In Pursuit of Justice: Further Extensions of the Civil Rights Movement

Students examine the important connections between the black struggle for civil rights and comparable efforts by women, Native Americans and Hispanic Americans. After researching information on these civil rights movements, students prepare a poster detailing the significant elements of each movement, how each connects with the black civil rights movement and how successful each movement has been to secure civil rights.

Standards
Social Studies
Grade 10

History, Benchmark F
The United States in the 20th Century
14. Analyze the origins, major developments, controversies and consequences of the civil rights movement with emphasis on:

b. The linkages between the civil rights movement and movements to gain justice for other minority groups.

Skills and Methods, Benchmark B
Communicating Information
3. Analyze one or more issues and present a persuasive argument to defend a position.

a. National Organization of Women (NOW).
b. American Indian Movement (AIM).
c. United Farm Workers.

Rights and Responsibilities
4. Analyze instances in which the rights of individuals were restricted including:

a. Conscientious objectors in World War I.
b. Immigrants during the Red Scare.
c. Intellectuals and artists during the McCarthy Era.
d. African-Americans during the civil rights movement.

Objectives

• Students will do research on one of the three additional civil rights movements.

• Students will focus on important details of the movement, explain the connection between the black movement and the selected movement and provide an evaluation of the success of the movement.

• Students will prepare a poster or other project. The components of the poster or other project will represent the significance of their selected movement. A class presentation may be assigned.

Time Needed
This lesson will likely take two to four days — one or two for student research and exploration and one or two to prepare a poster or project.

Procedure

1. Students may work individually or in pairs.

2. Students are to seek information that details the significant elements of their selected movement and how that movement connects with the black civil rights movement.

3. Students make an evaluation of how successful each movement has been to secure civil rights. They may use text material or links provided at http://www.pbs4549.org/decades.

4. Students research each movement. (The teacher may choose to have the class select only one movement to analyze.)

5. After gathering information, students analyze the information and prepare their civil rights posters, which should contain the following elements:

• Significant details about their selected movement
• Information about how that movement is connected to the black civil rights struggle
• Evaluation of the success of the movement

6. Class presentations can be assigned at the teacher’s option.

7. At the conclusion of the assignment, the teacher leads the class in a discussion of political action groups and gender equality.

Materials

• Text references or other available materials

Resources

National Organization for Women (NOW)

• National Organization for Women (official site) http://www.now.org

• National Organization for Women Statement of Purpose http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111now.html

American Indian Movement (AIM)

• American Indian Movement Grand Governing Council (official site) http://www.aimovement.org

• American Indian Movement http://members.aol.com/Nowacumig/aim.html

United Farm Workers

• United Farm Workers official site http://www.ufw.org

• United Farm Workers Union http://www.reuther.wayne.edu/exhibits/fw/ufw1.html

Evaluation

Rubric for Poster