The Civil Rights Movement

Mrs. L. Montgomery

Utica City School District

John F. Kennedy Middle School

lmontgomery@uticaschools.org

INTRODUCTION: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

African Americans faced centuries of oppression from white Americans. Through a series of events, African Americans finally realized that unless they did something, life for them would not change. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The quality, not longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

TASK:

In this web quest, you and your partner are time jumpers through history. Your latest jump has landed you in the room where President Johnson is about to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964. All around you are people telling their stories on why this law is so important to them. Go around and listen to their stories. After you have learned all you can, you will create a trifold poster that:

· explains at least 4 problems African Americans faced prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (first fold of the tri fold)

· explains 4 ways African Americans worked to end racial segregation and discrimination in the United States (third fold of the tri fold)

· creates a timeline of events that led up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (second fold of the tri fold)

PROCESS AND RESOURCES:

Each student will complete the four steps of the AHPPA process to gather information to create a trifold poster. The AHPPA process is listed below and several resource links are provided for the student’s use. Use the attached worksheets to complete steps 1-4.

Step 1- Identify the Problem: Explain in your own words the problem that African Americans faced in the United States prior to 1964.

Step 2- Gather the Evidence: Provide evidence that your problem existed. Be specific and cite at least 3 sources of data.

Step 3- Determine the Causes: List several factors that contributed to your problem, using evidence.

Step 4- Evaluate the Policy: State how the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped deal with your problem. What were advantages and disadvantages to this policy? Remember to consider the costs, enforcement and public acceptance of this policy.

RESOURCES:

	· Plessy v. Ferguson · Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests · Ku Klux Klan · Jim Crow laws · Murder of Emmett Till · Greensboro Sit Ins · Ruby Bridges · Montgomery Bus Boycott · March on Birmingham · Freedom Rides · Martin Luther King, Jr. and Civil Disobedience · Civil Rights Act of 1964 · Civil Rights Timeline

EVALUATION:

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1	0
Title	Title can be read from 6 ft. away and is quite creative.	Title can be read from 6 ft. away and describes content well.	Title can be read from 4 ft. away and describes the content well.	The title is too small and/or does not describe the content of the poster well.	There is no title.
Graphic Relevance	All graphics are related to the topic and make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics are related to the topic and most make it easier to understand. All borrowed graphics have a source citation.	All graphics relate to the topic. Most borrowed graphics have a source citation.	Graphics do not relate to the topic OR several borrowed graphics do not have a source citation.	There are no graphics or citations.
Content - Accuracy	At least 10 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	8-9 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	6-7 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Less than 6 accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	There are 0 facts displayed on the poster.
Required Elements	The poster includes all required elements as well as additional information.	All required elements are included on the poster.	All but 1 of the required elements is included on the poster.	Several required elements were missing.	There were no required elements.
Attractiveness	The poster is exceptionally attractive in terms of design, layout, and neatness.	The poster is attractive in terms of design, layout and neatness.	The poster is acceptably attractive though it may be a bit messy.	The poster is distractingly messy or very poorly designed. It is not attractive.	n/a
Mechanics	Capitalization and punctuation are correct throughout the poster.	There is 1 error in capitalization or punctuation.	There are 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation.	There are more than 2 errors in capitalization or punctuation.	There are more than 5 errors in capitalization or punctuation.
Use of Class Time	Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the project done. Never distracted others.	Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the project done and never distracted others.	Used some of the time well during each class period. There was some focus on getting the project done but occasionally distracted others.	Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others.	Did nothing in class and completely distracted others.

CONCLUSION:

Congratulations! In this web quest, you and your partner have successfully navigated a roomful of very excited people and have learned about so many important occurrences that comprised the Civil Rights movement. Your trifold poster that you will present to your classmates will stun and amaze everyone.

NYS STANDARDS:

SOCIAL STUDIES

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York

Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

MATH, SCIENCE, and TECHNOLOGY

Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

NYS COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS

Performance Indicator - SS1.I.3B:
Students gather and organize information about the important achievements and contributions of individuals and groups living in New York State and the United States.

Performance Indicator - SS1.I.4D:
Students describe historic events through the eyes and experiences of those who were there.

Performance Indicator - SS1.C.4A:
Students analyze historical narratives about key events in New York State and United States history to identify the facts and evaluate the author’s perspectives.