Unit: The Civil Rights Movement

Lesson Title: Im Ron Burgundy?

Learning Objectives
Explain how civil rights protestors/leaders used nonviolence and communicate what the
effect was
Analyze why supporters pushed for a civil rights bill, and discuss what factors influenced
the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Explain how the media was a contributing factor to the results of the civil rights
movement
Corresponding TEKS
State Standards
9(d) compare and contrast the approach taken by some civil rights groups such as the Black
Panthers with the non-violent approach of Martin Luther King, Jr.
9(e) discuss the impact of the writing of Martin Luther Kings, Jr.s, such as his I Have a
Dream speech and Letter from Birmingham Jail on the civil rights movement
Social Studies Skills

Create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information

Materials/ Resources Needed

Students- Paper, writing utensils, and textbook

Teacher- Props for skit, templates for activities, paper and writing utensils.

Needed Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills

The students will have knowledge of the types of protests that took place during the civil
rights movement along with the characteristics of the movement. They will have
knowledge of leaders and politicians that took part in this movement. They should also
have knowledge of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This lesson would be the second lesson with this topic. It will use the information that
learned in the lesson before to complete the activity.

New Terms and Key Ideas

Media

Rosa Parks/ Montgomery Bus Boycotts

Martin Luther King Jr. /March on Washington

Southern Christian Leadership Conference/ Student Sit-Ins

Congress of Racial Equality/Freedom Rides

London B. Johnson/Civil Rights Act of 1964

Martin Luther King Jr. /Birmingham Protest

The Black Panthers/Urban Riots

Value/Rationale of the Lesson for the Student

Media plays a big role in our day to day lives and history. It persuades us to think one
way instead of another by the way they present information to us. Thanks to media some
of us are apple users while others are droid users. The information was present to us and
we made the choice to be either team apple or team droid. Media during the civil rights
movement played a big role in its success. Students need to be able to make the
connection of how media can and has contributed to our history.

5E Lesson Plan
Engagement

Start the class off with watching a clip from Anchor Man

Ask the students if they watch the news or have watched the news. Then ask them if they
have watched documentaries.

Explain that in order to create a news segment or documentaries, research is done first.

Students will be participating in a two part activity in groups. The first part will be a short
research to gather information about a topic. The second part will be to create a news
segment skit.

Exploration

Students will be divided in to groups of 4-5 depending on the class size for a 2 part
activity. In these groups they will be given assigned topics to research. These topics will
consist of important events/people/organizations during the civil rights movement.

These are the following topics that will be assigned:

Rosa Parks/ Montgomery Bus Boycotts

Martin Luther King Jr. /March on Washington

Southern Christian Leadership Conference/ Student Sit-Ins

Congress of Racial Equality/Freedom Rides

London B. Johnson/Civil Rights Act of 1964

Martin Luther King Jr. /Birmingham Protest

The Black Panthers/Urban Riots

They will use their notes, textbook, or computer (if available) to research the 5Ws of their
assignment along with the outcome.
Explanation & Exploration

After they have completed the short research assignment, they will now have to create a
skit as if they were news anchors interviewing the historical figure regarding the event
they were assigned to. Not only will they interview the historical figure but they will also
have to interview a by-stander to the event. Once they have put together a script for the
skit, presentations will begin.

If there is incorrect information being included in the skit I will correct the students,
explain the importance for thorough research when presenting these facts to the public
and the effects false statements could have.

Evaluation

Have the students choose a news groups that they would like to write a letter to, that will
be mailed to the news station. In this letter they will write whether they agreed or
disagreed with their segment and if they felt differently about the event before the
segment. They will have to elaborate why they chose the stance that they did.

Discuss how media impacts our lives day to day and the impact it can have on history.

Questions to Check for Understanding

1. What is media? What are the different types of media?
2. Do you think violent protests were portrayed the same as nonviolent protests by the
media?
3. How does media impact your lives on a day to day?
4. Has any type of media persuaded you to think differently about something?
5. Can you think of any current events that deal with civil rights that have been in the
medias spotlight in the past year?
Additional Types of Assessment

The finished product (skit) is what will be used to assess the group. While they are
performing, a feedback sheet will be filled out that will be handed to them after all the
groups have performed.

Closure and Enrichment

This lesson gives control to the students. They will take the information they have
researched and create a skit to present to the class. The way they choose to present the
material will affect the way students feel about the events showing them that media plays
a big role in our history. This lesson also incorporates explaining, leadership, and social
skills.

Explaining skills
o Students will have to put together a skit that will explain to the audience their
topic. The other groups in the class have a different topic so it is up to each group
to create a skit that the other groups will understand.
Leadership skills
o Each student has a specific role that has been assigned to them. These roles will
test their leadership skills. Some students will have bigger leadership roles than
others. These roles have nothing to do with the context of the assignment but
more of the organization of the assignment.
Social skills
o Creating the script for the skit as a group will promote a variety of social skills.
They will have to share the information that they individually found. The will
have to respect each others information and work together. Discussion amongst
each other is inevitable. It is important for students to have patience with each
other in this assignment.
Modifications for Special Education Students

Instead of writing a letter students with discuss among their group their reactions to the
group presentations.

I will provide them with a more detailed template to help them along with their skits.

Modifications for Gifted Students

Small Group Research Modification
Students will only use primary sources to conduct research over assigned events and
figures. GT students will be given extra choices for researching. The will be able to
They will not be given any templates they will however be given a rubric to follow.