Free at Last?
Unit Title ‖ Lesson Title
The Civil War: Equal Rights: Are We There Yet?
Goals & Objectives
The students will activate their prior knowledge of African-American civil rights issues and apply that information to analyzing current issues that affect the black community today. They will be asked to reach a conclusion on the question posed by this lesson and support their findings with reason and credible evidence.
California State Content Standards
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of
the Civil War.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Driving Historical Question
On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the 13th amendment, do African-Americans have equal rights in American society?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time:
For the bell work question, the students will be asked to consider whether they have ever felt discriminated against because of their race, gender, age, religion. or ethical beliefs, and to briefly describe how it made them feel. Before answering, they will discuss their answer with their shoulder partner, and then will be asked to share with the whole class.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time:
Civil Rights
Jim Crow
"separate but equal"
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
Brown vs. Board of Education
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voter ID laws
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time:
The lesson will begin with a review covering civil rights issues from the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments, Reconstruction to the present. There will be a brief presentation covering key events in the advancement of rights for the African-American community; vocabulary development will be covered concurrently. The students will be advised of a few simple rules for engagement on this sensitive subject. The Golden Rule to treat others as you would like to be treated will be in effect, as always. Racial epithets are not acceptable, and everyone should be given the chance to express their beliefs and opinions without trepidation. The students will be asked to consider the following questions, and will also be encouraged to develop their own benchmarks on how free African-Americans are in 2014:
Are African-Americans treated fairly by law enforcement officials?
Are they incarcerated disproportionately by the court system"?
Do they have equal access to the ballot box?
Are they discriminated against in employment and housing?
The students will then work in groups of four or five and discuss the questions and prepare to present and defend their position to the rest of the class.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time:
The students will begin the class by considering whether they have ever been the victims of discrimination and, if so, how they felt about it. They will most likely be able to recall at least one such incidence, and this will hopefully activate their empathy for people who are subjected to that type of treatment on a frequent basis. They will be given a short list of key terms that will be both new and review terms. They will then break into groups to discuss the critical thinking questions and to develop their responses. The objective of their group discussion is to form opinions and be able to back them up with pertinent reasoning.
Lesson Closure ‖ Time:
The students will complete complete a quick write/exit ticket on their response to the prompt "Do African-Americans have equal rights in 2014, or is it still just a dream?"
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative assessment will be made throughout the lesson based on their group and whole class discussions. Summative assessment will be their quick write/exit ticket at the end of class.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
Key terms list is provided: vocabulary from previous lesson are reviewed and new terms are introduced and discussed. Vocabulary use will be re-emphasized in group discussion. Video with minimal dialog will be shown and discussed.
Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)
Key Terms List
Video
The Civil War: Equal Rights: Are We There Yet?
Goals & Objectives
The students will activate their prior knowledge of African-American civil rights issues and apply that information to analyzing current issues that affect the black community today. They will be asked to reach a conclusion on the question posed by this lesson and support their findings with reason and credible evidence.
California State Content Standards
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of
the Civil War.
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.1b Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Driving Historical Question
On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the 13th amendment, do African-Americans have equal rights in American society?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time:
For the bell work question, the students will be asked to consider whether they have ever felt discriminated against because of their race, gender, age, religion. or ethical beliefs, and to briefly describe how it made them feel. Before answering, they will discuss their answer with their shoulder partner, and then will be asked to share with the whole class.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development) ‖ Time:
Civil Rights
Jim Crow
"separate but equal"
13th, 14th, 15th Amendments
Brown vs. Board of Education
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voter ID laws
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time:
The lesson will begin with a review covering civil rights issues from the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments, Reconstruction to the present. There will be a brief presentation covering key events in the advancement of rights for the African-American community; vocabulary development will be covered concurrently. The students will be advised of a few simple rules for engagement on this sensitive subject. The Golden Rule to treat others as you would like to be treated will be in effect, as always. Racial epithets are not acceptable, and everyone should be given the chance to express their beliefs and opinions without trepidation. The students will be asked to consider the following questions, and will also be encouraged to develop their own benchmarks on how free African-Americans are in 2014:
Are African-Americans treated fairly by law enforcement officials?
Are they incarcerated disproportionately by the court system"?
Do they have equal access to the ballot box?
Are they discriminated against in employment and housing?
The students will then work in groups of four or five and discuss the questions and prepare to present and defend their position to the rest of the class.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time:
The students will begin the class by considering whether they have ever been the victims of discrimination and, if so, how they felt about it. They will most likely be able to recall at least one such incidence, and this will hopefully activate their empathy for people who are subjected to that type of treatment on a frequent basis. They will be given a short list of key terms that will be both new and review terms. They will then break into groups to discuss the critical thinking questions and to develop their responses. The objective of their group discussion is to form opinions and be able to back them up with pertinent reasoning.
Lesson Closure ‖ Time:
The students will complete complete a quick write/exit ticket on their response to the prompt "Do African-Americans have equal rights in 2014, or is it still just a dream?"
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative assessment will be made throughout the lesson based on their group and whole class discussions. Summative assessment will be their quick write/exit ticket at the end of class.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
Key terms list is provided: vocabulary from previous lesson are reviewed and new terms are introduced and discussed. Vocabulary use will be re-emphasized in group discussion. Video with minimal dialog will be shown and discussed.
Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)
Key Terms List
Video
Key Terms to cover pre-discussion
Civil Rights - Civil rights are basic rights that every citizen has under the laws of the government
Jim Crow - Jim Crow laws were an official effort to keep African Americans separate from whites in the southern United States for many years. The laws were in place from the late 1870s until the civil rights movement began in the 1950s.
"Separate but equal"- of, relating to, or constituting a doctrine of segregation whereby black people and white people have equal facilities (as for education or transportation).
13th (1865), 14th (1868), 15th (1870) - Amendments to the Constitution that ended slavery (13th), guaranteed equal protection under the law (14th), and guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race or color (15th).
Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) – Supreme Court case that declared segregation in schools unconstitutional
Civil Rights Act of 1964 - landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States[5] that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Voting Rights Act (1965) - landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Voter ID laws - voter ID law is a law that requires some form of identification in order to vote or receive a ballot for an election. In most jurisdictions, voters must present an ID, usually a photo ID. Because of purported differences in ability to obtain identification on the basis of socioeconomic status, they are controversial.
Civil Rights - Civil rights are basic rights that every citizen has under the laws of the government
Jim Crow - Jim Crow laws were an official effort to keep African Americans separate from whites in the southern United States for many years. The laws were in place from the late 1870s until the civil rights movement began in the 1950s.
"Separate but equal"- of, relating to, or constituting a doctrine of segregation whereby black people and white people have equal facilities (as for education or transportation).
13th (1865), 14th (1868), 15th (1870) - Amendments to the Constitution that ended slavery (13th), guaranteed equal protection under the law (14th), and guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race or color (15th).
Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) – Supreme Court case that declared segregation in schools unconstitutional
Civil Rights Act of 1964 - landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States[5] that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
Voting Rights Act (1965) - landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting.
Voter ID laws - voter ID law is a law that requires some form of identification in order to vote or receive a ballot for an election. In most jurisdictions, voters must present an ID, usually a photo ID. Because of purported differences in ability to obtain identification on the basis of socioeconomic status, they are controversial.