Section One
Standard USII.1 (a-i)
The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible
citizenship, including the ability to
a) analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase
understanding of events and life in United States history from 1865 to the present;
b) make connections between the past and the present;
c) sequence events in United States history from 1865 to the present;
d) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
e) evaluate and debate issues orally and in writing;
f) analyze and interpret maps that include major physical features;
g) use parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude to describe hemispheric location;
h) interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents;
i) identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made, including the consequences,
both intended and unintended, of the decisions and how people and nations responded to
positive and negative incentives.
Standard USII.9a The student will demonstrate knowledge of the key domestic and
international issues during the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries by
a) examining the Civil Rights Movement
Essential Understandings
The Civil Rights Movement resulted in legislation that ensured constitutional rights to
all citizens of the United States regardless of race.
Grade Level
This would be taught in 7th grade in Virginia according to the Standards of Learning.
Link to PDF of Standards
[Link]
2008/2008_final/framewks_ushist1865-[Link]
USII.9a is located on page 28
Section Two
[Link]
Citation
(2005). Chapter 16: The civil rights movement. In The American vision:
Modern times, California edition (pp. 736-767). New York, NY: Glencoe
McGraw Hill.
Section Three
I chose this textbook because the chapter gives a fairly comprehensive overview of the
events of the Civil Rights Movement in America, beginning with an overview of Plessy v.
Ferguson, Jim Crow, and de facto segregation, and ending with the assassination of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. While it does not cover everything, it covers what I think is necessary for
students to know. It is also conveniently broken down into three different sections, The
Movement Begins, Challenging Segregation, and New Issues. I think that this is broken down
nicely and is essentially a beginning, middle, and end.
This text includes various events, those involved, and different pieces of legislation that
are key points necessary to understanding the movement as a whole, but does not include an
overwhelming amount of information either. All of the main points are highlighted, but as with
any textbook, the teacher may need to provide some supplemental information. This chapter
also includes everything that is considered essential knowledge in the Virginia Standards of
Learning, such as: Plessy v. Ferguson, separate but equal, Brown v. Board of Education,
Martin Luther King Jr. and passive resistance, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott,
different organized protests like sit-ins, Freedom Riders, and marches, the NAACP, and
legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965.
I chose to include the essential skills standards that are overarching through the
different content standards so that I could draw from them in my assignments. The standards
for USII.9a group the struggle for Civil Rights and Womens Rights into one, but for the
purposes of this assignment I chose to only include assignments about Civil Rights. I think in
the classroom, I would teach these events chronologically, and the Civil Rights Movement
comes first in that respect. I would begin to talk about Womens Rights toward tail end of the
Civil Rights Movement.
Section Four: New York Times interview of a Little Rock Nine student
Standard: USII 1.d) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives; e)
evaluate and debate issues orally and in writing;
Consulted Source: Buchanan, L. B. (2014). From Freedom Riders to the Children's March:
Civil rights documentaries as catalysts for historical empathy. Social Education, 78(2), 91-95.
Assignment
Role Format Goal
You are a newspaper This will be featured in the The main goal of this
interviewer for the New York New York Times and should assignment is for you to
Times. Your boss has just be in the format of an think about what readers of
sent you to Little Rock, interview, meaning that the New York Times would
Arkansas to interview one of there will be a question want to know about a
the Little Rock Nine. Your asked by the interviewer, and student entering a recently
job is to think of interview the question will be desegregated school and also
questions that you would like answered by the student think about what the most
to ask one of these students, being interviewed. important issues for students
and facilitate an interview entering desegregated
with them for the schools might have been.
newspaper. Base your questions off of
this line of thought.
In order to complete this assignment you should:
1. Review your notes on the Little Rock Integration and do outside research if necessary.
Reflect back on what we watched in the short clip about Little Rock.
2. Brainstorm your interview questions for this assignment. You should have at least 4
questions, but no more than 6.
