African American Civil Rights Movement

1955-1975By: Kate Luvera

Student ObjectivesO Students should be able to identify historical

events, politically and socially, that took place during the Civil Rights Movement.

O Students should be able to compare and contrast ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.

O Students should be able to define and understand nonviolence as a form of protest.

O Students should be able to make connections to events, culture, and music that took place during the Civil Rights Movement, and compare these aspects to elements within today’s society.

Offline Textbook: American History: Reconstruction to the Present

Dallek, Robert. American History: Reconstruction to the Present. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. Print.

Unit 4 Tensions at Home and Abroad 1954-Present

Chapter 10 The Civil Rights Era pg 338-375

Reader Task: Students will be able to actively be engaged within the textbook. Since the delivery of the information is done in way that is much more interesting and inviting for students. There are several different forms of text covered within the textbook, allowing for students to engage with quotes, lyrics, graphics, and overall textual information. Qualitative: The text remains fairly literal, although it evokes a higher level of thinking at various points. The structure remains fairly simple and explicit. The demand for knowledge within the textbook contains various perspectives of figures allowing for students to truly gain a sense of history and begin to think like historians. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 11

Online Exhibition: Voices of Civil Rights

 "Online Exhibition." Exhibition: Voices of Civil Rights (A Library of Congress Exhibition). Library of Congress. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civilrights/cr-exhibit.html>.

Reader Task: The exhibition Voices of Civil Rights documents events during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The exhibition itself draws from the thousands of personal stories, oral histories, and photographs collected by the "Voices of Civil Rights" project and the Library of Congress. The exhibit serves as a timeline and overview to the Civil Rights Movement. Vintage photographs, posters, and documents are able to be viewed throughout the webpage. Events such as the march on Washington, freedom rides, sit-ins and historic legislation, as well as personal accounts are exhibited throughout the website. The primary documents will allow students to further understand and investigate the material surrounding the Civil Rights Movement. It will allow them to dive in and further interpret primary sources, which stands as a fundamental skill to historians. Students will be able to surf the website and research and learn about a variety of material, allowing them to focus on what is of interest to them individually. Qualitative: The text structure contains sophisticated graphics and allows for students to engage in useful cultural and literary knowledge. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level-11

Offline: Map Analysis

Reader Task: This map will serve as an introduction to the status of educational segregation throughout the United States prior to the historic Brown vs. Board of Education landmark case. Students will be able to visually understand the political and social differences that spanned across the United States in terms of segregation.

"Barking Moonbat Early Warning System." Barking Moonbat Early Warning System. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.barking-moonbat.com/index.php/weblog/comments-editor/15616/>. (Segregation Map)

Qualitative: Contains clear language and graphics structured simply. It allows for students to engage in multiple perspectives and gain an understanding for the cultural and literary knowledge demonstrated in the time period. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: N/A

Offline: Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court Ruling

"FindLaw | Cases and Codes." FindLaw | Cases and Codes. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us>.

Reader Task: Brown vs. Board of Education stands as one landmark supreme court decision throughout United States history. Students will be given the legislation and ruling of the case decided on May 17, 1954. In doing so they will be able to understand education as one of the important functions of state and local governments. Students will be able to also demonstrate and understanding of judicial language, as well as further understand the political actions taken to desegregate America’s public school system.

Qualitative: The language used is somewhat complex and allows for students to engage in several sophisticated and complex themes related to education, equality and legislation.Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 8

Offline: Warriors Don’t Cry: a Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock Central High

Reader Task: Warriors Don’t Cry is the autobiography of Melba Patillo Beals. Melba Patillo was one of the “Little Rock Nine” who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Beals’ account of what occurred during the desegregation process of public schools stands as a powerful and inspiring first hand account. The autobiography is a text that adolescent readers are able to relate to through Beal’s collection of diary entries, letters, and newspaper articles. Narrative. After students have studied the legislation of the Brown vs. Board of Education landmark case, and understand the political effects of the decision, Warriors Don't Cry will be able to help students understand the social effects of the supreme court ruling. Students will be able to put a face and a personal story to the large number of African Americans across the nation who faced feelings and actions of discrimination in response to the desegregation of public schools.

