NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE AND
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT -
A WEBQUEST
Christine C. Tylutki
INTRODUCTION:
Historic Context –
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s April 1963 "Letter from Birmingham Jail."
‘‘True pacifism,’’ or ‘‘nonviolent resistance,’’ Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, is ‘‘a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love’’ (King, Stride, 80). Both ‘‘morally and practically’’ committed to nonviolence, King believed that ‘‘the Christian doctrine of love operating through the Gandhian method of nonviolence was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom’’ (King, Stride, 79; Papers 5:422).
From 1954 through 1968, African Americans living in the United States began a renewed movement to win their long-denied civil rights and liberties through a number of nonviolent protests and movements. During the Civil Rights Movement, various leaders stepped forward, a number of protests were planned and carried out, and the government reacted with various Supreme Court decisions, legislation, and speeches. At every step, the media chronicled the actions along the way. Was nonviolent resistance successful in obtaining civil rights for African Americans?
TASK:
You have taken a position as museum planners. Your group of four is to design a museum exhibit dedicated to the early years (1954 – 1968) of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States by African Americans. You are to present this exhibit as a PowerPoint presentation. Your exhibit must be divided into the following segments: Define the Problem, Gather the Evidence, Identify the Causes, and Evaluate the Policy (see Process below for more information). Ultimately, the exhibit will evaluate the successes of the nonviolent Civil Rights Movement.
Each segment will be graded on the following criteria:
ü Number of slides – 25 to 40 total (not counting the title slide for your segment)
ü Oral presentation (explanation of the role of each depiction) – 20 to 30 minutes
ü Dress and Delivery – proper presentation attire (you are, after all, professional museum planners) and speech
ü Annotated bibliography – explanation of information gathered from at least 6 sources
Please note well:
ü Presentations that will be considered unacceptable include those which:
Ø Number of slides is less than 20 or more than 45
Ø Content is not relevant to the topic and does not address the Task
Ø Organization is difficult to follow and makes little sense
Ø Graphics are not clear (or are missing)
Ø Oral presentation could not be understood
PROCESS:
ü Denial of African American Civil rights during the years of 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka) – 1968 (assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Why were African Americans still denied their rights during this time period, almost 100 years after the abolition of slavery and the granting of US citizenship to all those born in the US.
ü Read text book pages covering the Civil Rights Movement
ü Examine one of the Time Lines / Chronology listed under Resources
ü Examine the role of Jim Crow laws, the actions of Ku Klux Klan and other racist groups
ü Examine the role of racism and prejudice, ideas (especially in the South) of white superiority that took root when slavery was legal in the US, governmental non-interference in allowing this denial of rights to remain a prevalent feature of American society.
ü What nonviolent resistance methods were used during the Civil Rights Movement and how successful was the movement?
1. Investigating U. S. History: The Black Freedom Movement
2. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 6 Facts About Non-Violent Resistance
3. Timeline: Civil Rights Era (1954 – 1971)
4. Civil Rights 101: Civil Rights Chronology
5. Civil rights Digital Library: Documenting America’s Struggle for Racial Equality
6. American Experience: Eyes on the Prize (America’s Civil Rights Movement: 1954 – 1985)
7. Civil Rights Movement: Students Resources in Context
8. Southern Freedom Movement Documents (1951 – 1968)
9. EdTechTeacher: The Best Of History Websites - The Civil Rights Movement
10. History: Civil Rights Movement
EVALUATION:
Assessment Rubric for PowerPoint Presentations
Student(s) Name: __________________________________________________ Date: ________________
|
|
Exemplary (4) |
Proficient (3) |
Developing (2) |
Minimal (1) |
Score |
|
Introduction / Title Slide |
Presents overall topic. Grabs audience attention. Topic relates to audience interest and goals. |
Clear and coherent. Relates to topic. |
Shows some structure. Does not create a strong sense of topic. Overly detailed or incomplete. |
Does not introduce topic. Not interesting or relevant. |
___/5 |
|
Content: |
Relevant, informative, and accurate information. Focused and consistent with topic. Shows understanding and comprehension of task requirements. Many illustrations. |
Somewhat relevant, or some inaccuracies, somewhat focused. Consistent with topic, but did not understand or ignored some task requirements. Some illustrations. |
Many inaccuracies, lack of focus, or inconsistent with topic and task requirements. May be unnecessarily repetitive. Few or no illustrations. |
Lacks a clear point. No logical sequence. Limited understanding of topic. Not at all accurate. |
___/15 |
|
Quantity: |
Quantity of content and material presented consistent with task requirements. |
Quantity of content somewhat incomplete or somewhat exceeds requirements. |
Quantity of content is significantly incomplete or greatly exceeds requirements. |
Quality of content is lacking and incomplete. |
___/15 |
|
Style: |
Layout is visually appealing. Material presented with unique and interesting style and personality. Inspires curiosity about topic, while being appropriate for topic and audience. Readable font and color scheme. |
Layout is pleasant. Material shows some attention paid to style, although a bit misdirected or inappropriate for topic or audience. Readable font and color scheme. |
Layout appears cluttered and distracting. Material shows little attention to style. Inspires little curiosity about topic, or is distracting. Font and/or color scheme may make reading difficult. |
Layout is cluttered and confusing. No headings. |
___/10 |
|
Transitions / Effects |
All transitions and animation enhance the presentation. Sounds and other media do not distract the audience. All effects are appropriate to the topic and theme.
