Focusing on Martin Luther King Jr, this lesson explores the qualities of a leader. First, learners listen to a story about Ruby Bridges. Then, they discuss the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Finally, they discuss the characteristics of...

Young scholars recognize the power of protest. In this civil rights lesson plan, students consider the success of Rosa Parks and her protest that sparked the movement. Young scholars study the Montgomery Bus Boycott in depth and reflect...

Though the murder of Emmett Till shocked 1950's America into turning attention to the racial crimes of the South, it was far from the first time racism had erupted into violence. High schoolers examine the killing in context with the...

The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...

Students participate in a simulation and compare and contrast the arguments for and against womens' right to vote. In this civil rights lesson, students simulate disenfranchisement of women by allowing only half of the class to vote on a...

High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.

“Sometimes things are lawful yet are actually wrong.” Researchers examine primary and secondary source materials as they study five legal cases involving civil rights attorney William Kunstler in which he attempted to use the legal...

Bring the historical relevance of baseball into the classroom, as pupils discover the lessons learned from the breaking of baseball's color barrier by Jackie Robinson. Learners view video and analyze Robinson’s character, as well as his...

Students read portions of biographies about human rights activists before participating in a jigsaw activity in which they report out on what they read. They made a timeline of one of the human rights activist's lives. They write a...

Students discover how both the North and South used music extensively during the Civil War to rally troops, as recreation, to march by, and many other reasons. They realize that both sides would borrow each other's tunes or lyrics and it...

Fifth graders create a KWL chart on discrimination and human rights. While reading different stories, they take notes on each character in the books. To end the instructional activity, they discuss the forms of discrimination today and...

To continue their study of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the beginning of the civil rights movement, class members watch the YouTube video of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" as an introduction to an examination of...

Students discover that the actions of people can have a positive influence on a community. They use a variety of resources to research biographies of African Americans. Students research and discuss the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.,...

Students participate in an interactive activity to determine where their clothers were made. They examine the lives of children from Latin America who harvest crops in the fields or manufacture apparel in factories.

Students participate in a human rights discussion and define the concepts of justice and injustice. They research the concept justice in order to create a Wisdom Wall identifying human rights issues. Students also participate in an Image...

Young scholars prepare and deliver a speech on equal rights. They explore equal rights issues as they practice the skills necessary for public speaking.

Students explore the concept of civic virtue in a democratic state. In this democracy lesson, students listen to John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech, read selections on democracy, and discuss the importance of civic rights and...

Students identify and interpret the Declaration of Independence and the rights and privileges demanded in the document. They also identify how those rights and privileges have affected our history. Students then research about the...

Young scholars develop strategies to create a successful colony by analyzing the environment, individual rights, and responsibilities. They gain an understanding of the challenges faced by colonists.

Students consider their citizenship responsibilities in the world. In this philanthropy lesson, students define civic virtues as they consider how to be fair, just, and tolerant to promote human rights. Students complete a graphic...

Young scholars discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history activity, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Young scholars view a video on...

Eighth graders read a collection of stories about the Civil War. Based upon their readings, they perform various activities to reinforce facts about the Civil War. Students create time lines, maps and reports about the war. They...

Students work in groups to draw a map of their town or neighborhood. They include their homes, major public buildings and places. Students analyze their maps from a human rights perspective.

What rights do citizens in a democracy have? Learners compare the rights of citizens in the United States and Croatia, and examine the personal and civil responsibilities that go along with those rights through a great series...