3. Using your interview questions, conduct a mock interview pretending that you are the
interviewer from the New York Times. Using your knowledge of the Little Rock
integration, respond to your own interview questions as though you were a student
from the Little Rock Nine entering into a newly integrated school using historical
insight.
4. Your final product should look a lot like a newspaper article, including a title and date.
If you need to reference a real interview from a news source, here is a podcast interview done
with a History Professor and an NPR reporter about Dr. Kings Letter From Birmingham Jail:
[Link]
Student Exemplar
Interview Questions
1. Do you feel privileged to be one of the Little Rock Nine?
2. How did the presence of the Arkansas National Guard make you feel?
3. Do you think that this is a step in the right direction for American society?
4. Do you think that President Eisenhower responded appropriately to Governor Faubus
defiance of Federal law?
5. What were your expectations of entering into Little Rock High School, and how did
those compare to your experience?
6. Do you think that desegregation is just the beginning of a different kind of society?
New York Times Interview Project
Living During the Rocky Times of Desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas
September 15, 1957
By: Shannon Vaskorlis
In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education decided that the previous notion that separate
could be equal was struck down by the United States Supreme Court, and the
narrative has since become that separate can never be equal. By this line of logic,
segregation is inherently wrong and desegregation is necessary. In actuality, setting
this mentality into effect was much easier said than done. In Arkansas, there was a
push against desegregation which lead to the state Supreme Court case of Cooper v.
Aaron, which again decided that schools must be segregated and equal. This court
order allowed the Little Rock School District to admit nine black students to Little
Rock Central high, previously an all-white school. Though this was a legal move at the
federal and state level, there was still pushback from the Governor of Arkansas, Orval
Faubus. He assembled the Arkansas National Guard at Little Rock Central High to
prevent the nine high school students from actually entering and officially
desegregating the school. The following day, a mob joined the Guard at the school with
protests, catapulting Little Rock to the front of the news and garnering national
attention. President Eisenhower was forced to fight back and assert federal control of
the situation by sending in United States Army troops to escort the students into the
school. The troops have remained ever since, still enforcing that separate cannot be
equal.
VASKORLIS: Here with us we have Ernest Green, one of the students who attends
Little Rock Central High. Good morning, Mr. Green.
GREEN: Good morning. Its good to be here with you.
VASKORLIS: I am eager to hear your opinions. So to begin, Do you think that
President Eisenhower responded appropriately to Governor Faubus defiance of
Federal law?
GREEN: I feel very grateful that President Eisenhower reacted to this situation the way
that he did. Although a lot of parts of Arkansas have begun the desegregation process,
us attending Little Rock Central was met with a lot of backlash from our own
Governor. This was very disheartening, so it was reassuring to see the President stand
up f0r us the way he did.
VASKORLIS: I am glad that the president stood up for you all too. How did the
presence of the Arkansas National Guard make you feel?
GREEN: It was definitely a scary thing to walk into. All of us were kind of unsure what
was happening at first and we thought that maybe they were sent there to protect us,
but we quickly learned that was not the case. Once we realized that they were in
opposition to us, it was very scary. We all were very concerned for our own safety and
for the integrity of our government.
VASKORLIS: If you could say anything to the protesters that showed up who were
against the integration of schools, what would it be?
GREEN: I am not sure there is one thing I could say that would make a difference in
those protesters minds. However, I think that if they got to know us, I mean myself
and the other black students attending Little Rock, they might find they have some
things in common with us. We are all just looking for the same opportunities that they
have. We want equal rights. We want access to a good education. We arent fighting for
this to hurt anyone, we are fighting to help ourselves.
VASKORLIS: Do you feel privileged to be attending a desegregated school and to be
involved in the integration process?
GREEN: This entire situation has been really difficult to go through. Feeling so
opposed has been very tough. If I had to choose between fighting this fight and
remaining safely under the radar, I would still choose being involved in this. I feel
privileged to be fighting for myself, for those around me, and for those who will come
after me.
