costs of nonviolence. The lesson plan includes a mix of activities, including an anticipatory activity,...
US National Archives
Documented Rights Educational Lesson Plan
How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research how people...
Curated OER
Separate Is Not Equal
Based on discussion, analysis of primary source documents, and with the help of a graphic organizer, young historians discover the steps that were taken to eliminate segregation in public schools in the United States. This lesson from...
Curated OER
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Follow the Dream: Celebrating Diversity
The teachings of tolerance and diversity are necessary and poignant at all times of the year and for every grade level. This lesson focuses on Dr. King's message and how it has impacted African/American culture. Students will complete a...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story
Now here is a resource you don't see everyday. It's a printable version of a 17-page, full-color comic that describes the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in 1955 and 1956. It focuses on the actions of Martin Luther...
Curated OER
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Use the historical account of Claudette Colvin to study civil rights and connect past injustices to modern issues. As learners read, they examine chapter titles, record quotes, and participate in discussion. Next, they research active...
Curated OER
Lesson: Emory Douglas: Revolution in Our Time, Part 2
I love lessons like this because they let kids see the power of art, poetry, and activism in times of social injustice and unrest. They'll analyze the art used by Emory Douglas in the production of the Black Panther newspaper and...
Facing History and Ourselves
Tactics of Nonviolence
Students analyze the direct action tactics of nonviolence. As a class, they distinguish between a strategy and a tactic and identify tactics used during the civil rights movement. They relate these tactics and how they might be used to...
Curated OER
Civil Rights Time Line
Young scholars create a time line about important events in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
Curated OER
The Civil Rights Movement, Phase II: 1960 - 1990
Students explain the impact of events leading up to the development of federal civil rights. They identify methods used to expand the right to participate in the democratic process and evaluate how governments achieve their stated ideals.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fifth graders research the highlights of Martin Luther King Jr's life. They gain an understanding of the Jim Crow Laws and The Civil Rights Movement, as well as becoming familiar with Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Groups of...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King
Identify contributions that Martin Luther King, Jr. made to society through assigning a research project! Third and fourth graders write about how it felt to be discriminated against during the game. They describe something they can do...
Curated OER
Literature Study Guide: To Kill a Mockingbird
Teaching tools designed to support student-centered literature study. Geared toward homeschoolers reading Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, I would use these in my classroom. The materials are applicable to any text: graphic...
Curated OER
Chapter 28: Red Flags and Velvet Revolutions: The End of the Cold War, 1960-1990
Set your historians up for testing success using this interactive flashcard tool. It is one of many learning strategies offered in this thorough online resource. Although designed for use with a text, the site is valuable independently....
Curated OER
Understanding JFK's Presidency through his Speeches
Students reflect and discuss the major events that happened in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's. In this U.S. History lesson plan, students read and analyze the famous speeches during this time frame, then complete a worksheet...
Curated OER
US Civil Rights Movement: Beginnings through the 60s
A real find for a U.S. History teacher, this presentation could supplement many class sessions about the Civil Rights Movement. Pictures of events, major figures, and "Whites Only" signs are striking and effective for even your most...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks Day
Students conduct research to discover about Mrs. Rosa Parks' historic role in the U.S. civil rights movement. They create an original artwork to depict the setting in which Mrs. Parks acted for fairness and then create a puppet show to...