The Civil Rights Movement

Social Studies American History The United States in the 20th Century The Civil Rights Movement
Students write a definition of discrimination and give examples. Then they examine a visual history of discrimination against African Americans following the Civil War. Next they analyze why Brown v. Board of Education and President Johnson’s Great Society program were necessary despite the Civil War Amendments. Finally they read about three civil rights leaders and reflect on how individuals can bring social change, and whether the mid-century Civil Rights Movement was a success.

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.

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Overview

In this experience, students develop a class definition of discrimination and examine historical images showing ways African Americans experienced segregation and unequal treatment after the Civil War. They learn how court decisions and federal laws challenged segregation and voting discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement. Next, students read about several civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Dolores Huerta, and consider how individuals and communities can help create change. Finally, students respond to a class poll about which type of civic action they think could have the greatest impact on creating change and discuss the different ways people can work to influence society.

If you have access to leveled readers about the Civil Rights Movement or any of its leaders, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 50-60 minutes

Vocabulary words:

  • supremacist
  • sharecropping
  • manual labor
  • setback
  • facility
  • unconstitutional
  • escort
  • public opinion
  • activist
  • systematic

Objectives

  • Describe the conditions of segregation and prejudice in twentieth-century America
  • Explain how the African Americans organized the fight for civil rights
  • Identify key leaders of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Analyze the role of President Johnson's Great Society program


Engage


After World War II, many African Americans still faced segregation, discrimination, and unequal treatment in the United States. In many places, laws and customs limited where Black Americans could go to school, live, work, eat, travel, and vote.

During the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans and their allies organized to challenge these unfair laws and practices. Through protests, court cases, boycotts, speeches, and other actions, they worked to make the rights promised by the Constitution apply more equally to all Americans. In this lesson, you will learn about some of the people, events, and actions that helped bring change.

Objectives

  • Describe the conditions of segregation and prejudice in twentieth-century America
  • Explain how the African Americans organized the fight for civil rights
  • Identify key leaders of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Analyze the role of President Johnson's Great Society program


photograph of mainly Black men, women, and children marching peacefully with American flags back

Civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965


Discrimination means treating a person or group unfairly because of who they are. What is one way discrimination could affect a person’s daily life?


Use students’ responses to create a class definition of discrimination. Help students notice that discrimination is more than simply being unkind. It happens when people are treated unfairly because of characteristics such as their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, or disability.

Possible class definition: Discrimination is treating a person or group unfairly because of who they are or because they belong to a certain group.


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