Black History Month
2010
The Power of Nonviolence
Overview
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The School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program presents educators with lesson plans that explore the use of nonviolence in history, paying particular attention to the civil rights movement and African American history. Introduce your students to the determination of children who participated in a tense protest in 1963 against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama (Lesson 1: The Power of Nonviolence: The Children’s March). Have students analyze the meaning of nonviolence and study how it was used to bring about change during the civil rights era (Lesson 2: The Power of Nonviolence: What Is Nonviolence? What Does It Cost?). Guide your students as they examine the historical continuum of philosophical and tactical nonviolence while learning to develop their own nonviolent strategies (Lesson 3: The Power of Nonviolence: Change through Strategic Nonviolent Action). |
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Lesson 1 - This lesson introduces students to the
Children’s March, also commonly referred to as the Children’s
Crusade, which took place in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963. Students will
understand why children were involved in the march, how children were prepared
for the march, and what made it a success. The lesson asks students to imagine
themselves as someone involved in the march and consider their competing
responsibilities, values, and interests.
Download Lesson 1 (PDF) Download Lesson 1 Materials (ZIP) |
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Lesson 2 - This lesson uses primary sources and stories
of participants in the civil rights movement to introduce students to the concept
of nonviolence. Students will analyze the characteristics, costs, and benefits
of nonviolence, realizing that it is an active, intentional, and effective way
to achieve goals.
Download Lesson 2 (PDF) Download Lesson 2 Materials (ZIP) |
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Lesson 3 - Nonviolence is introduced to students as a
concept with a deep history that reverberates in the present. The power of
nonviolence as a catalyst for change is a function of both its philosophical
foundations and the strategic application of specific nonviolent tactics.
Students will analyze major figures in the history of nonviolence through the
intellectual framework of what constitutes philosophical nonviolence as opposed
to tactical nonviolence.
Download Lesson 3 (PDF) Download Lesson 3 Materials (ZIP) |
Additional Resources
Janice Kelsey's Story In this interview, civil rights movement foot soldier, Janice Kelsey, describes her experience in The Children’s March of 1963.
Dr. King on the Selma March—A very brief, but powerful clip in which King prepares foot soldiers for the March on Selma. He tells them, “If you can’t accept blows without retaliating, don’t get in the line.”
An American Hero: The Story of Congressman John Lewis—A fifteen-minute video that tells the story of civil rights hero Congressman John Lewis. It highlights the use of nonviolence in sit-ins and at specific events, such as the Birmingham Church bombing and the March on Selma.
The History Channel: Woolworth Lunch Counter—An engaging six-minute segment on the Woolworth sit-ins in Greensboro, Tennessee.
Charles Moore: I Fight With My Camera-—A long, but worthwhile piece in which photojournalist Charles Moore tells the story of the civil rights movement as he witnessed it through the lens of his camera.
Bridge to Freedom—A local news team retraces the steps of those who marched for voting rights across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965.
Podcasts
 60-Second Civics Celebrate Black History Month with 60-Second Civics, the Center for Civic Education's daily podcast series. Here is what you can expect:
Click here to download each week's episodes. Or, subscribe to the podcast and have each day's episode downloaded to your computer. Subscribe to the 60-Seconds Civics Podcast: RSS:
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 Talking Civics Join Talking Civics during Black History Month as we get to know a few people who have spent some time working for change and justice through nonviolence. We talk to former United States attorney Doug Jones about his role prosecuting two ex-Ku Klux Klansmen for the murder of four young girls in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Janice Kelsey recounts her decision as a teenager to become a foot soldier for the civil rights movement by taking a stand against segregation and joining the Children's March in Birmingham, Alabama. Click here to download episodes. Subscribe to the Talking Civics Podcast: RSS:
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Download Lesson1 (PDF)
Download Lesson 1 Materials (ZIP) |
Sculpture of Children in Jail Commemorating 1963 Children's March
Teacher’s Guide
Lesson Overview
This lesson introduces students to the Children’s March, also commonly referred to as the Children’s Crusade, which took place in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963. Students will understand why children were involved in the march, how children were prepared for the march, and what made it a success. The lesson asks students to imagine themselves as someone involved in the march and consider their competing responsibilities, values, and interests.