VASKORLIS: Do you think that this is a step in the right direction for American
society?
GREEN: I hope that it is a step in the right direction for American society. It is hard to
say for certain, but I think that this is the beginning of something much greater. I
think that following this, there will be more and more Little Rocks, that will hopefully
be met with less opposition. I think that if we dont think of it that way, it wont
happen. So I keep telling myself that this is just one of the first steps and there will be
many many steps following this one.
VASKORLIS: That is a great way of thinking about the future. I am glad that this step
has been taken, and look forward to reporting on those steps that are to come.
Rubric for New York Times Interview assignment
3 Points 2 Points 1 Point 0 Points
Interview At least 4 Includes 4 to 6 Fewer than 4 Fewer than 4
Questions questions, but no interview interview questions.
more than 6. questions. questions are Questions are not
Interview Questions are included. relevant to Little
questions are about Little Rock, Questions are Rock.
thoughtful and but are not loosely based on
draw on content thoughtfully content, but are
taught in class. chosen. not thoughtful.
Newspaper Accurate and Background Significant Significant
Article comprehensive information is background background
background included, but a information is information is
information on few parts of missing. A either missing or
Little Rock information left specific person not included at
Integration is out. A person from Little Rock all. Specific
included before from the Little Nine chosen to person from
interview. A Rock Nine is interview. Little Rock Nine
person is chosen chosen to Interview does not chosen.
from the actual interview. not flow well and Interview is
Little Rock Nine Interview flows is unorganized. unorganized and
to interview. fairly well, but Historical insight difficult to
Interview flows could have been is attempted. understand. No
well. Historical organized better. historical insight
insight is very Historical insight apparent.
apparent. is shown.
Interview Reads like a Good effort at Several pieces Does not read
Article newspaper making it appear missing from like a newspaper
Formatting article, including like a newspaper newspaper article and
a title, accurate article, with a article correct interview
date, and author couple of errors. formatting. formatting is not
included. Correct interview Interview attempted.
Introduction to formatting is formatting is
topic is included. used. attempted.
Correct
interview
formatting is
used, with name
of interviewer
and of
interviewee used.
Section Five: Exit Slip
This exit slip will be distributed at the end of class and students will be given
approximately 3-4 minutes to complete it. All of the questions draw on content that
the students will have learned in class that day. The article referenced below says that
clip art can enhance the ability to quickly answer, so clip art was included in this exit
ticket in order to hint at the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. This assignment tackles a good
deal of the essential knowledge that is included in this SOL (Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v.
Board of Education, Rosa Parks, and the Montgomery Bus Boycotts).
Consulted Source: Leigh, S. R. (2012). The classroom is alive with the sound of
thinking: The power of the exit slip. International Journal Of Teaching And Learning In
Higher Education, 24(2), pp. 189-196.
Exit Slip
Explain all of the following in your own words based on what we have learned in class.
What is the difference between Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education?
What did Rosa Parks do? What boycott did her actions begin?
What does segregation mean?
Exit Slip
Explain all of the following in your own words based on what we have learned in class.
What is the difference between Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education?
In Plessy v. Ferguson, the court decided that things could be separate, but equal. Brown v. Board of
Education said the complete opposite; that having things separate could never be equal.
What did Rosa Parks do? What boycott did her actions begin?
Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white person. Buses were segregated and
What
black people does
were segregation
supposed mean?
to sit in the back. Her refusal to give up her seat lead to the
Montgomery Bus Boycotts.
Segregation means the separation of things that are seen as being different. During Jim Crow, this
meant the segregation of white and black people.
Student Exemplar
Grade Assessment
Because this assignment is in-class and is fairly simple, this will merely be given a
complete or incomplete grade worth 2 points. Complete will result in a 2 out of 2, and
an incomplete will result in a 0/2 in the grade book.
Rubric for Exit Ticket
Complete - 2 Points Incomplete - 0 Points
The student completed all three The student did not complete the exit
questions on the exit slip with complete ticket with complete thoughts and effort
thoughts and made an effort at was not evident.
answering the questions well.