Beals, Melba. Warriors Don't Cry: a Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High. New York: Pocket, 1994. Print.

Qualitative: The language is fairly simple and literal. While the structure remains simple, students will be able to understand multiple themes and perspectives. Students are able to engage in cultural and literary knowledge. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 9

Online: Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech

I Have a Dream Martin Luther King - August 23 1963. Dir. CESSqc. YouTube. YouTube, 16 Dec. 2010. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UV1fs8lAbg>.

Reader Task: Students will view and listen to Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream Speech” digitally and draw conclusions on his goals and beliefs surrounding equality for all American citizens. In analyzing and viewing this historic event students will better understand the enormous effects of this day in history. Qualitative: The visual of MLK’s “I have a Dream Speech” is structured fairly conventional, with the language being fairly conversational. However the message and meaning that is demonstrated evokes a higher level of thinking. Students are able view multiple perspectives and engage in high intertextuality, with many historic references. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level-11

Online: Martin Luther King’s Document Library

"Document Library." TeachingAmericanHistory.org : Select a Document. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?subcategory=8>.

Reader Task: Students will be able to search a variety of Martin Luther King Jr. speeches, letters, audio and video recordings. In doing so students will be able to further understand the social and political activist’s goals in ensuring equality among African Americans. Some of the documents include, the Power of Nonviolence, Commitment Card, Letters from MLK, Letters from Birmingham City Jail, I have a Dream Speech, Eulogy from that Martyred Children, Nonviolence: The Only Road to Freedom, The Black Power Defined, and I see the Promised Land. All of these documents will allow students to explore and gain further insight into Dr. Martin Luther King’s beliefs and actions throughout the Civil Rights Movement, as well as his idea on nonviolence.

Qualitative: This document library contains various different texts for students to engage in varying in different textual quality. For the majority of the text, there remains single perspectives, however a sense of cultural and literary knowledge is useful. There is also an abundance of references and citations. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 11

Online: The History of Malcolm X

"Home." MalcolmX.com. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.malcolmx.com/index.html>.

Reader Task: Malcolm X stands as another prominent and important figure in the African American Civil Rights Movement. It is important for students to be able to compare and contrast the perspectives of MLK and Malcolm X. In studying the use of language by both men, students will be able to formulate areas of agreement and disagreement between these main figures. This website stands as a document library, as well as an official autobiography of Malcolm X. In searching the website students will be able to comprehend the goals, and beliefs of this particular figure in American history.

Qualitative: This website contains various different texts for students to engage in. The texts vary in different textual quality. For the majority of the text, there remains single perspectives of Malcolm X, however a sense of cultural and literary knowledge is useful. There is also an abundance of references and citations throughout the text and graphics. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 11

Offline: “Busing Opponents Protest in Boston: Thousands March to Urge Repeal of Law Requiring End of Racial

Imbalance Message for Mayor

John Kifner Special to the New York Times.  "BUSING OPPONENTS PROTEST IN BOSTON :BUSING OPPONENTS PROTEST IN BOSTON Thousands March to Urge Repeal of Law Requiring End of Racial Imbalance Message for Mayor A Few lacks March. " New York Times (1923-Current file)  4  Apr. 1974,ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2008), ProQuest. Web.  29 May. 2012.

Reader Task: Students will read and analyze an article from the New York Times on the forced busing crisis occurring in the city of Boston. The article highlights the tensions and protests surrounding the city of Boston as well as messages for the mayor urging an end to the Racial Imbalance Act. Students will be able to point out the strong points and weak points of forced Boston requirements, as well as question certain acts of protest and civil rights itself. Qualitative: The structure for the newspaper article is fairly simple, with events related in chronological order. The language conventionality remains conversational, while the knowledge within the article contains multiple perspectives , allowing for students to understand various viewpoints over the forced busing debate. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 10

Offline: Photo Analysis on the City of Boston’s Forced Busing

Reader Task: Students will choose one of these three photos and complete and in-depth photo analysis of the forced busing riots that took place throughout the city of Boston in the late 1960s and 1970s. By analyzing the details of the photos students will be able to draw an understanding of the social and political turmoil that erupted throughout American cities during the Civil Rights Movement.