A lesson adapted from Foundations of Democracy has been provided for teachers who do not currently use School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program (SVPDP) curricula. The lesson, titled “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?” was adapted from the Responsibility portion of the text, Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 2, and Unit 3, Lesson 6.
The lesson defines responsibilities, values, and interests and examines situations in which people must make a decision among competing responsibilities, values, and interests. It can be used by itself in any classroom and does not require prior knowledge of SVPDP materials. The lesson should be reviewed by the teacher prior to class. It can be taught prior to the lesson on the Children’s March, or information from the lesson and can be used as appropriate.
Correlations to SVPDP curricula are found at the end of this lesson plan.
Suggested Grade Level
Middle school (grades 6–8)
Estimated Time to Complete
Approximately 50 minutes
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will be able to
- describe the Children’s March, its purpose, methods, and outcome;
- identify the responsibilities, values, and interests of those involved in the march;
- evaluate the decision to involve children in the march.
Materials Needed
- Student lesson: “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”
- Teacher’s guide: “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”
- Teacher resource: The Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign
- “Ballad of Birmingham,” by Dudley Randall, 1965
- The Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign (Handout 1)
- Video: Janice Kelsey’s Story - [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2]
- Note-Taking Guide: Janice Kelsey’s Story (Handout 2)
- Responsibilities, Values, and Interests Chart (Handout 3)
Before the Lesson
Review or teach “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”
Lesson Procedure
1. Beginning the lesson. Read Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham.” Use the poem to pique students’ interest in the events behind the poem. Ask students whether the poem leaves them wondering about anything described or alluded to in the poem. Ask them if they can connect the poem to anything they have heard or learned about in the past.
2. Reading about it. As a class, read the Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign (Handout 1). Ask students to make connections between Handout 1 and the poem, “Ballad of Birmingham.”
3. Video viewing. Introduce the video, Janice Kelsey’s Story, by telling students that Kelsey was a foot soldier in the Children’s Crusade. Have students watch and listen actively using the Note-Taking Guide: Janice Kelsey’s Story (Handout 2).
- Discuss students’ reactions to Kelsey’s story.
- Discuss the outcome of the Children’s Crusade and what made this strategy successful in Birmingham.
4. Group work. Have students work in small groups to identify the responsibilities, values, and interests of the people listed below. Use the Responsibilities, Values, and Interests Chart (Handout 3). Each group can select one of the bullet points below and present its findings to the class. As an alternative, each member of a group can pretend to be of one of the people listed below and act out their response with other members of their small group.
- A parent whose son or daughter wants to participate in the march
- A student who wants to participate in the march
- Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel, who organized the march
- A teacher whose students walked out of class to march
- A Birmingham store owner
Discuss students’ findings and the decision to involve children in the civil rights movement.
5. Concluding the lesson. Discuss with the class the ways in which children today make a difference in their communities.
Correlations to the SVPDP Curricula
Foundations of Democracy, middle school level
Authority: Unit 1, Lesson 3
Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7
Privacy: Unit 4, Lesson 9
Responsibility : Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lesson 11
Justice: Unit 1, Lesson 1
Unit 2, Lesson 2
Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lessons 11 and 12
Foundations of Democracy, high school level
Authority: Unit 1, Lesson 2
Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Privacy: Unit 4, Lesson 9
Responsibility: Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lesson 11
Justice: Unit 1, Lesson 1
Unit 2, Lesson 3
Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lessons 10 and 11
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, Level 2 (middle school)
Unit 1, concepts from Lesson 3
Unit 5, Lessons 23, 25, 26
Unit 6, Lessons 29 and 30
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, Level 3 (high school)
Unit 1, Lesson 2
Unit 5, Lesson 27
Unit 6, Lessons 33, 34, and 35
Project Citizen, Level 1 (middle school)
What Is Public Policy and Who Makes It?
