Printer-friendly versionQuestion and answer activity based on "The Children's March." (Download the Teacher's Guide here.)
Objectives
• Students will review and summarize questions about
the struggle for equality and apply them to other civil rights struggles.
• Students will devise a timeline regarding other civil rights struggles.
Materials
• Content material on various civil rights movements
• Copy of the timeline for each student
Framework
The modern day civil rights movement has been the catalyst for many contemporary civil rights movements. This lesson invites students to see that they are part of a continuum in the long struggle for equal rights for all people.
Step One Have students research and place contemporary civil rights movements (e.g., the Chicano movement, labor movement, environmental movement, women’s movement, LGBT civil rights movement, immigrant workers rights) on the timeline. The timeline helps students make connections and understand the complexity of interrelationships between the movements. It’s also a good send-home assignment because students can ask their guardians what they remember about the various movements.
Step Two Have students answer the following focus questions for each of the movements:
• What do they all have in common?
• Who struggled for equality and rights?
• Who had power over them?
• How did those in power exert that power?
• Who were the allies of those in this struggle?
• How did the participants of this movement liberate both themselves and their oppressors?
Step Three Have students research individually or in groups:
• What other movements are there?
• What other movement do you think there should be?
• If you were to start a movement today, what would your cause be?
• Who would you hope would aid you in your cause?
• Who do you feel has the power over you?
• How will you liberate yourself and your oppressors?
• What local movements, similar in nature to these national
movements, exist in your own school or community?
• How might you create one or participate in a local movement?
Follow-up Activity
Students can also do research projects on various organizations and outcomes that have arisen from various
movements. Among them are:
National Farm Workers Association (NFWA)
United Farm Workers (UFW)
Equal Employment Opportunity Council
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Violence Against Women Act
Title IX
Stonewall
Sierra
