The Road to Civil Rights (2024)

<< BACK TO Pushing Towards Civil Rights

SEARCH FOR STATE STANDARDS >>

Lesson Plan

  • History Connection
  • Printable Game
  • Vocabulary

Discover the people, groups, and events behind the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about means of non-violent protest, opposition to the movement, and identify how it took all three branches of the federal government to effect change. Protest posters, fictional diary entries, and a map of the movement's major events develop a greater understanding of the struggle for civil rights.

Downloadable Resources

Resources for this lesson are available in print and digital form. A free teacher account is required to access them.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will be able to...

Resources

  • Road to Civil Rights_Teacher Guide.pdf
  • Road to Civil Rights_Student Docs.pdf

This Lesson Plan is included in the following units:

Pushing Towards Civil Rights

Related Resources

  • Lesson Plan

    A Movement in the Right Direction (Infographic)

    How did women win the right to vote? Explore how the women's suffrage movement spread across the United States beginning in the late 1800s. Use this infographic to show students how two different approaches to the movement worked to grant women the right to vote.

  • Video

    Breaking Barriers: Constance Baker Motley

    In this video, students learn about the accomplishments of Judge Constance Baker Motley. As the first African American woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, be elected to the New York state senate, and be appointed a federal judge, Motley broke racial and gender barriers throughout her career while fighting for the civil rights of all Americans.This video was made in conjunction with Makematic.

  • Lesson Plan

    Civil Rights Act of 1964

    Meet the superhero legislation of civil rights. Students are introduced to eleven categories of civil rights protections with a focus on Title VII, which bans discrimination in the workplace. Students gain an understanding of how the Civil Rights Act affects people’s lives and apply civil rights protections to real-life scenarios.How to use this lesson: Use this lesson by itself or pair it with more iCivics resources, like the Supreme Court case EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch (2015)or lessons from our Civil Rights unit. For more suggestions, see the downloadable teacher resources below.

  • Lesson Plan

    Civil War & Reconstruction

    The Civil War and Reconstruction Era brought about the end of slavery and the expansion of civil rights to African Americans through the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. Compare the Northern and Southern states, discover the concepts of due process and equal protection, and understand how the former Confederate states reacted to the Reconstruction Amendments.

  • Lesson Plan

    Getting Involved

    Students learn the basic steps of civic engagement and what it takes to make change. Along the way, they explore the change-making examples of four key movements: women's rights, disability rights, Native American rights, and migrant farm worker rights. This lesson was formerly Civic Action and Change.

  • DBQuest

    Historical Monuments & Meaning

    Civil War-era monuments are in the news. Some people want to remove statues because they represent ideas many find disturbing. Others want to keep the statues because they show our nation’s history, even if it is difficult. This DBQuest looks at one such statue, the Freedmen’s Memorial in Washington, DC. These primary sources will explore the complicated nature of memorial statues by looking at who funded and designed the Freedmen's Memorial, as well as a critique of the monument by a leading voice of the time, Frederick Douglass.

  • Lesson Plan

    Jim Crow

    Use primary documents and images to discover the ways state and local governments restricted the newly gained freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. Compare, contrast, and analyze post-war legislation, court decisions (including Plessy v. Ferguson), and a political cartoon by Thomas Nast to understand life in Jim Crow states.

  • Lesson Plan

    Jim Crow: Legislating Inequality

    Equality under the law is an ideal, not a reality. In this lesson, students explore state segregation laws and their political, economic, and social impact on African Americans in the Jim Crow era. Students also explore how Black communities resisted these laws and assess the lasting impact on people’s lives and opportunities.

  • DBQuest

    Little Rock: Executive Order 10730

    When President Eisenhower authorized troops under federal authority to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he became the first president since Reconstruction to use federal forces to help enforce equal rights for African Americans. Using the example of Executive Order 10730, students will explore how executive orders can be used to enforce the law and examine how Eisenhower justified his actions.

  • Lesson Plan

    Protection and Resistance: Slavery in the U.S.

    Slavery was legal for over 12 generations. What impact has it had on the United States? In this lesson, students learn about the development and legal protection of the system of slavery as well as the fight to end it. Through the analysis of historical events and documents, students also discover the social impact of slavery on the United States.

See how it all fits together!

