Introduction:
The Civil Rights movement is an important part of the study of United States History. With the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web a whole new avenue of learning has become available to students. The Civil Rights movement is a particularly rich area for resources on the Internet. This Internet Based Lesson was designed to take advantage of Internet resources and allow students to explore the Civil Rights movement independently.
The name of Martin Luther King Jr. is synonymous with the Civil Rights movement. However, the movement involved many events, people, and locations and the fight for Civil Rights took place over more than 100 years. The sacrifices of many people in the movement may be largely unnoticed and to a certain extent the movement continues today. The goal of the Internet Based Lesson is to assist students in gaining a better understanding of the breadth and depth of the Civil Rights movement as we collectively and independently read The Watson’s Go to Birmingham-1963.
Before you read
A local scientist has built a time machine to help researchers find the answers to questions that you may have regarding the Civil Rights Movement. Your team has been chosen as a tester. In order to test the machine properly, you must travel back in time to the 1950’s and 1960’s to complete two tasks. They are as follows:
1. Using a camera, you are to capture photographs of people and events important to the Civil Rights Movement. Using your photographs, you are to create a mural with captions displaying them. Research will be conducted using Internet sites. You will research people, places, and events that were significant to the Civil Rights Movement. You should have at 10 least 5 photos to represent what you’ve learned about the Civil Rights Movement. Your captions should display the most prominent information and should not be longer than 2 sentences. You may create your mural using Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop. Examples of people and events can be chosen from the following list: 14th amendment, Plessy vs. Ferguson, W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, Brown vs. Board of Education, Tuskegee Airmen, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Black Panthers, Little Rock Central High School, Freedom Rides, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Civil Rights Act of 1965.
2. You will create a map pinpointing at least 5 places that were significant to the Civil Rights Movement. Points of interest can include, but aren’t limited to: Anniston, Al Freedom Riders, Birmingham, Al Letter from a Birmingham Jail or Bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, Montgomery, Al Bus Boycott, Little Rock, AK Central High School, Atlanta, GA Martin Luther King Jr. Birthplace, Washington D.C. Lincoln Memorial site of "I Have A Dream" speech, etc. Include a statement that connects each place to The Civil Rights Movement.
While You Read
The Watson’s go to Birmingham-1963 is a historical fiction book by Christopher Paul Curtis. It is about an African American family living in the town of Flint, Michigan who goes to their grandmother's home in Birmingham, Alabama in the year of 1963. Unfortunately, this is no ordinary family vacation. As you read, you will uncover the treacherous traditions of the prejudicial South; some of the very same events that the Civil Rights movement fought for and against.
We have learned that chapter titles give us a certain level of insight on what a chapter is about. Titles give us a connection to the main idea and allow us to generate predictions. Each chapter of the Watson’s go to Birmingham-1963 has a unique and clever title. Click on the link to my School Rack page. Click Student’s Login. Log into and sign up for the student group Watson’s go to Birmingham using the codeQKHBR1S3. Once you are there click on the assignment that says Chapter Titles. Here, you are to create title pages that match up with the content of the chapter and the feeling of the title. You have to select at least 4 titles found in the beginning, middle and end of the book. Make sure you inform me of why you chose each title and how it relates to the chapter’s content.
After You Read
Life in 1963 was quite different for African Americans than it is today, especially in the South. The '60s were turbulent times in America. Now that you have finished reading The Watson’s go to Birmingham, find inferences (conclusions) that blacks and whites were treated differently (pages 5-6). Check online reference such as Wikipedia , African American Odyssey for historical, and Google for details of the Birmingham church bombing and look for the names of the young girls listed on the “In Memory of” page. Probe the question raised by Kenny (p. 199), “Why would they hurt some little kids like that?” Using Microsoft Word, type a 1 pg essay answering Kenny’s question as well as your thoughts on what America Was Like When the Watsons Went to Birmingham in 1963 compared to now.
Beyond What You Read
For the next task you will generate 4 questions pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement. You will then “interview” a person of significance to the Era. Make sure to inform me on how the person you selected to interview relates to The Civil Rights Movement. Along the questions, you must generate thoughtful responses. Make sure you share with them any and all information you have about our country’s 44th president, Barak Obama. How “do” they respond?
The Lipless Wonder
Create the comic book that Kenny teased Byron about after his accident with the iced lips. Go to ToonDoo and log in using my username and password. Create an image of Kenny or Byron using all the cool options on ToonDoo. Next, create a comic strip that has at least three panels. Give three pieces of information about Byron, how his lips got stuck to the car, and its repercussions.
Related Books
Here are a list of books that relate to the topic of the Civil Rights Movement. As you click on the links, try to predict the books connection to the Movement.
About What you Read
Carefully review the rubric so you know exactly what I will be grading on.
