Making Strides in the Magic City for Change
SS10.4.14 Analyze the modern Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Alabama.
ELA21.5.32 Respond in writing to literature and informational text, including stories, dramas, poetry, and cross-curricular texts, independently and with grade-level proficiency.
ELA21.5.16 Demonstrate comprehension of varied literary and informational texts by utilizing its content when discussing or writing in response to the text.
ELA21.6.CL.A Process and employ information for a variety of academic, occupational, and personal purposes.
SS10.7C.11.2 Tracing the political and social impact of the modern Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to the present, including Alabama’s role (Alabama)
Students will be able to:
- Follow and timeline major events of the civil r4ights movement
- Review primary and secondary sources on historical topics to analyze historical movements and how prejudice affected different communities
- Discuss how prejudice changed over time, how it influences behavior, and lead to conflict
120 minutes (*time may vary & could be split into two or three shorter lessons)
- Handouts (linked above)
- The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson
Introduction/Hook: The teacher will show students the painting “The Problem We All Live With” by Norman Rockwell. Students will share their observations about the painting. The teacher will build upon their background knowledge of Ruby Bridges to introduce this lesson on the Civil Rights Movement.
Learning Activities: Throughout the learning activities, students will be completing a response sheet (provided in the handouts link). Students will watch video clips on different topics such as Fred Shuttlesworth and the Children’s Crusade to begin timelining the major events of the Civil Rights Movement. Through texts such as The Youngest Marcher, primary sources from Kids in Birmingham, and numerical representation of voters in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement, students will discuss how prejudice affects society.
Response Activity: Students will individually complete a response activity in which they are to create a drawing that makes a statement about the Civil Rights Movement. Their drawing also needs to include a meaningful or powerful title, just like Norman Rockwell did with his painting of Ruby Bridges.
This project was supported by the Alabama Humanities Alliance, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Alabama Humanities Alliance or the National Endowment for the Humanities.