PROCEDURE
I. Readiness
a. Motivation and Tapping Background of Experience: “How many of you
have ever felt like you were different from everyone else? [multiple hands
raised] How did this make you feel?” Teacher calls on students raising
their hands.
Expected student responses: sad, upset, angry, frustrated.
“Today we are going to talk about some people that were not accepted
by others because they were different. These people are African Americans.
I have given each reading group a packet of reading about a family in the
south that was not accepted. We will read the whole book later, but just
read the highlighted portions of the packet within your group right now.
After you are done reading I would like you take out you journals and answer
the questions attached to the packet.”
Questions:
1. What made this family different?
2. What kind of things this did this family have to do because they were
different?
3. How would it make you feel if you were treated this way?
“In 1963, there was something called the Civil Rights Movement. This
movement was designed to bring equal rights to African Americans. Will someone
please tell me why African Americans were not treated like white?”
Expected student response: because they once were slaves and they look different
from the white people.
Transition: “While this book was set in the 1930s, the same problems
existed until the 1960s. It was not until the 1960s, during this Civil Rights
Movement, that African Americans gained some of the same rights as whites.
We will now go into the events of the Movement and the most influential
person to the Movement.”
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b. Concept Development/Vocabulary: “Imagine what I am describing.
I have blue eyes but you have brown. We both have the same job but I get
paid a lot more than you. When I walk down the street, people wave to me
and ask me how I am doing. When you walk down the street people look the
other way or try to get as far away from you as possible. You are discriminated
against. With your group, draft a definition for discrimination.”
Teacher calls on various groups to tell their draft definition, then writes
the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the
vocabulary section of their notebooks.
Expected definition: being treated differently because one is different
“One large part of discrimination was segregation. Segregation is
what happens when you separate groups from one another. African Americans
were not allowed to use the same water fountains, schools, bathrooms, and
even bus seats as whites. We have learned previously what the term “civil” means. Now I would like you to write what you think the term civil rights
(write on board) means. I would like you, with your group, to draft what
you think this means. When doing this, think about each word individually
before you put them together.”
Teacher calls on various groups to share their draft definition, then writes
the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the
vocabulary section of their notebooks.
Expected definition: true freedom, including job equality and the use of
equal facilities
“I have one more word I would like to share with
you before we read. I would like this group of students to come over to
this corner and the rest of you to go over here (separate students). Group
A wants to have the members of group B to do their homework for them. Group
B, as you might guess refuses. Group A continues to request this. Since
they do not get what they want, group A has a sit-in until group B does
not give up. They will sit here until group B gives in. Go back to your
seats, and with your group, draft a definition for sit-in.”
Teacher calls on various groups to share their draft definition, then writes
the final definition on the board. Students copy the definition into the
vocabulary section of their notebooks.
Expected definition: a peaceful revolt movement used in attempt to accomplish
a goal
Transition: Now that we have an understanding for the vocabulary in our
text, we are ready to begin reading.
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c. Purpose-for-Reading: “Today you will be reading to be informed.
You will determine why the Civil Rights Movement was needed by using the
extended definition thought pattern.”
II. Silent Reading:
The students will read silently and fill in their graphic organizer.
There are two graphic organizers.
The first is a vertical time line that lists days or years and students
are to fill in the event of the Civil Rights Movement from that date.
The second graphic organizer is a comparison table of what rights for
African-Americans were before the movement of 1963 and what rights they
had after the movement of 1963.
Transition: “Now that everyone has read chapter 1 and filled in their
graphic organizers, we will have a small group discussion and then a whole
class discussion.”
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III. Discussion:
1. Students will use cooperative learning in their quads to discuss their
graphic organizers. The four students will each have an individual role
(discussion leader, timer, recorder, reporter). Pass out Discussion
Role Cards to student groups. This will be a time to correct misconceptions
and gather information about what must be addressed to the entire class.
(Have students begin discussing their timeline first and then move on
to the comparison chart).
- What was so different about the North and the South? (think back to previous
social studies units)
- How would you have felt if you were a white person living during segregation?
How would you deal with making African-Americans use different utilities
than yourself?
- Do you still see some problems of this time period today? How?
2. Bring groups together to debrief. Ask small groups to share their findings.
Correct any major misconceptions that were found in a large number of class
members. (Begin with the timeline and then move on to the comparison chart).
- What was so different about the North and the South? (think back to previous
social studies units)
- How would you have felt if you were a white person living during segregation?
How would you deal with making African-Americans use different utilities
than yourself?
- Do you still see some problems of this time period today? How?
Transition: “Not that we’ve learned the overall concept of the
Civil Rights Movement by reading chapter 1, I would like you to take a closer
look at the life of African Americans during this era.”
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IV. Rereading: “I would like you to read page one and the first two
paragraphs of page two again. First, imagine that you are an African-American
living in the late 1800s-early 1900s. As you reread think of the following
questions:
1. How would it feel to be though of as less of a person because of your
skin color?
2. How might you act differently than you do today?
3. How would life be more difficult?”
Student respond in their journals.
Transition: “Now that we have the basic understanding of the Civil
Rights Movement, we are going to study a very influential person to this
movement -- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
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V. Follow-up:
Tomorrow students will review what they had learned today as an introduction
to the topic of prejudice and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In the days to
come, students will learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and read/discuss
the “I Have a Dream” speech. They will also write an expository
essay in Language Arts about prejudice.
VI. Differentiation:
- Have readings on tape for lower readers.
- Provide a variety of graphic organizers for different levels of learners
(have some filled out, provide a key, or leave completely blank)
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