This unit seeks to develop literacy skills using non-fiction reading materials that pertain to the civil rights movement beginning with early slavery and ending with the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Specific objectives are chosen from the Keys to Comprehension, an unpublished New Haven Public Schools document that outlines literacy curriculum in grades two through eight utilizing the Power Standards that are taken from those skills that are measured by the Connecticut Mastery Test. This unit will focus specifically on second and third grade students. Students will use stated or implied evidence from the text to draw or support a conclusion (B-3). Students will select, synthesize and/or use relevant information within a written work to write a personal response to a text (C-2). Students will select and use relevant information from the text in order to summarize events and or ideas in the text (A-3). These objectives were chosen as they coincide with the time period for which this unit will be taught. Utilizing these objectives at different grade levels would not be difficult as these objectives are revisited in each grade. After reading varied texts, students would respond to A-3, B-3, and/or C-2 comprehension questions as a means to measure understanding. These comprehension questions would be scored using the established CMT rubric for each question.
Also, students will identify key historical events that lead to equality for all people. Students will answer questions about the origins of slavery and the life of slaves. They will develop an understanding of how slavery ended in the United States of America and those individuals who played key roles to that end. Students will develop an understanding of the difficulty integrating blacks and whites in all aspects of life. They will answer the question, "When did the Civil Rights Movement begin?" "What role did children play in the Civil Rights Movement?" They will develop a timeline of significant events and people on the Road to Equality.
In addition this unit will contain activities that coordinate with the different time periods of study. Activity exemplars will be used to create a visual representation of
The Road to Equality
in consultation with the visual arts teacher. I envision a large bulletin board exhibiting a road that travels through history. This road will highlight the historical periods with pictorial representations of the end of slavery, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, relevant Supreme Court decisions, the desegregation of schools, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to the present time. Exemplars from different activities will be displayed near the appropriate pictorial representation on the road. This visual representation of our project will enable the entire school community to participate in our learning through their interaction with our board. I envision opportunities for conversations and "learning moments" within the many classes at Davis Street Interdistrict Magnet School.