View Scope and Sequence

The Road to Civil Rights (2024)

FAQs

What does Dr. King mean when he says he has a dream that the nation will love out the true meaning of its creed? ›

When King states he has a dream that the nation "will live out the true meaning of its creed," he means that he hopes America will fully embody and practice the principles of equality and justice for all, as stated in its founding documents, particularly the Declaration of Independence.

What was the civil rights movement answer? ›

In the middle of the 20th century, a nationwide movement for equal rights for African Americans and for an end to racial segregation and exclusion arose across the United States.

What is the rise road to civil rights? ›

“Rise!” examines the long road to civil rights, when the deep contradictions in American society finally became unsustainable. African Americans who fought fascism in World War II came home to face the same old racial violence.

What are the 10 civil rights? ›

Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, the right to gainful employment, the right to housing, the right to use public facilities, freedom of religion.

What is the overall message of Dr. King's speech? ›

Unfortunately, most people largely ignore the main theme of Dr. King's speech, which called on America to uphold the “promissory note” etched into the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal.

What is the meaning of the speech of Martin Luther King Jr.? ›

I Have a Dream, speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., that was delivered on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington. A call for equality and freedom, it became one of the defining moments of the civil rights movement and one of the most iconic speeches in American history.

Which practices were banned as a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1968? ›

The 1968 Act expanded on previous acts and prohibited discrimination concerning the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, religion, national origin, sex, (and as amended) handicap and family status.

What is the difference between civil liberties and civil rights? ›

Civil liberties protect people from undue government interference or action. Civil rights, on the other hand, protect people from discrimination. It is DoD policy to prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, mental or physical disability, or age.

What were the big five civil rights groups? ›

The organization quickly moved to the forefront of the civil rights movement alongside several other major civil rights groups collectively known as the "Big Five:" the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League (NUL), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( ...

What was the biggest turning point in the civil rights movement? ›

The turning point in the American CR movement can be said to be a number of events: 1955 - the lynching of Emmett Till because he had an open casket funeral which exposed the brutality, well-documented by the media, his killers confessed to the crime (couldn't be tried (double jeopardy) 1955-6 - Montgomery Bus Boycott ...

What is the road trip through the civil rights movement? ›

The fight for American civil rights spanned decades, cities and states – from Topeka, Kansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Selma, Alabama and all the way to Washington, D.C. Chart the course of the Movement through the Civil Rights Trail and see firsthand the struggle for equity and the power of ...

How has the civil rights movement impacted life today? ›

Influence on Culture. The Civil Rights Movement has had a heavy and direct influence on American culture since the 1960s. As more African Americans gained political and economic parity with whites, they also gained more visibility as African American culture began to permeate the whole of American culture.

What is a violation of civil rights? ›

A: Violating a person's rights is the willful attempt to interfere with a person's basic human rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property. Every person is protected by their rights, and any attempt to discriminate based on race, gender, religion, or other personal identification is against the law.

What are the 5 most important civil rights? ›

Our country's Constitution and federal laws contain critical protections that form the foundation of our inclusive society – the right to be free from discrimination, the freedom to worship as we choose, the right to vote for our elected representatives, the protections of due process, the right to privacy.

What are the big four civil rights? ›

1942 – Founded the Congress of Racial Equality, also known as CORE. 1960s – Established as one of the “Big Four” of the Civil Rights Movement along with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Whitney Young, and Roy Wilkins.

What does Dr. King mean when he says he has a dream? ›

Martin Luther King Jr.'s “Dream” speech was a call for equality. It identified the faults of America and what measures were needed to make it a better place. A central theme throughout the speech was the importance of everyone being treated equally.

What did the king's dream mean? ›

Daniel said the king's dream was about a giant statue that was destroyed by a stone cut out of a mountain. The statue represented the kingdoms of the earth. The stone cut out of the mountain represented the kingdom of God that would fill the earth.

What is King telling us in his I Have a Dream Speech? ›

So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

What does Dr. King urge African Americans to do in I have a dream? ›

What does Dr. King urge African Americans to do in his speech? He wants people to urge for equality in civil and peaceful protest.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Terrell Hackett

Last Updated:

Views: 5906

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Terrell Hackett

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Suite 453 459 Gibson Squares, East Adriane, AK 71925-5692

Phone: +21811810803470

Job: Chief Representative

Hobby: Board games, Rock climbing, Ghost hunting, Origami, Kabaddi, Mushroom hunting, Gaming

Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.