|
Transitions and animation is mostly used appropriately, but is somewhat distracting. |
Transitions and animation are often distracting. Sounds or other media seem unrelated to topic. |
Transitions and animation are highly distracting. Sounds or other media very distracting and unrelated to topic. |
___/10 |
|
Organization: |
Topic breakdown follows logical pattern and flow. Easy to follow. Includes proper slide headings or outlines. |
Topic somewhat disorganized, presentation of material understandable, somewhat difficult to follow. Incomplete slide headings. |
Topic not properly organized, presentation of material does not flow, or is very difficult to follow. Few, if any headings. |
Difficult, impossible to follow. No headings. |
___/10 |
|
Oral presentation / volume |
Adds great amount of information besides what is on the slide. Shows interest and enthusiasm. Speaks with clear voice with appropriate volume. Shows evidence of preparation and rehearsal. |
Adds some information besides what is on the slides. Shows general interest in topic. Speaks clearly most of time. Volume is adequate. Shows some evidence of preparation and rehearsal. |
Adds little information besides what is on the slides. Shows little enthusiasm or interest. Needs to speak a little louder or more clearly. Some evidence of practice. |
Does not add information besides what is on slides. Does not show interest in presentation. Can’t be understood or heard. No evidence of practice or rehearsal. |
___/15 |
|
Eye contact / demeanor |
Great eye contact with audience. Extremely professional demeanor. |
Good eye contact with audience. Somewhat professional demeanor. |
Eye contact is lacking. Lacks professional demeanor. |
Little or no eye contact with audience. No professional demeanor evident. |
___/10 |
|
Sources / Annotated Bibliography |
All sources used for quotes, statistics and facts are credible and cited correctly according to APA. |
Some reference errors in convention, consistency, or accuracy, although most or all works cited. |
Many sources are suspect (not credible) and/or are not cited correctly. |
No bibliography submitted. |
___/10 |
|
Total: |
|
|
|
100 |
CONCLUSION:
The Nonviolent Resistance efforts of numerous Americans during the time period 1954 to 1968 resulted in numerous changes in American society. Laws were enacted, Jim Crow was eliminated, and racism and prejudice began to decline in the hearts and minds of many American citizens. The road is still being traveled, but this time period did result in positive changes.
STANDARDS:
NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS & CORE CURRICULUM -
UNITED STATES HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT
II. CONTAINMENT AND CONSENSUS: 1945 – 1960
Constitutional issues
2. Civil rights
a. Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier
b. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954
c. Beginnings of modern civil rights movement
(1) Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott
(2) Little Rock: school desegregation
(3) Segregation in public transportation ruled unconstitutional
(4) Sit-ins: nonviolent tactic
III. DECADE OF CHANGE: 1960s
A. The Kennedy years
1. The New Frontier: dreams and promises
a. Civil rights actions
(1) James Meredith at the University of Mississippi
(2) Public career of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birmingham protest (“Letter from Birmingham Jail”)
(3) Assassination of Medgar Evers
(4) March on Washington
B. Johnson and the Great Society
3. Continued demands for equality: civil rights movement
a. Black protest, pride, and power
(1) NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People): legal judicial leadership, Urban League
b. Case studies
(1) SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee): sit-in movement among college students
(2) SCLC (Southern Christian Leader-ship Conference): promote nonviolent resistance, sit-ins, boycotts
(3) CORE (Congress of Racial Equality): “Freedom Riders”
(4) Testing of segregation laws
(5) Others: Black Muslims; prominence of Malcolm X: advocating separation of races, separate state in the United States
(6) Civil unrest: Watts riot, 1965, as example; Kerner Commission
(7) Assassination of Malcolm X (February 1965)
c. Legislative impact
(1) Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States, 1964), modifications since 1964
(2) 24th Amendment (eliminating poll tax)
(3) Voting Rights Act, 1965
(4) Court decisions since 1948 upholding or modifying preferential treatment in employment; equal access to housing; travel and accommodations; voting rights; educational equity
(5) Fair Housing Act, 1968
NEW YORK STATE
COMMON CORE SOCIAL
STUDIES FRAMEWORK
GRADES 9‐12 (Draft)
Production and Distribution of Writing
Ø Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Ø Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
Ø Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
Ø Conduct short and more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Ø Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and over‐reliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.
Ø Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection and research.
11.10 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE/DOMESTIC ISSUES (1945 – present): Racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities were addressed by individuals, groups, and organizations.
Varying political philosophies prompted debates over the role of the federal government in regulating the economy and providing a social safety net.
(Standards: 1, 4, 5; Themes: ID, TCC, SOC, GOV, CIV, ECO)
11.10a After World War II, long‐term demands for equality by African Americans led to the civil rights movement. The efforts of individuals, groups, and institutions helped to redefine African American civil rights, though numerous issues remain unresolved.
· Students will examine the role and impact of individuals such as Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Malcolm X in the movement and their perspectives on change.
· Students will examine the role of groups such as the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Southern Christian Leadership Conference
(SCLC), and Student Non‐Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the movement, their goals and strategies, and major contributions.
· Students will examine judicial actions and legislative achievements during the movement
such as Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the Civil Rights Act of
1964, Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States (1964) and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
· Students will analyze the significance of key events in the movement including the
Montgomery bus boycott, federal intervention at Little Rock, Arkansas, the Birmingham protest, and the March on Washington.