Section Six: Create your own I Have A Dream Speech
Standard USII 1: b) make connections between the past and the present; e) evaluate and
debate issues orally and in writing;
Consulted Source: Brown, E. S. (2013). Reading closely and discussing the "I Have a
Dream" speech. Social Studies And The Young Learner, 26(2-), pp. 5-8.
Assignment
During this unit about the Civil Rights Movement, we have talked a great deal about
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his contributions as a leader of the movement towards
equality. He is well-known for delivering his I have a dream speech at the March
on Washington in August of 1963, detailing his dreams he had for the equality of the
races. However, as a society, there are still inequalities that exist in 2017. Think about
some inequalities that you have experienced yourself, or witnessed others go through.
Channeling your inner Dr. King, write a speech about your dream that you have for
our society. Your speech should:
Be at least a paragraph (8 sentences long)
Use the phrase I have a dream
Be about something you wish would change in our society and include ways in
which an equal society would be different.
Be well-written and proofread, with minimal typing, grammar, and spelling
errors.
Have a title (can just be I Have a Dream. with your dream attached to the
end)
Student Exemplar
I Have a Dream That Women Will Be Equal To Men
By: Shannon Vaskorlis
I have a dream That one day in our great society, people of all genders will be treated
equally. In this dream, little girls are not shown Disney movies with Princesses saved
by a Prince, who strips all their worries away, but are instead shown the stories of real
women who have saved themselves. Girls will grow up in a world where they are not
taught to aspire to a marriage, but to aspire to a career as boys are. Girls are told that
they can be a scientist, an astronaut, a mathematician, a teacher, a pilot, an activist, a
politician, the president Anything they choose to be! Once those girls get their job of
choice, they will be paid the same amount as the men doing the same job Because
they are equal! I have a dream that women will continue to build each other up. I have
a dream that women will continue to make a difference in the world. I have a dream
that someday women will not have to fight to get recognition, it will automatically be
given to them. I have a dream that when I raise my children in this world They will
be treated equally, no matter their gender. I have a dream That true equality will
someday soon exist.
Rubric For I Have a Dream Speech assignment
2 Points 1 Point 0 Points
Length Poem is at least 8 Poem is less than 8 Poem is less than 4
sentences. sentences, but more sentences.
than 4.
Phrasing I have a dream is I have a dream is I have a dream... is
used multiple times used at least once in not used at all in
in poem. poem. poem.
Content Poem is about Poem is about Poem is not about
inequality and inequality, but the inequality.
includes the authors author does not
visions for an equal elaborate enough on
society. their visions of an
equal society.
Editing Poem has minimal Poem has a few Poem has several
typing, grammar, typing, grammar, typing, grammar,
and spelling errors. and spelling errors. and spelling errors
and seems as though
it was not proofread.
Title The poem has a title The poem has either Poem has neither a
and author. a title or author but title or an author.
not both.
Section Seven: Bibliography
(2005). Chapter 16: The civil rights movement. In The American Vision: Modern Times,
California Edition (pp. 736-767). New York, NY: Glencoe McGraw Hill.
(2013, Apr 16). 'Letter From Birmingham Jail' 50 Years Later. National Public Radio.
Retrieved from [Link]
jail-50-years-later
Board of Education, Commonwealth of Virginia. (2008). United States history: 1865 to
the present. History and Social Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework
2008. (pp. 1, 28).
Brown, E. S. (2013). Reading closely and discussing the "I Have a Dream" speech. Social
Studies And The Young Learner, 26(2-), pp. 5-8.
Buchanan, L. B. (2014). From Freedom Riders to the Children's March: Civil rights
documentaries as catalysts for historical empathy. Social Education, 78(2), 91-95.
Leigh, S. R. (2012). The classroom is alive with the sound of thinking: The power of the
exit slip. International Journal Of Teaching And Learning In Higher Education, 24(2), pp.
189-196.
