Social and civil progress in the USA, c.1950-1973
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can assess the extent of progress experienced by African Americans and women in the USA between the 1950s and 1970s.
Key learning points
- Many women and African Americans felt like second class citizens.
- Women and African Americans benefitted from changes in the law in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
- Some new laws were poorly enforced.
- Some groups continued to oppose equality for women and African Americans.
Keywords
Second class citizen - someone who is not given the same rights and opportunities as other people in a society, usually because they belong to a particular group
Common misconception
New laws immediately improved the lives of women and African Americans.
Poor enforcement and unchanged attitudes undermined the impact of some changes in the law.
Teacher tip
After Task C, get pupils to debate with one another whether African Americans and women could still be considered second class citizens by the mid-1970s. Students may wish to distinguish between black and female experiences when formulating their responses to this.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a drug or object that prevents a woman from becoming pregnant called?
Q2.Which of the following individuals helped to inspire the Feminist Movement?
Q3.Which Supreme Court case legalised abortion in the USA?
Q4.Which group threw products such as mops, pans, high heels and bras into 'freedom trash cans'?
Q5.In 1975, the average female income was what percentage of the average male income?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a second class citizen?
Q2.What were the segregationist laws in the US South known as?
Q3.Out of a total of 531, how many members of Congress were female in 1955?
Q4.What happened to the number of registered African American voters in the South in the years immediately after the Voting Rights Act was passed?
Q5.Which examples best demonstrate that new laws did not always change the views of those who opposed equality?
Q6.Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Social and civil progress in the USA, c.1950-1973, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Social and civil progress in the USA, c.1950-1973, 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.