Objectives for this lesson include:To make connections of Principles of Learning to

instructional strategies focused on improving student learning.

To understand applications of Principles of Learning in a classroom setting.

To consider the historical impact of the American Civil Rights Movement on the issues we face today in teaching students of color.

The Civil Rights Movement:

The View from the Trenches

Introduction

“Today we begin our study of what is commonly referred to as the Civil Rights Era. The people, events and documents we’ll be working with today fall within the years 1953-1968.”

This Unit’s Focus• What were the goals of the various actors and

groups that made up the Civil Rights movement?

• To what extent was the movement a consequence of longstanding historical factors? To what extent was the movement a beginning of significant social and political change?

• What is the legacy of the movement?

Rosa Parks and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Many of us have read about Rosa Parks’ passing. Her passing has caused many Americans to pause and think about her, her role in the movement, her legacy, and the legacy of the movement at large. Today we’re going to read two newspaper articles prompted by the somber occasion of Mrs.. Parks’ death. As you read these two accounts, we’re going to use the following questions to analyze them.”

Questions

• According to this source, what was Rosa Parks’ role in the Civil Rights movement?

• What is the relationship between Parks and the movement?

• What is her legacy?• According to this source, what is the legacy of

the Civil Rights movement?

After the Reading

• “How do these newspaper accounts relate the legacy of Rosa Parks to the legacy of the Civil Rights movement?

• What should we be mindful of when reading about major figure in the Civil Rights movement?

“When Americans speak of the ‘civil rights movement,’ they are unlikely to be thinking of Harry T. Moore, or A. Phillip Randolph, Septima Clark, Ella Baker, J.A. Delaine, Charles Hamilton Houston, or Fred Shuttlesworth. They and the struggles they represent are not part of American history as it is normally taught, with its streamlined, homogenized version of the movement. Saying that most Americans have been raised on a whitewashed version of movement history is more than a bad pun.”

Charles Payne-historian

Questions for Discussion

• What is Payne arguing against?

• What is he arguing for?

• What struck you about his comments?

• What does Payne really charge us to do as students of history?

De-Brief

• Take 3-4 minutes to write down examples of Principles of Learning that were used in this lesson.

• Use evidence to support your observations.

• Whole group discussion of POL

End of Day Reflection

• Please share the similarities you observed in all four lessons.

• Which one was your favorite. (Just kidding, don’t answer. This is not about evaluation.

• General observations or comments.