Historical Development of the Civil Rights Movement

Students create a classwide KW chart about the civil rights movement. Then they explore a pictorial history of racial discrimination and the civil rights movement in the United States. Next they analyze a 1900 booklet explaining voting rights to new African American voters and explain how Jim Crow laws suppressed those rights. Finally they read Dudley Randall’s poem “Black Poet, White Critic,” and explain the poem as a reflection of the civil rights movement.

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.

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 Historical Development of the Civil Rights Movement:

Attributions
What's in a name? 'Mixed,' 'biracial,' 'black'
Background material
Why We Have So Many Terms for “People of Color”
Background material
Black vs. African-American: The complex conversation Black Americans are having about identity #ForTheCulture
Background material

Overview

In this experience, students create a classwide KW chart about the civil rights movement. Then they explore a pictorial history of racial discrimination and the civil rights movement in the United States. Next they analyze a 1900 booklet explaining voting rights to new African American voters and explain how Jim Crow laws suppressed those rights. Finally they read Dudley Randall’s poem “Black Poet, White Critic,” and explain the poem as a reflection of the civil rights movement.

The Student Pack includes a 5-minute video that can serve as an introduction or summary of the development of the civil rights movement in the United States.

Objectives

Define the civil rights movement.
Trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the United States.

Engage

From the early days of the transatlantic slave trade, black slaves fought for their rights with whatever means they had available. In this lesson you will learn about the historical background to the U.S. civil rights movement.

Objectives

Define the civil rights movement.
Trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the United States.

portrait of a black man in a toga, holding a staff

Cinque, the leader of the Amistad revolt.
In 1839, Cinque led 53 captives aboard the Amistad in a revolt against the crew
who was delivering them into slavery. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually freed them,
and they returned to their African homeland.

Start by posting something that you know about the civil rights movement in the United States. If someone has already posted what you know, post a question that you have about the civil rights movement.

Use the chart to get a sense of what students already know about the civil rights movement. If time allows, have students return to the chart before completing the experience. If their initial questions have not all been answered, work as a class to provide answers.

Point out that many minorities have fought for their civil rights, but the term civil rights movement is most often associated with the activism of African Americans.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Civil Rights Movements Unit.