Movements for Equality: History of African American Civil Rights Print & Digital

Before students can begin to understand the African American Civil Rights Movement that gained momentum in the 1950s, they must first delve into the rich history of the movement. In this lesson, students will gain deeper understanding of the people and events that laid the groundwork prior to the 1950s. After all, many African Americans had been advocating for equality for decades before Brown vs. Board.

This engaging 50-minute lesson begins with a warm up where students will draw on their prior knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement and the advocacy of African Americans. Next, students will read the Essential Question for the lesson. Then, you will use the PPT slides provided to teach your students an overview of African American civil rights from the 1860s through 1940s. Students will follow along using the fill-in notes provided. Every few slides, students will complete an interactive activity that asks them to examine text or photos or songs (links to youtube provided), think critically about what they examined, and then respond using the provided worksheets. Then, students will collaborate with partners about what they've learned before sharing out with the class.

The best part is that you can use this entire lesson for distance or digital learning! All student response resources come in a printable PDF version AND a Google Slides version. Students just make a copy and they can use the included resources!

Topics Covered in PPT:

• Overview of Slavery & Emancipation
• Freedman's Bureau, Black Codes, Sharecropping
• KKK, Redeemer Gov'ts, Jim Crow Laws
• Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett
• WWI, Great Migration, Marcus Garvey
• Harlem Renaissance, Jazz Age, Louis Armstrong
• New Deal, WWII, Tuskegee Airmen, Double V Campaign, A. Philip Randolph

What's Included:

• 1 Written Warm Up (PDF, Google Slides)
• 1 Essential Question
• Engaging Lecture with 6 Critical Thinking Activities throughout (PDF, MS PPT, Google Slides)
• Student Fill-In Notes for Lecture w/Space for Activities (PDF, Google Slides)
• Optional Student Graphic Organizer for Activities (PDF, Google Slides)
• Student Sample of Activities Responses (JPEG)
• Suggested Lesson Plan (PDF)

Please note that none of the resources are editable except the lecture PPT.

To reduce tech issues, please be sure to have the most recent free version of Adobe Reader downloaded. More help linked here.

Also Note: all Google Drive versions appear in the lesson plans of each individual lesson. As of right now, there is no way to copy a folder in Google Drive so for right now you will need to open the lesson plan and make a copy of each digital resource using the provided links and instructions.

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Want to learn more about teaching US History thematically? Check out my free US History Thematic curriculum map.

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