| Which Way Was Better? A Look
at the Changes in the Civil Rights Movement
Students examine the substantial changes
in goals and tactics of leading civil rights advocates and
organizations from 1954 — 1968. After researching
information on civil rights leaders and organizations of
this period, students prepare a persuasive argument to defend
which approach was more effective in achieving the goals
of the movement.
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. Changes in goals and tactics of leading
civil rights advocates and organizations.
People in Societies, Benchmark A
Cultures
1. Describe how the perspectives of cultural groups helped
to create political action groups such as:
a. The National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP).
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities,
Benchmark A
Participation
2. Explain how civil disobedience differs from other forms
of dissent and evaluate its application and consequences
including:
b. Civil rights movement of the 1960s.
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.
Objectives
-
Students will do research on leading civil rights leaders
and organizations for the period of 1954 — 1968.
-
Students will focus specifically on the roles, philosophies,
tactics and goals for each group and individual.
-
Students will prepare a persuasive argument to defend
which approach to the civil rights movement was more
effective in achieving the goals of the movement (either
in an essay, class presentation or both).
Time Needed
This lesson will likely take two to three
days — one for student research and exploration and
one or two to prepare and present persuasive arguments.
Procedure
-
Students may work individually or in pairs.
-
Pass out the handouts titled Key Civil Rights Leaders
and Key Civil Rights Organizations. Review the assignment
with the students.
-
Use either the links provided on the links page or
other links and sources available to the students.
-
Have the students research each leader and organization,
focusing on the individual roles, philosophies, tactics
and goals. They should record their information on the
handouts.
-
After gathering information, students should analyze
the information and prepare their persuasive argument
as an essay, class presentation or both.
-
At the conclusion of the assignment, lead the class
in a discussion of political action groups, civil disobedience
and dissent. Explore the relevance of these concepts
with regard to the civil rights movement.
Materials
Links
Key Civil Rights
Organizations
NAACP
Southern
Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
Student
Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
The Nation of Islam
The Black Panthers
Key Civil Rights Leaders
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Elijah Muhammed
Malcolm
X
Stokely Carmichael
Evaluation
Persuasive Presentation Rubric
| CATEGORY |
20-16 |
15-11 |
10-6 |
5-0 |
| Content |
The student shows a full understanding of the topic.
|
The student shows a good understanding of the complete
topic. |
The student shows a good understanding of parts of
the topic. |
The student does not seem to understand the topic
very well. |
| Preparedness |
The student is completely prepared
and has obviously rehearsed. |
The student seems prepared but might have needed a
couple more rehearsals. |
The student is somewhat prepared, but it is clear
that rehearsal was lacking. |
The student does not seem at all prepared to present.
|
| Speaks Clearly |
The student speaks clearly and distinctly 100 percent
to 95 percent of the time, and mispronounces no words. |
The student speaks clearly and distinctly 100 percent
to 95 percent of the time, but mispronounces one word.
|
The student speaks clearly and distinctly 94 percent
to 85 percent of the time and mispronounces no more
than one word. |
The student often mumbles or cannot be understood,
or the student mispronounces more than one word. |
| Stays on Topic |
The student stays on topic all of the time. |
The student stays on topic 99 percent to 90 percent
of the time. |
The student stays on topic 89 percent to 75 percent
of the time. |
It was hard to tell what the topic was. |
|
