Objectives
To compare the portrayal of events from the Civil Rights Movement in
Mississippi Burning
with documented facts To create a time line that accurately portrays the events in Mississippi from the Civil War to the addition of the Voting Rights Act (Twenty-fourth Amendment) to the Constitution
To write a comparison essay
To evaluate essay utilizing CAPT rubric
Materials
Mississippi Challenge
by Mildred Pitts Walter
Mississippi Burning
by Frederick Zollo
Eyes on the Prize
by Blackside, Incorporation
Student individual journals
Access to computer and printer
Access to electronic and printed encyclopedias
Time
Three weeks
Procedures
Students should be asked to read
Mississippi Challenge
using the following daily schedule and complete each accompanying activity.
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Day 1 Read pages 1-28.
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____
In journal, write a letter to a friend pretending that you participated in a 1960 sit-in.
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Day 2 Read pages 29-56.
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____
In journal, define Black Codes. Use electronic and printed references. Include a b ibliography of references used.
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Day 3 Read pages 57-105.
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____
In journal, write a newspaper article that highlights the organization of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
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Day 4 Read pages 106-148.
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____
In journal, write three brief biographical sketches of the three civil rights workers murdered in Mississippi in July,1964. Use electronic and printed references.
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Day 5 Read pages 149-184.
-
____
In journal, list 25 events that summarize
Mississippi Challenge
.
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Day 6 Students working in groups of three to five members, compare lists of events from
Mississippi Challenge
. Decide as a group which 25 events should be used to create a time line that depicts Mississippi from the end of the Civil War to the 1966 Congressional primaries.
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Day 7 In groups, cooperatively create a computer generated time line of the events. Use computer graphics to enhance the time line.
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Day 8 Complete time line and distribute to each class member a copy of group time line. Give teacher two copies. ( Teacher will evaluate a copy and return to group. Class display will be made using other copy.)
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Day 9 In groups, students will compare time lines. On index cards, a critique of each groups time lines should be written and returned to appropriate groups.
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Day 10 Allow class to view Episode 5:
America’s Civil Rights Years
from
Eyes on the Prize
. In journal, summarize the film.
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Day 11 Begin class, with question: How does the film (Episode 5:
America’s Civil Rights Years
) portray the murder of the three civil rights workers in Mississippi? Is it correlated with facts from
Mississippi Challenge
? Allow class to view 30 minutes of
Mississippi Burning
.
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Day 12 In journals, students should compare
Mississippi Burning
with facts obtained from readings and research from
Mississippi Challenge
. Allow students to view 30 minutes of
Mississippi Burning
. As a homework assignment, students should add to journal an additional reflection on comparing the readings and research with film.
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Day 13 Allow students to view the other half of
Mississippi Burning
. Students are to begin and complete a draft of an essay that compares the film with facts.
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Day 14 Students should allow at least two other classmates to read their drafts. The readers should make three positive and three negative statements about the drafts. As a homework assignment, students are to rewrite and make final draft of comparison essay.
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Day 15 Allow students to orally debrief film. Students should use final essay drafts to support their comments. Ess ays should be given to teacher to evaluate. Teacher should use rubric standards correlated with CAPT test.
Similar activities as used in Lesson Plan Four and Lesson Plan Five could be used with
Glory
and the Civil War.
