LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Students will learn how, a century after the end of slavery in the U.S., black people still had to fight for their rights as Americans.

KEY STANDARDS

RH.6-8-2, RH.6-8-7, RI.6-8-7

Lesson Plan

Fighting for Equality

In the 1950s and ‘60s, African Americans engaged in an important struggle for equality called the civil rights movement.

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

• Use this video as part of a lesson on the civil rights movement.

• Incorporate this video in a class on African American history.

Before Watching

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
(5 MINUTES)

Tell students they’re about to see a video about the fight for equal rights for African Americans in the United States. Ask: What was the civil rights movement? When did it take place? Why was it necessary?

View & Analyze

WATCH AS A CLASS
(3 MINUTES)

Have students watch the video as a class. Before viewing, advise them to listen for the phrase “separate but equal.” Ask: Where did the phrase come from? How was the policy of “separate but equal” overturned?

CLOSE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
(15 MINUTES)

Have students write their answers to each question, or use these prompts to guide a discussion.

• SUMMARIZING: What did the phrase “separate but equal” mean? Where did it come from?
(“Separate but equal” meant that African Americans could be legally kept separate from white people as long as facilities for both races were equal. The phrase came from a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896.)

• EXPLICIT INFORMATION: What did the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education do?
(It overturned the policy of “separate but equal” in public schools.)

Extend & Assess

FEATURED SKILL: CRITICAL THINKING/MEDIA LITERACY
Reinforce students’ critical-thinking skills by assigning the skills sheet Tuning In: Fighting for Equality. Give them time to read through the questions, then watch the video again, perhaps pausing at key moments so they can take notes for writing their answer the questions.

ANALYZING A PRIMARY SOURCE
Reinforce students’ knowledge about the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision by assigning the skills sheet Analyzing a Primary Source: Mixed Reactions.

DIFFERENTIATING

Lower Level Have students work with a partner on one of the above skills sheets.

Higher Level Have students look up a timeline of the civil rights movement and choose one event or campaign to research and write a one-page report on. (Examples: the 1955 boycott of buses in Montgomery, Alabama; the “Freedom Riders” of 1961.) Ask: Who was involved in the event? What were the protesters seeking to do and what challenges did they face? What was the outcome of the event?

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