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Our Civil Rights; the World’s Human Rights
An 11th grade Civil Rights Lesson aimed at how global situations encouraged and swayed the peak US Civil Rights Movement
Eleanor Roosevelt holds the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Photo © United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
An 11th Grade Social Studies Lesson
Zachary N. Simmons
Haverhill Public Schools
Haverhill, MA 01835
September 2008
Dr. Raleigh C. Buchanan, Superintendent
Dr. Steven O’Brien Assistant Superintendent
Richard Young, Project Director, Pursuing Justice
Table of Contents
Introduction Overall Concepts
Part One The global connections to the peak US Civil Rights movement
Part Two Glossary, Appendix, Web Pages, Bibliography
Introduction: Overall Concepts
This lesson links the US Civil Rights Movement to a larger, global human rights movement. Both of these are processes of decolonization that has an underlying theme of western white domination over non-white areas that really begins to loose its grip after WWII.
We began this by looking at the definition of 1st, 2nd and 3rd world countries as defined at the Bandung conference. From this we can infer the haves and have nots, and how this status quo came to be- and how the time to break it has also come to be. Once this is established, we go at the direct US/global direct link of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights document.
From here we go to MLK’s “My Trip to the Land of Gandhi”, which highlights not only MLK’s international travels, but the influence of Gandhi on MLK’s non-violence. The next document will be excerpts from SNCC’s visit to Guinea and then: “The Trip” which is John Lewis and Donald Harris’ continuation of that journey, which includes an encounter with Malcolm X. Then we go to the short speech of Malcolm X “To Mississippi Youth” followed by audio/video excerpts from MLK’s “Break the Silence”.
For more video clips I will use parts of Malcolm X’ speech when he returns from the Hajj, and one of him at the UN as well as apart of a video montage called “The Politics of Muhammad Ali”, where he speaks of his protest against Vietnam, which again makes the US-decolonization-global connection.
Paragraph of Desired Results/Enduring Understanding
At the end of this lesson the student will be able to directly connect the global movements of decolonization/human rights with our domestic struggle woven into it. Perhaps the one overarching point is that our understanding of US history is often mired in the permeating slant of isolation. This isolation has remained actually untrue since the colonization of the Americas, despite some direct and indirect attempts at US isolation. The main focus here is to change our view of the Civil Rights movement from that of an isolated, wholly American struggle, to one that is interconnected and interacting with the larger global struggle.
The Essential Questions that help us arrive at these big ideas are:
1. Was the US’s Civil Rights Movement connected to a larger, global movement?
2. Did the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement try to convey the message of a broader connection to the rank and file of the American Civil Rights Movement?
There are three areas involving key knowledge and skills in the Civil Rights unit that are important for any citizen to know.
1. It was part of a global struggle liked to decolonization.
2 Racism was at the heart of this common movement.
3 We are and have been an interconnected planet.
Connections to State Frameworks:
USII.25 Analyze the origins, goals, and key events of the Civil Rights movement. (H)
People
A. Martin Luther King, Jr.
B. Malcolm X
USII.26 Describe the accomplishments of the civil rights movement. (H, E)
A. the growth of the African American middle class, increased political power, and declining rates of African American poverty
http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/hss/final.pdf
Lesson Plan Overview: TITLE
I. Time Requirement
4 periods (45 minutes each) of Social Studies class time.
II. Introduction/Overview
The lesson will be broken into four sections (days). The first will be a better understanding of world classes and status along with a better understand of the implication of the UDHR.
III. Entry-level knowledge/skills
They will have studied:
•American Civil Rights up to the end of 1967
•What was talked about at the Bandung Conference
•The different theories of MLK and Malcolm X
- Groups involved in the Civil Rights Movement (SNCC, Black Panthers etc.)
- The role of decolonization in both struggles
IV. Resources/Materials
Books: The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader, General Editors: Clayborne Carson, David J. Garrow, Gerald Gill, Vincent Harding, Darlene Clark Hine, Penguin Books
Web Sites
Youtube.com
http://
IV. Preparation
Going into the class the students will have prepared the UDHR. The assignment was to have the students read the document. Then they were to take the two sections that they were assigned and put it into their own summarized words
VI. The process
DAY 1 On the board during the entire lesson will be the theses/themes essential questions a) Was the US’s Civil Rights Movement connected to a larger, global movement?
b) Did the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement try to convey the message of a broader connection to the rank and file of the American Civil Rights Movement?