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CATEGORY | Not There Yet | Almost There | Meets Expectations | Above and Beyond |
Mural | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. There are only 1-2 photos and the captions are either nonexistent, more than 2 sentences, or don't give the relationship to the Civil Rights era. | Only 3-4 photos were placed in the mural. The captions demonstrated a moderate level of thought but only labeled what each event or person was. | At least 5 photos were placed in the mural. The captions demonstrated a great deal of thought by giving the relationship to The Civil Rights Era. | More than 5 photos were placed in the mural. They were arranged in an apparent order (i.e. timeline or given shape), and captions demonstrated a great deal of thought with 2 or less sentences and an apparent relationship to the Civil Rights Era. |
Map | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. There are only 1-2 places on the maps. The related statements are either nonexistent or don't give the relationship to the Civil Rights era. | Only 3-4 places were placed on the map. The related statements demonstrated a moderate level of thought but only labeled what each event or place were. | At least 5 places were placed on the map. The related statements demonstrated a great deal of thought by giving the relationship to The Civil Rights Era. | More than 5 places were placed on the mapl. The locations included places that were not on the list of examples, and related statements demonstrated a great deal of thought with 2 or less sentences and an apparent relationship to the Civil Rights Era. |
Chapter Titles | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. Only one chapter title was created. Explanation of title change and relationship to the chapter's content was unclear. | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. Only 2-3 chapter titles were created. Explanation of title change and relationship to the chapter's content showed minimal effort. | The task is complete. 4 Chapter titles were created. Explanation of title change and relationship to the chapter's content showed moderate effort. However, the selection of chapters did not represent the beginning, middle and end of the book. | 4 or more Chapter titles were created. Explanation of title change and relationship to the chapter's content showed an accelerated effort. The selection of chapters represents the beginning, middle and end of the book. |
Essay | Student does not answer questions clearly and concisely. Makes many errors in identifying major similarities and differences. Does not get far beyond noting similarities and differences. Major grammatical and spelling errors. No evidence of any research being done. | Student makes a moderate effort in answering both questions. Makes some errors in identifying major similarities and differences. Isn’t clear about the significance of the comparison. Minimal grammatical and spelling errors. Minimal evidence of researched topics. | Student makes a great effort in answering questions. Selects similarities and differences for each item. Draws some thoughtful conclusions from the comparison. A moderate level of research displayed. | Student excels in attempt to answering both questions. Accurately selects all major similarities and differences for each item. Draws insightful and thoughtful conclusions from the similarities and differences, usually highlighting either one or the other. Evidence of research is clear was works are cited within essay. |
Interview | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. 0-1 questions and answers were created. There is no clear connection to the interviewee and The Civil rights Movement. There was no reference to President Barak Obama. | 2-3 questions were created that demonstrated a moderate level of thought. Little effort went into their answers to the questions, connection to The Civil Rights Movement and any reference to President Barak Obama. | 4 questions and responses were created that displayed a great deal of thought. There was a clear connection between the interviewee and The Civil Rights Movement. Comments and references made to President Barak Obama were relevant to the topic. | All areas of the task were addressed and handled with a high degree of sophistication. More than 4 questions and responses were generated. There was an obvious connection between the interviewee and The Civil Rights Movement and the student went the extra mile to reference President Barack Obama (i.e. direct quotes, videos, or parts of his agenda) |
The Lipless Wonder | The task is incomplete and/or it is apparent that little effort went into the development of the task. The comic strip doesn't relate to the scene in the book. | The comic strip has some frames that relate to the scene of the book but fail to display any repercussions or end results. | The comic strip depicts Kenny and Byron. It moderately displays the scene and has alternate repercussions and end results. | The comic strip goes above and beyond the requirements. It has more than 3 frames, is not limited to two characters ( includes the whole family) and has alternate repercussions and end results. |
Online Assessment | 0-2 questions were answered correctly. | 3-6 questions were answered correctly | 7-9 questions were answered correctly. | 10 questions were answered correctly. |
Online Assessment
Now that you have finished reading and completing all of the activities associated with The Watsons Go To Birmingham-1963, click on the following link and take the quiz. The Watson’s go to Birmingham-1963
Standards
After reading and completing activities associated with The Watsons go to Birmingham and the Civil Rights Movement, students will connect and clarify main ideas by identifying their relationships to multiple sources and related topics (6.2.3), make reasonable statements and conclusions about a text, supporting them with evidence from the text (6.2.7), critique the believability of characters and the degree to which a plot is believable or realistic (6.3.8), use a computer to compose documents with appropriate formatting by using word-processing skills and principles of design, including margins, tabs, spacing, columns, and page orientation (6.4.7), write responses to literature that: develop an interpretation that shows careful reading, understanding, and insight, organize the interpretation around several clear ideas, and support statements with evidence from the text (6.5.4) all according to the Indiana Academic Standards.
According to the National Educational Technology Standards, students will demonstrate creativity and innovation, conduct research and use information, and use technology effectively and productively
