The Civil Rights Movement in Texas


Texas History The Civil Rights Era and Modern Industries The Civil Rights Movement in Texas
Students describe and identify key leaders of the civil rights movement in Texas. They work in groups to research Texas civil rights leaders and groups. Then they compare the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and African Americans in Texas. Finally, they reflect on what positive changes came from the civil rights movement and consider what civil rights issues are still being fought for today.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The Civil Rights Movement in Texas:

Preview - Scene 1
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Overview

In this experience, students describe and identify key leaders of the civil rights movement in Texas. They work in groups to research Texas civil rights leaders and groups. Then they compare the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and African Americans in Texas. Finally, they reflect on what positive changes came from the civil rights movement and consider what civil rights issues are still being fought for today.

Students will collaborate in small groups for scene 2. You should assign each group one of six topics for research, so there should be at least six groups.

Note that there is no quiz at the end of this experience.

Objectives:
  • Describe and identify key leaders of the civil rights movement in Texas.
  • Compare the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and African Americans in Texas.


"Civil Rights March"

What do you notice in this photo? What questions do you have about what is happening?

Post your answer

Most students will recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the middle of the picture. Students may notice that the men have their arms linked. Questions might include asking why they have their arms linked, who the other men are in the photo, what they are doing, etc.
The photo is of Dr. King along with civil rights activists John Lewis, the Rev. Jesse Douglas, James Forman, and Ralph Abernathy in a 1965 march from Selma to Birmingham, Alabama. The photographer Steve Shapiro said, "The image captures the leadership, the unity, and the strength of the civil rights leaders, who faced violence from law enforcement as well as death threats during their fight for voting rights for African Americans."


Even though slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, former slaves and African Americans born into freedom did not enjoy the same rights that many of the European immigrants had, especially throughout the former Confederacy states. The civil rights movement in the 1950s to the 1970s sought to gain equal rights for African Americans. In this experience, you will learn about the civil rights movement and its leaders in Texas.​

Objectives:

  • Describe and identify key leaders of the civil rights movement in Texas.
  • Compare the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and African Americans in Texas.


Divide students into their small groups for the next scene. When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Civil Rights and Conservatism Unit.
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