Teaching
American History
For All
A series of lessons incorporating literacy strategies for
Mt Diablo Unified School District
5th, 8th, and 11th grade teachers,
in partnership with
University Of California, Berkeley
History-Social Science Project
11th Grade Lesson: The Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement
How did the black civil rights movement influence other activist movements of the late 1960s and 1970s?
Joshua Bream, MDUSD 10th Grade Teacher
Elizabeth Ennis, MDUDS 10th, 11th, 12th Grade Teacher
Teaching American History for All
MDUSD/UCB H-SSP
11th Grade Lesson: “Title/ Topic listed here”
Developed by: Joshua Bream, teacher (Olympic H.S./MDUSD)
Elizabeth Ennis, teacher (Mt. Diablo H.S./MDUSD)
Teaching American History Grant Focus Question:
How did definitions of citizenship change from the 17th century to the 20th century?
11th Grade Yearlong Focus Question:
How have the powers of the United States federal government expanded or been limited since the Civil War?
Unit Focus:
The Civil Rights Era
Unit Focus Question:
What forms of social change resulted from the civil rights movement?
Unit Working Thesis:
Although the 1960s saw many subordinated groups pursuing different goals, those groups were united in their demands for social change, political empowerment, and enforceable equal rights under the law.
Lesson Focus Question and / or Writing Prompt Question:
How did the black civil rights movement influence other activist movements of the late 1960s and 1970s?
Lesson Working Thesis:
Due to an organized and disciplined grassroots strategy and exposure from the media, the civil rights movement forced a policy change by the federal government and empowered other minority groups to take advantage of blacks’ successes.
Reading Strategy:
Sentence Level Deconstruction: pp. 6-8 (Key: pp. 9-10) [correlates with CH 23.2, p777]
Analyzing Perspectives: pp. 11-12 (Key: pp. 13)
Graphic Organizer – Point of View, Message, Debate: pp. 17 (Key: pp. 18)
Writing Strategy:
Evidence Practice: pp. 19 (Key: pp. 20)
Analysis Practice: pp. 21 (Key: pp. 22)
Suggested Amount of Time:
4-5 classes
Textbook:
Danzer, Gerald et al. The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century. Evanston, Illinois: McDougal Littell Inc., 2006, pp. 768 – 780.
Other Resources:
Primary Sources:
“NOW: Statement of Purpose” Betty Friedan, Published in 1966. pp. 14-15
“What is La Raza Unida? Jorge Lara Braud, Published in 1968. pp. 16
Context of the lesson in the unit:
For this lesson, it is imperative that chapter 21 is covered in the textbook. The students need to understand how the civil rights movement was formed by a bottom-up strategy, while also knowing the key events of the movement.
This lesson would be used at the end of the unit to show the connections of the black civil rights movement to other civil right movements of the 60’s and 70’s.
Concept of citizenship embedded in the lesson:
Many minority groups were not treated as full citizens, i.e. whites, and during the Civil Rights Era, many of the groups rights began to expand and are now considered full citizens.
Lesson Procedure:
Day One:
1. Introduction:
Have students brainstorm their ideas on the women’s rights movement. Discuss those ideas as a class before moving on to the Sentence Deconstruction practice.
2. Reading Strategy
Sentence Level Deconstruction
· Step One: Pass out worksheet with the selected passage on it. Have the students read the passage to themselves. Ask them to answer the comprehension question based on what they have read.
· Step Two: As a class, share the answers that the students have given. Discuss their responses.
· Step Three: Pass out Sentence-Level Deconstruction, part 1 and part 2.
· Step Four: Have students circle all the verbs in the passage; give them 5 minutes.
· Step Five: Go over with students what the verbs are, putting verbs in the “action words” box in part 2.
· Step Six: Have students underline all the nouns in the passage; give them 5 minutes
· Step Seven: Go over with students what the nouns are, putting the nouns in the “who” box in
part 2.
· Step Eight: Have the students complete the chart, filling in any questions that they have in the final column.
