Lesson_Plan_for_Black_History_Month

Learning Objective: At the end of the program students should be able to explain the three key events of the African-American Civil Rights Movement discussed in class, along with important individuals associated with them. Students should also be able to identify the significance of these people and events in regards to the movement as a whole. Grade Level: 6th – 8th grade, Special Education Students Script: Teacher to Class: “One of the greatest aspects of living in the United States is our freedom. In America we are free to go wherever we want to go, eat wherever we want, vote for whoever we want and socialize with whomever we choose, along with many other freedoms that we take for granted each day. America has become the great country it is today because of the contributions of so many different people from so many different backgrounds. Women, men, blacks, whites, young, old, and disabled have all made significant contributions to our society that shape the way we live today.” “What all that being said, what if I told you that only 60 years ago African-Americans in the United States were not given the same rights that you and I have today' As a matter of fact, what if I told you that they were not allowed to attend the same schools as whites, were not allowed to eat in the same restaurants, swim in the same pools, sit next to whites on the bus, or marry outside of their race' “During this era, known as segregation, if black people violated any of these laws, they would face criminal punishment, and often times become subject to violence by racist.” Racism is the idea that differences in race determine individual achievement. This idea of racism toward blacks was popular in the United States, particularly in the South, after the Civil War, lasting all the way through the 1950’s. Prior to the American Civil War, blacks were transported, against their will, to the United States from Africa to be used as slaves on American plantations. One of the most significant results of the Civil War was that it officially put an end to slavery and freed black people. Although blacks were no longer held captive by slave owners, and were now free, they continued to suffer under a new set of laws known as ‘Jim Crow Laws.’ These laws segregated and oppressed newly freed blacks.” [Pass around public segregation signs] “It wasn’t until the 1950’s when blacks began to really come together and fight back against these unfair laws. This movement is known as the Civil Rights Movement. During the Civil Rights Movement, supporters of civil rights, both black and white, formed nonviolent protests to draw attention to the inequality they were experiencing. Members of the movement staged boycotts, strikes, sit-ins, marches and other nonviolent protests. During these demonstrations protesters were spat on, beaten up, yelled at, arrested and even killed. This movement went on for over 10 long years. Along the way people made great sacrifices so we can enjoy the freedom that we have today. For the rest of this program we will take a closer look at these protest, how they brought about change and the people who inspired them.” “The most famous name associated with the Civil Rights Movement was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was born in Atlanta, Georiga in 1929. His father was also a civil rights activist. After graduating college, King joined the Baptist Church and began to study religion at a seminary in Pennsylvania. While at the seminary, King began to learn about nonviolent protest methods used by Mahatma Gandhi in India. King felt that these same principals could be used in the United States to help end segregation and inequality toward blacks. Do you feel that peacefulness or violence is the best way to bring about change' Why' After college King became heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement, being appointed head the Montgomery Improvement Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, both organizations aimed at equality. As leader of these organizations, his popularity soared among civil rights advocates. In 1963 King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in Washington D.C to a crowd of thousands. Let’s take a moment and listen to Dr. King’s speech.” [Playing audio CD of speech] What are your thoughts about the speech' Do you feel that Dr. King’s dream as came true' Within a year of this famous speech the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which banned discrimination against black people in the United States. [Let students read “Martin Luther King ‘Montgomery Story’” comic book] Another significant event involving Dr. King was the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In the South, before the Civil Rights Movement, public transportation was segregated, with the front seats reserved for white passengers, while black passengers were required to sit in the back. On December 1, 1955, after a long, hard day at work, Rosa Parks was riding home on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The bus became full, and the bus driver ordered Parks to give up her seat to a white passenger. In a brave act of civil disobedience, she refused to give up her seat. The bus driver called the police and had Parks arrested for disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance. Word of this incident spread, and Dr. King, who was president of the Montgomery Improvement Association, organized a boycott of the Montgomery Bus System. A boycott is when a person, or group or people refuse to do something in protest. This boycott lasted for over a year, costing the city a significant loss in revenue. The boycott gained the attention of the US Supreme Court, and they ruled that segregation on public busses unconstitutional. The boycott was a success, and from then on Rosa Parks became known as ‘The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” [Pass around pictures of Rosa Parks] Historically, black and white students were required to attend separate schools, until a 1957 court ruling known as Brown v. Board of Education that made segregation in schools illegal. Despite the court’s ruling, many people in the south did not like the idea of black and white students attending school together. As a form of protest, many whites intimidated and threatened black students who attempted to attend school with white students. Finally, on September 4, 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine African-American students bravely decided that they would attend the newly integrated Little Rock Central High School. When the students attempted to enter the school that day they were spat upon and yelled at by an angry mob before being denied entry by the Arkansas National Guard. The Guard Unit had been ordered to keep the black students out of the school by the governor, even though they had a legal right to be there. The governor’s act of defiance caught the attention of then U.S President Dwight Eisenhower. The President immediately ordered the Guard Unit to return back to their barracks before sending members of the 101st Airborne Division to personally escort the students to class. [Show class the DVD “Nine from Little Rock: Pioneers of Desegregation”] How would you feel if you were treated like the black students in Little Rock' Living in racist, segregated America was very hard for blacks prior to the Civil Rights Movement. They had very few rights, no influence in government and constantly living in fear of attack. Civil Rights heroes like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the Little Rock Nine, knew that our mistreating people based on their race was wrong. These people had the courage to act in ways that brought about change, and ultimately freedom for all.