CONTENT
PARTNERS
Freedom Rides
Image used with permission from Division of Political History, National Museum of American History and Behring Center Smithsonian Institution.
In 1961, hundreds of black and white Americans traveled together on buses and trains through the Deep South to protest segregation. For these acts, they endured brutal beatings and even imprisonment.
Students may see these acts as commonplace today, so help them understand why these seemingly simple acts violated the Jim Crow laws and led to historic changes regarding segregation. Explore lessons and activities about the Freedom Rides and challenge your students’ thinking about race relations in the 1960s vs. today.
Make sure to watch the PBS Freedom Riders documentary, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, on May 16th on your local PBS station. For additional information about the Freedom Riders and the documentary, visit the Freedom Riders website.
Recommended Resources:
- View a recorded webcast of the National Youth Summit – 50th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides where students across the country joined Stanley Nelson, director of the PBS Freedom Riders documentary.
- Share the history of the Freedom Riders with students through EDSITEment's JFK, Freedom Riders and the Civil Rights Movement lesson plan.
- Show students the real-world impact of segregation with History Explorer's The Greensboro Lunch Counter lesson plan.
Are you part of the Thinkfinity Community? Visit the History Explorers group and see what other history enthusiasts are saying about the Freedom Rides and using the webcast in the classroom.
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LESSON PLANS
Examining the Legacy of the American Civil Rights Era
ReadWriteThink | Lesson Plan | 11-12
As part of their study of Richard Wright’s Black Boy, students research and reflect on the current black-white racial divide in America. By examining the work of literature in the context of contemporary events, students will deepen their understanding of the work and of what it means to be an American today.
Exploring the Power of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Words through Diamante Poetry
ReadWriteThink | Lesson Plan | 9-12
Students explore the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s "I Have a Dream" speech.
Freedom Riders and the Music of the Civil Rights Era*
EDSITEment | Lesson Plan | 9-12
Through collaborative activities and presentations, students will find the meaning behind the music of the Civil Rights Era and compare and contrast the major figures, documents, and events of the day to better understand the political and cultural messages.
*See PBS Freedom Riders website for more information about the American Experience documentary on the topic.
The Greensboro Lunch Counter
History Explorer | Lesson Plan | 9-12
This resource includes a short video on segregation of public accommodations with a focus on lunch counters and a virtual exhibit activity in which students curate their own online exhibition organized around the Greensboro lunch counter.
JFK, Freedom Riders and the Civil Rights Movement
EDSITEment | Lesson Plan | 9-12
This lesson focuses on the national leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s as well as lesser-known members of the civil rights struggle known as the Freedom Riders; those whose courageous actions triggered a federal response.
JFK, LBJ, and the Fight for Equal Opportunity in the 1960s
EDSITEment | Lesson Plan | 9-12
By reading and listening to Kennedy's and Johnson's statements, students will examine their intentions for mounting the fight for equal opportunities for all Americans. Students will use online primary source documents to examine and analyze the Americans' struggles over social and economic rights in these tumultuous years.
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying with a Hero
ReadWriteThink | Lesson Plan | K-2
This lesson provides ideas for celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by encouraging students to explore the connections between Dr. King and themselves through journaling and inquiry-based research.
Picturing Freedom: Selma to Montgomery March
EDSITEment | Lesson Plan | 6-8
In this lesson, students learn about the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march by analyzing photojournalist James Karales's iconic photograph of the march, reading background material on it, and illustrate a postcard describing this civil rights event from a marcher's viewpoint.
That's Not Fair! Examining Civil Liberties With the U.S. Supreme Court
ReadWriteThink | Lesson Plan | 9-12
Students have the right to have fun in this lesson in which they create a PowerPoint presentation about civil rights and the Supreme Court.