1—On the board- You will be able to define the terms 1st world, 2nd world and 3rd world countries. You will also be able to interpret the meanings of the UDHR
2—Pass out the written assignment that is due at the end of the lesson. The assignment is for them to write a five-six paragraph essay that looks at other freedom struggles and make comparisons and connections to the American Civil Rights Movement and the world. They are given a suggested list of 20th-21st Century examples such as Vietnam, Palestine, Apartheid, Cuba, Gaffer Khan etc.
3—
Daily question: What do we mean when we say “Third World Countries”? Give them a few minutes then go over answers
4—Put the question in the context of the Cold War from the 50’s to the 60’s
5—lead them to the Bandung Conference (which they should already have some knowledge about)
6- Discuss the background of the creation of the UDHR
7- Activity_ On the board have 1-30 and choose the students with those numbers to first read the actual statement, and how they interpreted it.
8- Put their words on the board.
9- Discuss the meanings.
10- Write down three things that they learned from today’s class.
Day 2
1- Write down three things that you learned form yesterday’s class.
2- Pass out a copy of My Trip to the Land of Gandhi.
3- In pairs they should write out things to find-which are
When does he go?
Who is in his delegation?
Describe his reception
What is the Indians connection/relationship to the British?
What are the Indians feelings towards Gandhi and non-violence
The plight of the Indian poor as compared to the US poor
Describe what kind of people they are
The state of the Indian Untouchables
Bhoodan
And what was MLK’s conclusion?
4- Take the pairs work and then discus in class the meaning and the connection to the theme
5- Homework- read and summarize the important points of the SNCC Brief Report in Guinea
6- rough draft of paper due on last day (5)
Day 3
1- Write down three things you learned from yesterday
2- Connect the opener with the homework
3- Go directly over the hw using the theme questions as a guide and reference to look for examples with
2nd half
4- Pass out “To Mississippi Youth” again discussing the theme.
5- Listen/watch excerpts from “Break the Silence”
6- Re-cap
7- HW- choose a topic for your paper
Day 4
1-Go over people’s choices
2- Revisit/review “break the Silence”
3-Show the video clips from parts of Malcolm X’ speech when he returns from the Hajj, Malcolm X at the UN and the video montage called “The Politics of Muhammad Ali”, where he speaks of his protest against Vietnam, which again makes the US-decolonization-global connection.
4- After each clip they will write, without discussion, how the them was played out in those speeches
5- During the last 10 minutes have them compare notes in pair about the video clips
6- Rough Draft due tomorrow
Day 5
1- peer edit rough drafts using rubric
2- discuss the video clips with class
3- HW final draft due tomorrow
V. Assessments/Evaluation
The paper and the content of the discussion
VII. Conclusion/Closure/General philosophy
In this class my general philosophy of a student centered class is achieved. They must take documents, primary sources and their own research and turn those into learning experiences for themselves.
I find that a great many of my students sit with mouths agape like chicks waiting for us to stuff worms into them. At the end of the day the bets conclusion are from what they discovered themselves. I am certainly not against joining in and leading a discussion and guiding the learning, but more has to bear on the student.
The topic itself is huge as well. We hear terms like freedom, liberty, rights being thrown around all the time. But it is important to not only look at the details of the individual problems, but have a sense that many human struggles stem from the same roots. Equally important is our place, as a nation among many nations, in the world.
VIII. Follow-up activities
String along the themes as we going into the rest of the 20th and 21st Century curriculum
IX. Interdisciplinary Connections
PART 2:
ADDITIONAL TEACHER INFORMATION (Optional examples)
•Appendix A: Glossary, Web Sites, Bibliography
•Glossary
•Web Sites
•Videos, Software, etc
•Bibliography
[See MLA Handbook for all attributions]
Author Last Name, First Name. Title. City: Publishing Company, Date.
•Appendix B: Some of the Previous Assignments Mentioned in the Unit
•Appendix C: Rubrics for the assignment:
•Appendix D:
Zachary Simmons