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Give Peace a Chance
Students read and discuss the 1979 occupation of the American Embassy in Iran. They research the nations that are believed to currently pose a threat of terrorism toward the United States and speculate on ways in which these nations'...
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Public Policy Research
Young scholars explore a public policy issue of local importance. Through research and survey, they identify a public policy issue affecting people in their local area. Students determine how this issue affects the lives of those...
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Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits: Grades 3-5
Students explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. In this African American history instructional activity, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and...
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Keeping A Watchful Eye
Students explore the use of satellite surveillance systems to track criminals. They consider how the use of this technology in law enforcement might affect them and write opinions on whether or not such a system should be adopted by...
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Rights-Minded
Young scholars expand their knowledge and understanding about the civil rights movement by investigating the lives of some of the people who contributed to it.
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Remembering Rosa
Students research and profile figures in American civil rights such as Rosa Parks, from 1955-68, to create commemorative posters.
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Why Can't I Vote?
Fourth graders take an unannounced test (failure is expected) and the top scores are rewarded with candy bars. They compare this test to the literacy tests given before 1960 and votes to candybars. They journal their responses.
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Comparing/Contrasting Northern Life to Southern Life
Students compare and contrast the lives of African Americans who moved North vs. those who stayed in the South during the era of Jim Crow Laws.
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Government Lesson Plan: Lesson Plan 9
Students examine and compare/contrast the steps of criminal and civil cases. They define key vocabulary terms, develop an outline of a criminal and civil trial, and analyze the differences in standards of proof in legal cases.
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Using High Stakes Testing to Make Students and Schools Accountable for Learning
Students conduct an informal survey about their views on high stakes testing and use basic computation skills to evaluate results as a group. They participate in activities related to high stakes testing and "No Child Left Behind"...
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One Person CAN Make a Difference
Students illustrate how the actions of one person can make a difference. They identify school and community issues to address and complete group projects and action plans for making changes in the school or community.
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Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
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...
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A New Generation of Fighters
Students discuss the reasons why people are less likely to take a stand on issues today than they were in the past. In groups, they research the efforts of Kings, Parks and others to end discrimination and racism. They read excerpts of...
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Civil Rights Webquest
Students, working individually and in teams, research life in their community during the civil rights era. They take part in a role-playing discussion about civil rights issues based on their research, and create individual and group...
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Case in Point
Young scholars read about and discuss the re-opening of the Emmett Till murder case. They research and write about a famous civil rights trial and create a poster highlighting the importance of the trial.
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Continuity or Change? African Americans in World War II
Students examine the experience of African Americans during World War II by analyzing primary sources and formulating historical questions. They evaluate if the African American experience during World War II represents continuity or...
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Martin Luther King
Students examine the contributions made by Martin Luther King Jr. They discuss civil rights, conduct research in small groups, participate in a discrimination simulation, and create a collage.
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Giving Human Rights a Human Face
Young scholars produce a creative expression of an article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They may also create posters to serve as reminders for creating a human rights environment or community.
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Human Rights Education Handbook: A New Planet
Students create an imaginary bill of rights and find correspondences between their ideas and specific articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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Rosa Parks Changed the Rules
Students listen to a story about Rosa Parks and examine the bus seating rules of the 1950s. In this civil rights movement lesson, the teacher reads students a book about Rosa Parks, then students complete a worksheet with a diagram of...
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The Many Shades of Our World
Students discover diversity. In this civil rights lesson, students consider that skin color is unique and that diversity is common in the world as they complete artwork that reflects the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Picturing Freedom: Selma-to-Montgomery March, 1965
Students analyze primary sources to investigate the Civil Rights Movement. In this Civil Rights lesson, students explore the passage of Voting Rights Act of 1965 and how photojournalism impacted the passage of the legislation. Students...
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Nonviolence as a Tool for Change Lesson 2
Young scholars explore nonviolent protest. In this Civil Rights lesson, students read the essay "Nonviolence and Racial Justice." Young scholars present the information they gleaned from the essay to their classmates in order to consider...
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The March from Selma to Montgomery
Middle schoolers examine voter discrimination. In this Civil Rights lesson, students watch segments of "Eyes on the Prize" and discuss the organization of the march from Selma to Montgomery. Middle schoolers conduct interviews...