Project Citizen, Level 2 (high school)
Chapter 1: Introduction to Project Citizen
Chapter 2: An Introduction to Public Policy
Chapter 4: Why Is Citizen Participation Important to Democracy?
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This lesson was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do of this lesson do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
© 2010, Center for Civic Education. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely reproduce and use this lesson for nonprofit, classroom use only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies. |
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Download Lesson2 (PDF)
Download Lesson 2 Materials (ZIP) |
Sculpture of Rosa Parks Sitting on Bus Seat Labeled "WHITE"
Lesson Overview
This lesson uses primary sources and stories of participants in the civil rights movement to introduce students to the concept of nonviolence. Students will analyze the characteristics, costs, and benefits of nonviolence, realizing that it is an active, intentional, and effective way to achieve goals.
Correlations to School Violence Prevention Demonstration Program (SVPDP) curricula are found at the end of this lesson plan.
Suggested Grade Level
Middle and high school (grades 7–12)
Estimated Time to Complete
Approximately 60 minutes
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson, the students will be able to
- describe the characteristics of nonviolence;
- discuss the costs and benefits of using nonviolence.
Materials Needed
- Student Say-So (Handout 1)—two copies per student
- KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2)
- Poster paper and markers for the KWL chart and for recording students’ ideas during discussion
- Characteristics, Costs, and Benefits Chart (Handout 3)
- Printer-friendly versions of the following:
- “Heed Their Rising Voices,” New York Times, March 29, 1960
- “Rosa Parks,” by Rita Dove, The Time 100, June 14, 1999
- An excerpt from Walking with the Wind, by John Lewis
- “‘School’ Prepares Negroes for Mass Return to Buses,” December 15, 1956
- “Notes from a Nonviolent Training Session,” by Bruce Hartford, 1963
Lesson Procedure
1. Beginning the lesson. Begin the lesson by asking students to respond individually to the statements contained in the Student Say-So (Handout 1). Students respond to the statements with - Agree (A), Disagree (D), or Unsure (U). They should complete the same handout after the lesson and discuss if/how their ideas have changed.
2. KWL chart on nonviolence. Complete the KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2) with students to activate prior knowledge and engage students in the lesson. Use the K column to record what students already know, or think they know, about nonviolence. Use the W column to record what they want to know. At the end of the lesson, complete the L column with facts the students have learned. This will also be the point in the lesson at which you invite students to make any necessary corrections to the K column as a result of their new learning.
3. Reading about it. Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one of the sources listed below. Ask the students to become “experts” on the source by reading and taking notes. Tell the students that at the end of the allotted time, they will present a summary of their source to the class. This summary should include specific examples from their source that demonstrate the characteristics, costs, and benefits of nonviolence. Review these terms with your class, if necessary. The Characteristics, Costs, and Benefits Chart (Handout 3) can be used to help students take notes.
- Heed Their Rising Voices,” New York Times, March 29, 1960: http://www.archives.gov/
exhibits/documented-rights/ exhibit/section4/detail/heed- rising-voices.html - “Rosa Parks,” by Rita Dove, The Time 100, June 14, 1999: http://www.yachtingnet.com/
time/time100/heroes/profile/ parks01.html - An except from Walking with the Wind, by John Lewis: http://www.tolerance.org/
activity/commitment- nonviolence-leadership-john-l - “‘School’ Prepares Negroes for Mass Return to Buses,” December 15, 1956: http://www.montgomeryboycott.
com/article_561215_schools.htm - “Notes from a Nonviolent Training Session,” by Bruce Hartford, 1963: http://www.crmvet.org/info/
nv1.htm
4. Whole-class discussion. Use the quotation below to stimulate the class discussion:
“Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue [so] that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.
—Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
Questions to guide discussion:
- According to this quotation, what is the goal of nonviolence?
- Why is nonviolence effective in achieving this goal?
- What have you learned today that demonstrates King’s point? Give specific examples from your reading.
5. Concluding the lesson.
- Complete and correct the KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2).
- Give students a fresh copy of the Student Say-So (Handout 1). Discuss to see if their attitudes toward nonviolence have changed.
Supplemental Activity: Write a Letter
Remind students that Malcolm X, at one time, did not believe that nonviolence was the best way to gain rights for African Americans. In 1964, he wrote, “Concerning nonviolence: it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” Write a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. to Malcolm X persuading him that nonviolence is the best way to seek justice for African Americans. Include the characteristics of nonviolence, why it is effective, and other reasons why it should be used. Address concerns that Malcolm X might have had about using this method.
Correlations to the SVPDP Curricula
Foundations of Democracy, middle school level
Authority: Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3
Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 3, Lesson 8
Privacy: Unit 1, Lessons 1, 2, and 3
Unit 4, Lessons 9, 10, 11, and 12
Responsibility: Unit 1, Lesson 2
Justice: Unit 1, Lesson 1
Unit 2, Lesson 2
Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lessons 11 and 12
Foundations of Democracy, high school level
Authority: Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 2
Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 3, Lesson 8
Privacy: Unit 1, Lessons 1, 2, and 3
Unit 4, Lessons 9 and 10
Responsibility: Unit 1, Lesson 3
Unit 3, Lessons 5 and 6
Justice: Unit 1, Lesson 1
Unit 2, Lesson 3
Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7
Unit 4, Lessons 10 and 11
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, Level 2 (middle school)
Unit 1, concepts from Lesson 3
Unit 5, Lessons 23, 25, and 26
Unit 6, Lessons 29 and 30
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, Level 3 (high school)
Unit 1, Lesson 2
Unit 5, Lesson 27
Unit 6, Lessons 33, 34, and 35
Project Citizen, Level 1 (middle school)
What Is Public Policy and Who Makes It?
Project Citizen, Level 2 (high school)
Chapter 1: Introduction to Project Citizen
Chapter 2: An Introduction to Public Policy
Chapter 4: Why Is Citizen Participation Important to Democracy?
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This lesson was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do of this lesson do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
© 2010, Center for Civic Education. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely reproduce and use this lesson for nonprofit, classroom use only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies. |
|
Download Lesson3 (PDF)
Download Lesson 3 Materials (ZIP) |
Nonviolent marchers demand "VOTES FOR WOMEN" on Fifth Avenue in New York City, 1912
Teacher’s Guide
Lesson Overview
Nonviolence is introduced to students as a concept with a deep history that reverberates in the present. The power of nonviolence as a catalyst for change is a function of both its philosophical foundations and the strategic application of specific nonviolent tactics. Students will analyze major figures in the history of nonviolence through the intellectual framework of what constitutes philosophical nonviolence as opposed to tactical nonviolence. The lesson guides students as they apply the analysis to a series of hypothetical situations that have been based on actual events. At the conclusion of the lesson, students should understand that nonviolence is both a philosophy and a strategy that has been and continues to be adopted by individuals and organizations to push for reforms.
Suggested Grade Level
Middle school and high schools (grades 7–12)
Estimated Time to Complete
Approximately 60 minutes
Lesson Objectives
After completing this lesson the students will be able to
- identify some of the major historical proponents of nonviolence;
- distinguish between the adherence to nonviolent philosophies (“philosophical nonviolence”) and the strategic application of nonviolent tactics (“tactical nonviolence”);
- describe various nonviolent tactics and the challenges that they present in their implementation;
- develop, present, and defend strategies aimed at bringing about change through nonviolence.
