Putting it all in Perspective

Brandon Sethi

2010 Summer Institute – Civil Rights

 

Unit:

8th grade – Civil Rights

 

Abstract:

In this lesson, students will be put through a simulation that will seek to put them in different positions of power where students will not only feel desperation from the side of the minority but also experience the fear of losing ones power as a member of the majority.  Perceptions and realities will be challenged as students are pushed to explore how the battle over Jim Crow occurred.

 

Essential Questions:

  1. What is power?  How and why is it transferred?  Where does it come from?
  2. What does it mean to be equal?
  3. Where do biases and prejudices find their roots?  How can they be eliminated?

 

Assessment:

Students will write a reflective essay at the end where they will respond to the prompt “How could the red arm bands have gained equality with the blue armbands?  What would be 3 advantages to this approach and three disadvantages?”  Also, built into the assignment is a photo analysis assignment.

 

Setting the Purpose:

This lesson is to occur the first day of the Civil Rights Movement unit as a springboard into the topic.  It is meant to be something that can be referred back to frequently as the Civil Rights unit unfolds and will engage the students on a personal level making the conflict of the times something they can relate to.

 

Analysis of Primary Sources:

Students will conduct a photo analysis as a part of their lesson.  Half the class will see each photo and then display the pictures for all the class to see while each side discusses what they had. 

 

Procedures:

  1. As students enter the room, hand them either a red armband or a blue armband.  They may trade if they wish or they can keep them.  Have two-thirds of the class be red and one third be blue, creating a majority and minority.
  2. On the board should be a reflective question: What is power and where does it come from?
  3. Discuss the question.  Then proceed around the room putting all students with blue armbands in the back of the room and off to the side, crowded.  Put the red arm bands in the front, and their desks spaciously situated. 
  4. Explain to the group that they will be reviewing the basic bill of rights.  Ask simple questions to those with the red armbands and difficult questions to those in blue.  E.g., What is the 14th amendment vs. recite the 14th amendment.  When a red armband gets the answer right, praise them and give them a reward.  When the blue arm band is wrong, play it up.
  5. After playing it up a little bit, give the students any worksheet and gauge performance while deriding the blue and continuously praise the red. 
  6. Discuss what power is and what it is like to not have power.  Ask students to consider ways to shift the balance of power. 
  7. Have students consider the quality of their work when in power vs. not in power.  Have them reflect on this and their motivation to do the work. 
  8. At the end of the lesson, give students a copy of the photo analysis sheet and a picture due as homework the following day.
  9. The next day of class, give students a copy of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. King and a copy of Malcolm X’s “Ballot or the Bullet” speech.  Read and compare as a class discussing the merits of each.  This sets the stage for the debate through the Civil Rights Movement of violent reproach vs. non-violence.  At this point, introduce the essay as given in the prompt.

 

Annotated List:

  1. Photo Analysis Sheet
  2. Photo – ClintonSchools.jpg - http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/category/photography-and-journalism/human-rights-images/
  3. Photo – JimCrow.jpg -  http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/post-1945-segregation/3904.html
  4. Malcolm X - Ballot or Bullet speech - http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/065.html -
  5. MLK – “I Have a Dream” http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

 

Materials:

  1. Arm bands (1/3 blue, 2/3 red)