Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the importance of Martin Luther King for the civil rights movement, including the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Key learning points
- After the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King emerged as an important leader of the movement.
- Martin Luther King established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
- The SCLC organised a campaign for voter registration amongst black people.
- Eisenhower enforced a Civil Rights Bill, although it was considered 'watered down'.
Keywords
Orator - an orator is a public speaker
Registration - registration is the act of signing up to do something, for example voting
Citizenship - when you gain citizenship, you became a legally recognised member of a nation and have certain rights and protections under the law
Act - an act is a law passed by the government
Democrats - Democrats are members of one of the two major political parties in the US, Republicans are members of the other party
Common misconception
Martin Luther King Jr had always been part of the civil rights movement.
King entered the spotlight following the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a successful, popular leader as he was not associated with any large organisations.
Teacher tip
The 1957 Civil Rights Act was a significant moment, but most felt it was a half-hearted attempt to pacify civil rights activists and only hoped it would be the beginning of a journey towards true equality.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1. is the keyword that means the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation.
Q2.The name of the woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man on 1st December 1955 was .
Q3.In which year did the Montgomery Bus Boycott begin?
Q4.Which of the following statements accurately describes the role of Martin Luther King Jr in the Montgomery Bus Boycott? Select all the statements that are true.
Q5.How did groups that opposed desegregation react to the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Q6.The was the name of the act passed by Eisenhower in 1957 which aimed to improve the lives of black Americans.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter in each box.
a public speaker.
a legally recognised member of a nation with rights and protections
a law passed by the government
members of one of the two major political parties in the US
Q2.Which event threw King into the spotlight as one of the next major leaders of the civil rights movement? Select one correct answer.
Q3.Which organisation did Martin Luther King help to set up in January 1957?
Q4.What were the aims of the ‘Crusade for Citizenship’ (1958)?
Q5. was the name of the civil rights leader who was involved in meetings with the president that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
Q6.How did American people response to Eisenhower's passing of the 1957 Civil Rights Act? Select all of the statements that are true.
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement, 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.
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