Black History Month/Civil Rights Unit
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This is a unit which covers the topic of the American Civil Rights Movement, to be taught during Black History month (February). It covers all the major people involved in the Civil Rights Movement and also focuses on minor players who are rarely discussed in a U.S. history class. Such people include Medgar Evers, the Greensboro Four and the individuals killed during Freedom Summer.
I developed this unit during my classes in Spring 2011 at the University of Albany. With some adjustments, I taught a condensed version with new source material during Spring 2012 during my student teaching at Albany High School. The unit was a success, with students learning a great deal about U.S. history, the Civil Rights Movement, important historical figures, and also about themselves. Part of the unit focuses on the writing of a Biopoem, a 10-line poem which requires students to use higher thinking skills to put themselves in the minds of these famous people. It was such a success that we proceeded to assign it to our other classes as well.
Attached is the full unit plan which includes all of the different pieces inherent to the unit. Included at the bottom are sample biopoems and boycott project entries.
I developed this unit during my classes in Spring 2011 at the University of Albany. With some adjustments, I taught a condensed version with new source material during Spring 2012 during my student teaching at Albany High School. The unit was a success, with students learning a great deal about U.S. history, the Civil Rights Movement, important historical figures, and also about themselves. Part of the unit focuses on the writing of a Biopoem, a 10-line poem which requires students to use higher thinking skills to put themselves in the minds of these famous people. It was such a success that we proceeded to assign it to our other classes as well.
Attached is the full unit plan which includes all of the different pieces inherent to the unit. Included at the bottom are sample biopoems and boycott project entries.
Civil Rights Unit Plan - This has not been utilized in its entirety yet. Pieces have been used, like the biopoem, student learning about famous Civil Rights leaders, and the movie, Ghosts of Mississippi.
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A new addition to the unit included reading a text with an intermediate class entitled Walking for Freedom: The Montgomery Bus Boycott by Richard Kelso. In using previously prepared materials, I added my own spin by including not only a biopoem but also a project in which students had to design and write about their own boycott.
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Sample biopoems are included next to this. Sample boycott essays are included below this section. Both samples show a broad range of student learning. Most student who didn't complete exemplary work simply needed to be redirected and have the instructions explained to them once more. |