Qualitative: The graphics students will be able to choice from are somewhat sophisticated, relaying various themes and perspectives in one single image. There is a sense of cultural and literary knowledge that is required in order to gain a thorough understanding of the text. Each photograph remains highly intertexutal; containing many different references in a single snap-shot. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: N/A

Offline: Excerpts from Common Ground

Lukas, J. Anthony. Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families. New York: Knopf, 1985. Print.

Reader Task: J. Anthony Lukas’s Common Ground illustrates the tensions that surrounded American cities throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Often times students strictly study events that occurred in the South, however similar events occurred in the North as well. Common Ground focuses on the city of Boston and the forced busing crisis that occurred as a solution to desegregating Boston's public school system. Students will be able to further understand aspects of racial inequality and violence that resulted throughout the Civil Rights Movement. Aspects of housing, busing, and educational discrimination will be highlighted and further understood. Qualitative: Common Ground remains a highly complex text. With events occurring out of chronological order, and often jumping around to different characters and multiple story lines. There remains a sense of general academic language throughout the text, with multiple themes and perspectives occurring. Both a cultural and a literary knowledge remains useful in gaining a sufficient understanding of the text. There are also many historic references and citations throughout the text. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 13

Offline: Sit-Ins Reignited the Civil Rights Movement 50 Years Ago

Copel, Larry. USA Today. Gannett. Web. 29 May 2012. <http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-02-01-sit-ins-civil-rights_N.htm>.

Reader Task: An article from USA Today published in 2010, celebrates the historic event of nonviolent protests that existed throughout the Civil Rights Movement. The article focuses specifically on Sit-Ins that took place in Greensboro, South Carolina. Students will be able to gain an in-depth understanding of the historic event, as well as gain an understanding of nonviolent protests and how protests such as these are used in society today. Qualitative: This contemporary newspaper article’s structure remains

fairly simple and quite conventional. Graphics depicted within the text are straightforward and simple. There remains a single theme with a minimal amount of perspectives. However it allows for students to engage in a higher level of thinking with many historic references that require both a cultural and literary knowledge of the event during the Civil Rights Movement being portrayed. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 13

Online: “We Shall Overcome”

"We Shall Overcome Lyrics, Ringtone, Video. Rating: 4.5 [1 Vote]." Lyrics, We Shall Overcome Lyrics. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/firstsunday/weshallovercome.htm>.

Reader Task: Students will be able to listen and read along to the lyrics of “We Shall Overcome” that became a famous anthem of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Students will explore the simplicity in the the empowering and inspiring lyrics that have now been sung by over a dozen languages across the globe. The lyrics will allow students to gain insight into the social and cultural aspects that encompassed areas of the Civil Rights Movement throughout the 1960s. Qualitative: The lyrics are somewhat straightforward throughout the song “We

Shall Overcome” however there are several different meanings and perspectives that can be drawn from the music itself. There contains a message throughout the song that may differ from one’s own opinion or perspectives. Yet the language used is clear and precise. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 15

Offline: Poems by Tupac Shakur

"The Poems of 2pac Shakur, Page 2." The Poems of 2pac Shakur, Page 2. Web. 23 May 2012. <http://www.seadeeper.com/poems/tupac2.html>.

Reader Task: Students will read and and analyze two poems by Tupac Shakur, “How Can We Free”, and “Where There Is a Will.” In analyzing these poems students will try to draw upon certain similarities to the goals and foundations behind the Civil Rights Movement, as well as relate these poems to certain political or social events taking place within society today. In doing so students will be able to discuss whether or not aspects of equality among all people exists within the United States today. Qualitative: The structure of the poems are simple and explicit. The

language used is also quite literal and clear. Yet there remains several intertextual references and citations to other works, places, and time periods. All of these references become thought provoking and begin to stimulate and engage readers. Several different perspectives can be drawn from the text. No longer is everyday knowledge sufficient enough to grasp the meaning of the poem, however a sense of cultural and literary knowledge is useful for students to engage in. Quantitative: Flesch-Kincaid Grade level: 12