· Step Nine: As a class, re-evaluate the answers to the comprehension questions based on their new understanding of the passage.
Day Two:
· Step One: Divide the class into groups of four.
· Step Two: Pass out one of the two primary sources with comprehension questions to each group.
· Step Three: Have students read silently amongst groups.
· Step Four: Have students answer questions independently, and then report out to their group.
· Step Five: Go through the questions as a class and have groups report out to the whole class.
· Step Six: Pass out the complete primary sources to the groups based on their previous primary source (La Raza à La Raza etc.) and the “Point of View” charts.
· Step Seven: Have the students work as a group to begin filling in their charts based on their primary source information. Continue practice on the next day as needed.
Day Three:
· Step One: Give students sufficient time to complete the “Point of View” chart for their primary source.
· Step Two: Have each group report out on their answers to the class, while students fill in or revise their charts based on other students’ answers.
· Step Three: Discuss as a whole class the primary sources, the messages of each of the groups, and their connection to the black civil rights movement.
Day Four:
· Step One: Hand out the “Evidence Practice” worksheet to the students. Have them evaluate the statements on their own and determine which statements best support the thesis.
· Step Two: Have students share their answers as a class. If the students have different answers, discuss those differences.
· Step Three: Clarify any questions the students have about using supportive evidence with topic sentences.
· Step Four: Hand out the “Analysis Practice” worksheet.
· Step Five: Go over the example with the students and have them complete the two prompts on their own.
· Step Six: As a class, share answers, and evaluate the statements that the students have made. Show the strengths and weaknesses in various responses.
Day Five:
· Step One: Hand out the essay prompt. It is possible to differentiate the prompt for various student levels. (High – Native Americans; Middle – Mexican Americans; Low – Women)
· Step Two: Hand out the “Five Paragraph Essay Outline.” Have students use this as a template during their assignment. It is possible to make this a requirement of the essay.
· Step Three: Have students work on their thesis in class and begin to gather research from the book in class (use library or computer labs if possible).
· Step Four: Circulate among the students to assist them with their research and thesis. Have essay due in a reasonable amount of time.
History-Social Science Content Standards:
11.10.5 - Discuss the diffusion of the civil rights movement of African Americans from the churches of the rural South and the urban North, including the resistance to racial desegregation in Little Rock and Birmingham, and how the advances influenced the agendas, strategies, and effectiveness of the quests of American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans for civil rights and equal opportunities.
11.10.7 - Analyze the women's rights movement from the era of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the movement launched in the 1960s, including differing perspectives on the roles of women.
11.11.3 - Describe the changing roles of women in society as reflected in the entry of more women into the labor force and the changing family structure.
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills:
Historical Interpretation
2. Students recognize the complexity of historical causes and effects, including the limitations on determining cause and effect.
3. Students interpret past events and issues within the context in which an event unfolded rather than solely in terms of present-day norms and values.
Reading/Language Arts Content Standards:
1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
1.3 Discern the meaning of analogies encountered, analyzing specific comparisons as well as relationships and inferences
2.0 Reading Comprehension
2.1 Analyze both the features and the rhetorical devices of different types of public documents (e.g., policy statements, speeches, debates, platforms) and the way in which authors use those features and devices
3.0 Literary Response and Analysis
3.2 Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim
1.0 Writing Strategies
Students write coherent and focused texts that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose and progression through the stages of the writing process.
Organization and Focus
1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g., purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or descriptive writing assignments
1.2 Use point of view, characterization, style (e.g., use of irony), and related elements for specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes..
Name:______Period:______
Sentence-Level Deconstruction
Part 1 Directions: Read the following passage and circle the verbs/verb phrases. Read the comprehension question, but do not write your answer yet. Then, fill out the chart on the following page. Once you have completed the chart, go back to the comprehension question and answer it in complete sentences.
Many women felt the sting of discrimination when they became involved in the civil rights and antiwar movements—movements that toted the ideological banner of protecting people’s rights. Within some of these organizations, such as SNCC and SDS, men led most of the activities, while women were assigned lesser roles. When women protested this arrangement, the men usually brushed them aside.
