Kentucky Center for African American Heritage

 

 

  
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5.11
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Elementary School – Grade 5
    

 

 

 

 

 

Photo of a mother and child with sign saying FREEDOM (ME TOO)
Freedom Marcher

Core Content Guide

1.1.2
The purpose of a government's rules and laws (e.g., U.S. Constitution, school rules) is to establish and maintain order.

1.3.3
In order for a democratic form of government to function, citizens must play an active and responsible role (e.g., participating in election process, obeying the law).

2.2.1
All cultures develop institutions, customs, beliefs, and holidays reflecting their unique histories, situations, and perspectives.

2.4.1
Conflict and competition (e.g., political, economic, religious, ethnic) may occur as cultures emerge and develop.

5.1.2
History can be understood by using a variety of primary and secondary sources and tools (e.g., artifacts, diaries, time lines).

5.1.3
Historical events have multiple causes.

5.2.3
The way we live has changed over time for both Kentuckians and Americans because of changes in many areas (e.g., communication, innovations / inventions, homes, transportation, recreation, traditions, education).

5.2.4
The study of U.S. history is categorized into broad historical periods and eras (Land and People before Columbus, Age of Exploration, Colonization, and War for Independence, the Young Republic, Westward Expansion, Industrialism, and the Twentieth Century).

 

    

 

5.11 Civil Rights - Time Line

Pre-Visit
Corresponding with a review of Equal Rights/Martin Luther King, Jr. /13th through 15th Amendments, students should create a definition for civil rights. What rights do we have/expect as Americans today? Where are these rights defined?

Track 1:
Students read statements written on the chalkboard from actual protest signs. (Use history books or books on civil rights.) What do you think they mean? These were all signs carried by Kentuckians trying to claim rights as citizens. When do you think these signs would have been needed? Select one of these demands and consider how you would feel if this right were denied you. Write a creative piece (poem, short story, and letter) to express your feelings.

In the Museum
Students tour the "River of Resistance" Gallery. Students encounter re-creations of some of the protest signs (introduced in class) and photos/film footage from various events. What does this gallery's name mean? In the gallery, students identify and define various forms of protest (sit-ins, stand-ins, pickets, marches, boycotts, court cases). Students discuss the impact these activities would have had on the community. Who was involved in these protests?

Post-Visit
Students locate various public forums in the newspaper and read the newspapers to identify current community issues, from opinions expressed in letters to the editor to reports of efforts by citizens to support a cause. Students discuss the methods and effectiveness of the actions and investigate ways that citizens can express concerns in public (non-published) forums.

Students write their own letters to the editor or editorials expressing concerns they have regarding a human rights or justice issue. Students create a sign or a button to alert others to their concerns. Students may write an open response to "describe one more 'river' we have yet to cross and one way we may be able to help ourselves or others cross it."

Extension
Students read brief accounts of some of the key events of the Civil Rights era in the United States (from parallel time line or other sources). On a U.S. map, students locate and mark where these events took place; identify the region(s) where most of these events occurred; compare this map to the map of the country at the time of the Civil War; speculate as to how past events and issues can continue to have implications in a region years later.

Resources
Some Civil Rights time lines on the Web: www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
www.useekufind.com/peace/timeline.htm