Local Efforts to End
Discrimination in Employment
By: Renayee
Westfield
2010 AHTC Summer
Institute
Unit/Topic: Grades 3-5-American
History, Civil Rights Movements, Social Studies
Duration: 2-3 Periods
Abstract:
In this
lesson, students will learn about local efforts in Champaign County to combat
discriminatory hiring practices in local businesses and institutions.
Investigations will lead students to understand that the civil rights movement
was also prevalent in the north, and included activity that changed legislation
locally while mirroring efforts that lead to change nationally.
Essential Questions:
·
How
have local civil rights movements mirrored movements on a national scale?
·
How
has the community benefited from the efforts of individuals involved in the
civil rights movements locally?
o
What
changes can we attribute to these efforts?
Setting the Purpose:
Prerequisites:
This lesson should be taught after students have received background
information on national civil rights precedents and movements to provide
knowledge base for comparison/contrast.
·
Brown
vs. Board of Education, Topeka, Kansas
·
Major
Boycotts/Sit-ins
Extended
Learning: Further investigation into local and national civil rights
legislation as a result of civil rights movements can be used to highlight
national and local trends and changes over time.
Assessment:
Content:
Students will answer essential questions in paragraph/essay format. Venn
Diagrams can be used.
Process:
Students will organize information using the Written Document Analysis
Worksheet, and group discussion.
Procedure:
·
Lesson
should begin with a group discussion on major events in the civil rights
movement nationally, highlighting boycotts and sit-ins.
·
View
primary sources as a class.
§
While
all of WhyPicket can be read, it may be important to highlight excerpts of
HaltPicketing article that cover reasons for picketing, reactions by community
and business owner, and results of the boycott.
o
Key
Words: Picketing, Integrate, Qualified, Discrimination
·
Discussion:
Based on selected excerpts from the news articles, describe the local climate
for African Americans.
o
What
problems did African Americans have to face?
·
Distribute
Written Document Analysis Worksheet to students. Arrange students in groups of 4-6. Give 2
groups copies of the article WhyPicketPennys.jpg and 2 groups copies of the
article HaltPicketingCollins.jpg
·
After
work period engage students in further discussion of their articles using
points provided on the Written Document Analysis Worksheet.
o
What
were the reasons African American’s cited for picketing the businesses?
o
What
did the movements have in common? What were the differences?
§
Lead
students to realize JCPenney was picketed for an extra reason.
o
Why
was the boycott successful?
§
How
did the boycotts affect the businesses?
PART II
·
Begin
with a recap of PART I.
·
View
primary documents as a class, highlighting excerpts when necessary.
o
PenneysMemo.jpg (note dates)
§
Discuss
JCPenney memo
o
IlExecutiveorder1.jpg (Order 1 & 2 are same document) –or-
o
ILExecutiveorder2.jpg (note: date is located in order 2)
§
Discuss
Section 1 & 2
§
Highlight
the date of the document: July 10, 1963
§
Discussion:
What impact do you believe local civil rights efforts had on state legislation?
Ties to National Primary Sources:
Students will
link local civil rights information to laws and movements nationwide. Students
will also view national legislation as further evidence of how local movements
impacted state and ultimately national law.
See Civil Rights Act of 1964: Title VII Sec. 701
§
Discussion:
What possible impact did local civil rights efforts have on national
legislation? How did local efforts compare to more nationally recognized
efforts? How did state and national legislation compare?
List of Materials and Resources:
Written Document Analysis Worksheet
Part II:
IlExecutiveOrder1.jpg (*Order 1 & 2 are the same document, Order 1 shows
state seal)
IlExecutiveOrder2.jpg (*Order 1 & 2 are the same document, Order 2 shows
the date)