Such experiences led some women to organize small groups to discuss their concerns. During these discussions, or “consciousness-raising” sessions, women shared their lives with each other and discovered that their experiences were not unique. Rather, they reflected a much larger pattern of sexism, or discrimination based on gender.
The Americans, McDougal Littell, Chapter 23, An Era of Social Change, p. 777
Comprehension Question: What experiences led women to begin fighting for equal rights?
Name: ______Period:______
Part 2 Directions: Using the passage in Part 1, fill out the participant column and other columns as needed. As a class, complete the conclusions/questions column. After class discussion, answer the comprehension question
Time marker/ connector words / Who (subject)Participants / Action words (verbs/ verb phrases) / Who, What, Where
Message / Questions or conclusions-
What connections can you make from this information?
when
toted –
Within some of these organizations, such as SNCC and SDS,
while
When
Time marker/ connector words / Who (subject)
Participants / Action words (verbs/verb phrases) / Who, What, Where
Message / Questions or conclusions- What connections can you make from this information?
During these discussions or “consciousness-raising sessions, / consciousness-raising -
and
rather
Lesson Question: What experienced led women to begin fighting for equal rights?
Sentence Deconstruction (Teacher Key)
Participants / Action words (verbs/ verb phrases) / Who, What, Where
Message / Questions or conclusions-
What connections can you make from this information?
Many women / felt / the sting of discrimination
when / they (women) / became involved / in the civil rights and anti-war movements
(civil rights and anti-war) movements / that toted / the ideological banner of protecting people’s rights. / toted – to convey or carry
Within some of these organizations, such as SNCC and SDS, / men / led / most of the activities
while / women / were assigned / lesser roles.
When / women / protested / this arrangement
The men / usually brushed / them aside. (the women)
Such experiences / led
some women / to organize / small groups to discuss their concerns.
During these discussions or “consciousness-raising” sessions, / women / shared / their lives with each other / “consciousness-raising” – to become aware of new things, an attempt to get women to recognize the problems of their social status
and / discovered / that their experiences were not unique
rather / they (their experiences) / reflected / a much larger pattern of sexism, or discrimination based on gender.
Lesson Question: What experiences led women to begin fighting for equal rights?
Name: ______Period:______
Analyzing Perspectives
Directions: Read each passage and answer the questions below in complete sentences.
Passage 1: From Betty Freidan, “National Organization for Women Statement of Purpose”, Published in 1966
Despite all the talk about the status of American women in recent years, the actual position of women in the United States has declined, and is declining, to an alarming degree throughout the 1950's and 60's. Although 46.4% of all American women between the ages of 18 and 65 now work outside the home, the overwhelming majority -- 75% -- are in routine clerical, sales, or factory jobs, or they are household workers, cleaning women, hospital attendants. About two-thirds of Negro women workers are in the lowest paid service occupations. Working women are becoming increasingly -- not less -- concentrated on the bottom of the job ladder. As a consequence full-time women workers today earn on the average only 60% of what men earn, and that wage gap has been increasing over the past twenty-five years in every major industry group. In 1964, of all women with a yearly income, 89% earned under $5,000 a year; half of all full-time year round women workers earned less than $3,690; only 1.4% of full-time year round women workers had an annual income of $10,000 or more…
WE REJECT the current assumptions that a man must carry the sole burden of supporting himself, his wife, and family, and that a woman is automatically entitled to lifelong support by a man upon her marriage, or that marriage, home and family are primarily woman's world and responsibility -- hers, to dominate -- his to support. We believe that a true partnership between the sexes demands a different concept of marriage, an equitable sharing of the responsibilities of home and children and of the economic burdens of their support. We believe that proper recognition should be given to the economic and social value of homemaking and child-care. To these ends, we will seek to open a reexamination of laws and mores governing marriage and divorce, for we believe that the current state of `half-equity" between the sexes discriminates against both men and women, and is the cause of much unnecessary hostility between the sexes.