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Year 11
Edexcel

Civil rights organisations in the 20th century

I can describe the early civil rights organisations.

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New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Civil rights organisations in the 20th century

I can describe the early civil rights organisations.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The NAACP and the CORE were created to fight against racial injustice.
  2. The NAACP was founded in 1909 and would mainly challenge segregation in the courts.
  3. CORE was formed in 1942 and used non-violent direct action to challenge segregation.
  4. Church organisations played an important role in the civil rights movement, especially in the South.

Keywords

  • Injustice - when something is not carried out fairly or justly it is called injustice

  • Civil rights - civil rights are the rights of everyone to have political and social freedom and equality

  • Direct action - direct action is the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation

  • Boycott - when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest, it is known as a boycott

  • Sit-ins - sit-ins are a form of protest when you sit somewhere and refuse to move

Common misconception

Civil rights organisations only worked in the north.

Civil rights organisations worked across the USA, although they would get more support from white Americans in northern states and would therefore seem more successful in the north.


To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: Civil rights organisations in the 20th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When introducing the NAACP and CORE, emphasise that these groups were established in northern states - hence the common misconception. This was largely due to the increased support from Black and White Americans in the north, but many demonstrations took part in the South.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which laws segregated all public facilities, schools, restaurants and theatres?

Correct Answer: The Jim Crow laws, Jim Crow laws

Q2.
Which of these statements best describes the areas affected by segregation in the USA?

Only the southern states of the USA
Only the northern states of the USA
All of the states of the USA
Correct answer: Every southern state and some of the northern states of the USA

Q3.
Which of the following describe the treatment of Black Americans in politics?

Correct answer: All Black Americans had the right to vote.
Correct answer: Black Americans faced political discrimination.
Correct answer: Many Black Americans were stopped from voting by violence.
Correct answer: Many Black Americans could not vote for a political representative.

Q4.
Which word means 'to kill someone for an offence without a trial'?

Correct Answer: Lynch, lynch, lynching, Lynching

Q5.
Complete the sentence. The outcome of Plessy v Ferguson was that segregation was legal as long as it was ...

Correct Answer: separate but equal

Q6.
In which court was Plessy v Ferguson passed?

Correct answer: Plessy v Ferguson was passed in the Supreme Court.
Plessy v Ferguson was passed in the local courts.
Plessy v Ferguson was passed in the State Supreme Courts.
Plessy v Ferguson was passed in the Federal Courts.

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Where were the civil rights organisations based?

Civil rights organisations only worked in the northern states.
Correct answer: Civil rights organisations worked across the USA.
Correct answer: The NAACP and CORE were established in northern states.
Correct answer: Members of the NAACP and CORE participated in demonstrations in the South.

Q2.
Which of the following statements about the NAACP are correct?

Correct answer: The NAACP was founded in 1909.
Correct answer: The NAACP chose to fight racial injustice in the courts.
By 1919, the NAACP had failed to challenge any form of segregation.
By 1919, the NAACP had around 90 000 members, made up only of Black Americans.
Correct answer: By 1946, the NAACP had around 600 000 members.

Q3.
Which of the following statements about CORE is correct?

Correct answer: CORE was formed in 1942.
Correct answer: CORE used non-violent direct action to challenge segregation.
CORE used violent action to challenge segregation.
Correct answer: CORE was set up by a group of Black and White students.
CORE was was set up by a group of Black students.

Q4.
Match the words with their definitions.

Correct Answer:Civil rights,the rights of everyone to political and social freedom and equality

the rights of everyone to political and social freedom and equality

Correct Answer:Direct action,the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal

the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal

Correct Answer:Boycott,when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest

when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest

Q5.
The keyword used to describe the non-violent protest that took place in Greensboro 1960 under the organisation of CORE is...

Correct Answer: sit-ins, Sit-in, sit-in

Q6.
Which famous civil rights leader started their journey as an activist in a church?

Correct answer: Martin Luther King Jr
W.E.B. Du Bois
Ida B. Wells

Additional material

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