Summary
In this lesson, English 9 students learn the difference between primary and secondary sources while also learning more about the American Civil Rights period. After reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of both types of sources, the students look at some primary and secondary sources to gather information about the 1960s. They watch a clip from Eyes on the Prize, analyze Norman Rockwell’s painting Southern Justice, read articles about victims of the 1960s, and research the places where the victims were killed to see what those places are like today. Students also write a poem to pay homage to those victims. All student work is aggregated into a single website on which students collaborate, to publically pay tribute to these lesser-known victims. Using Google Sites’ page level permission settings, each student is assigned a page so he/she can post the victim’s picture, their poem, a summary of what happened to the victim, and research about what the place of the murder is like today. After all student pages are complete, each class looks at the site as a whole and critiques the site’s appearance, usability, and organization. The site’s homepage contains an explanation of the history of our school mascot and how the meaning of it has evolved since the school’s opening during the Civil Rights era.
TIPC Ratings
The task is authentic and meaningful. The research brings to life the reality of the Civil Rights Movement and the dangers people faced in the fight for equality. The teacher assesses the lesson as it progresses and makes adjustments as necessary.
The vast majority of the work is done individually. Students do work on the same website, but mostly on their own individual web pages. Students who research the same victims collaborate on a single page of the website.
Students create poems by pulling out the important information from the passages they read. Many students have never made a webpage before and had to work through the mechanics of it. Students evaluate a draft of the completed website, identifying what they felt are the strengths and weaknesses of the site. Student input is used to make further modifications to the website.
Connections are made between the Civil Rights movement and contemporary issues through the use of primary sources. Students use technology to generate new ideas through the composition of their poem, and create authentic artifacts including the website.
Student Artifact
Download Files
- Lesson Plan + Rubric
- Student Artifact
- Presentation
- Pre- & Post- Assessments
- Website Evaluation Form
