Good Trouble: US Civil Rights

Essential Question :  What impacts did the Civil Rights Movement’s fight for racial justice and equality have on U.S. Society and the Black Community? Guiding Ideas and Questions

• What was the context in which the U.S. Civil Rights Movement occurred?
• What were some of the different types of non-violent protests used during the Civil Rights Movement?
• Who were some of the key figures of the Civil Rights Movement?
• What were some civil rights organizations and what role did they play in the movement?
• What were some of the major events/locations of the Civil Rights Movement?
  • Who were the Freedom Riders/Greensboro Four and what impact did they have on the Civil Rights Movement?
  • Why were sit-ins popular during the Civil Rights Movement?
  • What were Jim Crow Laws and what impact did they have on the black community and society in the south?
  • How did segregation impact society during the 1950s-1960s (e.g., education, business, etc.)?
  • What were some of the rights the Civil Rights Protestors were fighting for?
  • How did activists of the Civil Rights Movement influence the government and impact change?
  • What important legislation was passed as a result of the activists’ protests and good trouble?

Teacher Preparation for Lesson:

• Select the video from the Teacher Resources section below that is appropriate for the grade level that you teach.
• Pre-teach - racial injustice, sit-ins, boycotts, segregation, discrimination, integration, Jim Crow
• Research other resources and videos that include the role of children in the Civil Rights Movement.
• Select images to print or share digitally for the photo analysis activity.
• Print/digitally share the photo analysis document.
• Create a class Wakelet for students to add their Sway.

Teacher Resources (see the full lesson plan for complete list)

• Civil Rights Timeline
• BrainPOP Civil Rights Movement
• Claudette Colvin The Girl that Came Before Rosa Parks Montgomery
• Bet You Didn’t Know: Rosa Parks/History Channel Montgomery
• Bet You Didn’t Know: March on Washington/History Channel
• John Lewis’ This is It Moment at the March on Washington 
• Congressman John Lewis’ Firsthand Account of Bloody Sunday (Selma)
• John Lewis Reflects on Selma 
• March from Selma to Montgomery
• Reflections on the Greensboro Lunch Counter 
• Who were the Freedom Riders: The Civil Rights Movement 

Virtual Field Trips/Interactive Trails

• United States Civil Rights Trail
• Civil Rights Trail Interactive Map
• Discover the U.S. Civil Rights Trail 

Lesson Details: Suggested lesson times are included. This lesson is designed to take place over the course of one or two class periods. Portions of the lesson could be assigned to be completed at home (i.e., watch videos, complete research, student reflection, extension activities).

Whole-Class Activity

1.  Photo Analysis:  The teacher will begin the lesson by posting four of the following pictures (grade level appropriate) for a Gallery Walk (see the full lesson for more images):

• John Lewis Edmund Pettus Bridge
• John Lewis Bloody Sunday 
• Lunch Counter Sit-in
• Greensboro Four
• Protest in front of Woolworth
• Students Attached by Police Dogs- Birmingham
• Fire Hoses used against Protesters 

Working in groups, students will analyze these images:

• Make observations and use evidence from the images to support inferences
• Use one of the Photo Analysis documents (located in external resources) to complete this assignment.
• The teacher will then show one of the following videos:
  • Congressman John Lewis’ Firsthand Account of Bloody Sunday
  • John Lewis Reflects on Selma 

2.  Minecraft Good Trouble: Civil Rights Movement (60 minutes)

• Have students enter the Minecraft Education Edition Good Trouble World, and in the lobby, click on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to teleport to the Civil Rights Movement. Here they will join Congressman John Lewis, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, and many activists of the Civil Rights Movement as they march, ride, sit, and stand together against racial injustice while acting as catalysts for Good Trouble.
• Students will meet Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in front of the Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, NC where they will also meet the Greensboro Four and learn about the Good Trouble they caused as they staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter.
• Students reflect on what they learned about the Greensboro Four and think about a time they (or a friend) were excluded because of their identity. How did you feel? Write your reflection using the Minecraft Book and Quill.
• Students will continue to explore the Civil Rights Movement World as an investigative reporter.
  • Document what you see by taking pictures of the various scenes using the Minecraft camera. Be sure to include a couple of selfies as well. (4-5 pictures)
  •  Describe in detail the scenes by answering the following questions:
    • What do you see?
    • Describe the people.
    • What are they doing?
    • Is the scene inside/outside?
  • Be sure to include Young John Lewis at the Edmund Pettus Bridge (Selma, AL), Rosa Parks, and the Greensboro Four.
• Research some of the scenes to have an accurate account of the event for your investigative report (videos, images, text)
• Use the Minecraft book and quill to document your investigation and export your Minecraft book and quill to share your research.

3.  Reflection  Now that you have learned about the US Civil Rights Movement and had a chance to meet young John Lewis and many of the other activists of this movement and learned how they got into Good Trouble, reflect on what you learned and explain why Good Trouble is sometimes necessary.  Also include an example of how you have gotten into Good Trouble by standing up for someone else. Extension Activities See the full lesson plan for the virtual field trip and other extension activities.

At the end of this lesson:

• Students will understand how the fight to end racial injustices and the implementation of Jim Crow laws led to the Civil Rights Movement
• Students will understand the different forms of protests that were used during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Students will understand the terminology associated with racial injustice and discrimination as it pertains to the Civil Rights Movement.
• Students will understand how a variety of people displayed empathy and understanding and protested alongside African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement

This is a timeline from Tolerance of the major events in the US Civil Rights Movement

This is a Photo Analysis document for younger students provided by the US National Archives.

This is a Photo Analysis document for intermediate students provided by the US National Archives.

This is a Photo Analysis document from ReadWriteThink that prompts students to add a caption to an image.

This video provides information on Claudette Colvin a young girl who refused to give up her seat on a bus before Rosa Parks.

This video provides information on John Lewis' role at the March on Washington

Congressman John Lewis shares a firsthand account of Bloody Sunday

Good Trouble Minecraft world used to support the lesson activities. Link will open in Minecraft: Education Edition.