Curated OER
Standing Up to Injustice
To help students move beyond the role of bystander, give them real-world examples of young people who fought injustice.
iCivics
DBQuest: The Nashville Sit-In Movement
What was it like to be a part of the sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement? Learners consider the question and whether the protests were effective using an online documents-based investigation. The program allows for virtual...
Curated OER
A Letter Read 'Round the World
Young scholars examine primary document to examine the concept of free assembly, and analyze Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's letter to the clergy to explain the rationale for this tactic to advance civil rights.
Curated OER
Nonviolence as a Tool for Change Lesson 2
Students explore nonviolent protest. For this Civil Rights lesson, students read the essay "Nonviolence and Racial Justice." Students present the information they gleaned from the essay to their classmates in order to consider how...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Nonviolence
Middle schoolers examine the philosophy of nonviolence developed by Martin Luther King, Jr. and how this turned into practice during the Civil Rights Movement. They compare these teachings to those of Mohandas K. Ghandi.
Curated OER
Egypt's Nonviolent Revolution
Learners explore the nonviolent protests of the Egyptians. In this current events lesson, students watch a video and read articles about the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Learners compare the Egyptian protest to the protests of the American...
Curated OER
New Voices for African Americans
Eleventh graders study Malcolm X and black power. In this African American lesson, 11th graders write a journal entry about black power and create a timeline of the events during the civil right movement.
Curated OER
The Children's March
Learners watch the film, The Children's March. In this civil rights instructional activity, students view a video on the Civil Rights Movement in Montgomery Alabama. Learners then complete a worksheet that will prompt a classroom...
Curated OER
What is Equality and How Does it Affect Me?
Students explore the concept of civil rights and the ways in which Dr. Martin Luther Kind and others utilized non-violent protests to achieve their goals. They participate in a variety of discussion and role play activities during this...
Curated OER
Flag Burning: Worksheet
In this Bill of Rights worksheet, students respond to 10 short answer questions that require them to agree or disagree with 10 statements about flag burning and citizen's rights.
Curated OER
Learning to Respect Each Other
Discover how important Martin Luther King Jr. is to our society. In this civil rights lesson plan, investigate how Dr. King was an advocate for nonviolence and how he fought for civil rights for all Americans. Read and analyze Dr. King's...
Curated OER
We Are The Freedom Riders
Students consider the role of the Freedom Riders. In this American Civil Rights activity, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding the participants in the Freedom Ride protest. Several weblinks,...
Curated OER
Mandela The Man
Ninth graders explore civil rights by reading several biographies. In this Nelson Mandela lesson, 9th graders discuss the trials and tribulations Nelson Mandela had to face in South Africa and how they were similar to the problems Martin...
Curated OER
The Roots of Ahimsa
Students investigate the philosophy of nonviolence. In this Ghandi lesson, students discover that Gandhi inspired many civil rights leaders with the idea of ahimsa. Students complete venn diagrams, create timelines, and discuss reading...
Curated OER
Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
High schoolers interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this African American history lesson, students compare and contrast the tactics employed by Malcolm X and Martin...
Curated OER
Suffragettes
Students investigate peer pressure by discussing women's suffrage. In this Women's rights lesson, students explore the history of voting in the United States and when women were finally allowed to do so. Students create a poster in order...
Curated OER
The Making of a Holiday: MLK, Jr. Day
Students explore the life of Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss the events surrounding his death and the significance of the federal holiday honoring Dr. King. As a class, they read about Dr. King's work for...
Curated OER
The Power of Protest
High schoolers explain how Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. They discuss how her actions were heroic and how they affected the civil rights movement. They reflect on the lesson in journal entries.
Curated OER
The Kennedy Administration and the Civil Rights Movement
Students evaluate the Kennedy Administration's involvement in the civil rights movement. In this Civil rights instructional activity, students read and take notes from speeches connected to the historic March on Washington from the...
Curated OER
Nonviolent Resistance: Gandhi and King
Students use the internet to research the major events and dates of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In groups, they use this information to create a poster to present to the class. They reflect on how these two men were...
C-SPAN
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail
Timing is everything. Introduce young historians to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" with a resource that underscores the significance of the timing of the Good Friday Birmingham march, King's subsequent...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King and Malcom X on Violence and Integration
Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were contemporaries. Both were gifted orators, both were preachers, both were leaders during the Civil Rights era, both were assassinated. But the two had very different views on violence and...
Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project
Dr. Martin Luther King's Visit to Seattle
How was the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. viewed by others during the 1960s? After watching an oral history video, your class members will learn more about Dr. King's ability to personally connect with others, as well as discover...
Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: Music Can Change the World
Here is a fantastic activity through which class members discover how music has the ability to influence others in a meaningful way. After reviewing selected pieces and modern-day protest songs, learners will research other songs that...