Civil rights legislation in the 1960s
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the impact of civil rights legislation passed in the USA during the 1960s.
Key learning points
- The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed racial discrimination.
- The 1965 Voting Rights Act gave all Americans the right to vote.
- The 1968 Civil Rights Act made housing discrimination illegal.
- African Americans continued to face discrimination and racism.
Keywords
Legislation - laws passed by the government
Disenfranchisement - when the right to vote is taken away from a group of people
Enforced - making sure that laws and rules are obeyed
Common misconception
New civil rights led to immediate improvements in African American lives.
New civil rights were not always enforced by the government and many problematic areas of life, such as black American poverty, were not legislated for.
Teacher tip
Ask students after the final question how the content from this lesson can help explain the rise of the Black Power Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Push students in particular to consider how laws passed by the government compared to needs/ expectations.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Write the missing word. A person may be described as if they support big social, economic or political changes.
Q2.Malcolm X was a spokesperson for which radical group?
Q3.Write the missing two words. During the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the salute.
Q4.Write the missing word. Over 20 000 children were fed by the Free for Children Program in the first year after it began.
Q5.Which statement is most accurate?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Write the missing word. A law is if authorities make sure that people obey it.
Q2.Write the missing surname. President Lyndon B was responsible for signing the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act and 1968 Civil Rights Act into law.
Q3.Which law set up the Equal Opportunities Commission?
Q4.How did African American unemployment rates in 1970 compare to those of white Americans?
Q5.Which of the following encouraged the government to pass the 1968 Civil Rights Act?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Civil rights legislation in the 1960s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Civil rights legislation in the 1960s, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the America 1920–1973, Opportunity and inequality unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.