Imagine an old 1960s diner. There's a long, L-shaped counter top and classic diner stools covered in vinyl dotting the counter space. Sounds like your typical diner, doesn't it? A piece of this diner now sits in The Smithsonian. Why?...

The Greensboro sit-in was an important event of the Civil Rights Movement, but why? Secondary learners analyze a photo from the sit-in to explain what made the event historically significant. The assessment explains what qualifies as a...

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. 

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...

Fifth graders research and discuss the Greensboro Sit-ins. They examine segregation through drama, research the people involved in the protest at Woolworth's, and then stage a re-enactment of the event.

More than an iconic image, the picture of young people sitting at a lunch counter in Greensboro, N.C., to protest segregation and Jim Crow laws also sparked a new phase of the civil rights movement. Video clips, including activists,...

Students watch a video about nonviolent protests during the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss and write about the Greensboro sit-ins while deciding the effectiveness of this type of protest.

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,...

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 can make a difference. That's the big idea in this lesson that investigates individuals who fought the Jim Crow laws. Class members research an activist, create a living museum display, and teach the class about the role...

Students explore the concept of nonviolent direct action. For this Civil Rights Movement lesson, students examine primary sources and consider the actions of civil rights workers who participated in nonviolent direct action activities.

Seventh graders begin prepping for a final project that will result in a collaborative 3-5 minute skit. They begin by reading and researching multiple aspects of one of three Civil Rights events; Ruby Bridges, Greensboro Sit it, or the...

An activity booklet includes a timeline of the movement, a song, and various informational reading passages on leaders, events, and the Civil Rights Memorial in Washington DC. Reading response questions and word puzzles are sure to...

Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...

Students identify and analyze the motivation behind the African-American students in organizing the sit-in if Greensboro and the formation of the SNCC. Students identify how the generational differences between members of SNCC and other...

Discover the incredible change and volatility that was 1960s America with an engaging, informative video. It begins with an extensive overview of pivotal moments during the civil rights movement and the subsequent shift toward militant...

In this African American history worksheet, students respond to 39 identification questions that require them to define or list the significance behind 39 events and people associated with the American Civil Rights Movement.

A reading of Freedom's Children, Ellen Levine's collection of the stories of 30 african Americans who were children during the 1950s and 1960s and were active in the Civil Rights protests, sparks a discussion of the power young people...

What tactics are used in civil disobedience? Learners study the conditions in Alabama that led to the establishment of the Atlanta Student Movement, as well as consider the nature and effectiveness of civil disobedience.

Explore writers of the civil rights movement through a focused lesson on the Langston Hughes poem I Look at the World. Learners listen to the poem, then complete episodic notes in a graphic organizer. They focus on specific parts of the...

Brown vs. Board of Education was a landmark case, but what other cases were influenced by its decision? By researching 1 of 14 civil rights legislative events, scholars follow this court case through recent events. Keeping in mind 6...

Fourth graders view primary sources as the basis of a discussion on segregation.  In this segregation lesson, 4th graders read Freedom on the Menu to gather information on what segregation is.  Students understand segregation and...

In this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 9 short answer and essay questions about the American Civil Rights Movement. 

Students and their parents participate in a volunteer opportunity in their community in order to solve a problem. In this problem solving lesson plan, students reflect on historical problems and see how they can solve a current problem.