Materials Needed
1. Teacher Concept Paper: Nonviolent Resistance to Oppression
2. Five background information sheets on proponents of nonviolence
- Henry David Thoreau (Handout 1)
- Susan B. Anthony (Handout 2)
- Mohandas K. Gandhi (Handout 3)
- Martin Luther King Jr. (Handout 4)
- Cesar Chavez (Handout 5)
3. Copy for each student of Hypotheticals: Change through Strategic Nonviolent Action (Handout 6)
4. Articles on facts underlying hypothetical situations:
- Hypothetical 1: Based on Bob Jones University
- Hypothetical 2: Based on Shoal Creek Country Club
- Hypothetical 3: Based on John Pickle Co. in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Hypothetical 4: Based on an article in USA TODAY
Lesson Procedure
1. Beginning the lesson. Ask students to share their understanding of nonviolence as a historical concept and as it practically applies to their everyday lives. Write the terms philosophy, tactics, and strategy on the board and have students free associate these with the concept of nonviolence. Write down the results of the free association on the board and leave it there for the duration of the lesson. Introduce the lesson topic and review the purpose of the lesson with students.
2. Studying historical proponents of nonviolence. Divide the class into pairs and distribute to each pair one background sheet on one of the following major proponents of nonviolence: Henry David Thoreau (Handout 1), Susan B. Anthony (Handout 2), Mohandas K. Gandhi (Handout 3), Martin Luther King Jr. (Handout 4), and Cesar Chavez (Handout 5). Each pair of students will focus on only one proponent. You might pause here to define proponent.
Ask each set of paired students to draw a table composed of three columns on a blank sheet of paper, with the columns labeled: (1) Who am I? (2) What did I believe? (3) How did I act on my beliefs? After reading the background information, the students should write notes in each column that respond to the question being posed about their assigned proponent.
After students have completed the columns, call on each pair to report highlights of their notes to the class. Use these to create a master table on the board for each of the proponents.
Please note that more than one pair of students can be assigned the same proponent. Teacher may then call on pairs who worked on the same proponent at the same time.
3. Defining philosophy v. tactics. Return to the free association between philosophy, tactics, strategy, and nonviolence. Ask the entire class to categorize the quotes and actions in the background sheets as reflecting either philosophical or tactical nonviolence. Guide the class as it comes up with working definitions of philosophical nonviolence and tactical nonviolence. What is the difference between the two? Are the two indivisible? Why does it matter whether something gets labeled as philosophical or tactical? Does a nonviolence strategy require both? Please note that useful background information for teachers may be found in the Teacher Concept Paper: Nonviolent Resistance to Oppression.
4. Tackling change hypotheticals. Distribute the hypothetical situation sheet to students, and then divide the class into four groups, assigning one of the four hypothetical situations to each group. Explain that each hypothetical situation sheet describes a situation that the students, as a group, will seek to reform. Ask students to work in their groups to develop a nonviolent strategy that reflects their own nonviolence philosophy (if any) and includes specific nonviolent tactics to bring about the desired reforms. The strategy and a clear statement of its objectives should be prepared for presentation to the class. Visual aids may be used to complement the presentation.
Ask each group to present its hypothetical situation and its proposed strategy of nonviolent action aimed at reform. The other groups should offer constructive critiques of the student group proposals following the presentation. Time permitting, presenting groups may respond to the critiques of their proposals.
5. Concluding the lesson. To conclude the lesson, distribute articles describing the factual situations that served as the basis for the hypotheticals. Lead students in a discussion comparing the hypothetical situations to the actual facts and examine the types of nonviolent tactics actually used and their effectiveness.
6. Assessment. Assign students to search for articles about a current situation that they would like to change. Ask the students to write one-page memos addressed to their fellow students summarizing the situation and then presenting a nonviolent campaign aimed at reforming the situation. In their memo, students may also predict the reaction to their proposed campaign and how best to anticipate and address that response.
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This lesson was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do of this lesson do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
© 2010, Center for Civic Education. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely reproduce and use this lesson for nonprofit, classroom use only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies. |
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