The peace marches (1963) and Freedom Summer (1964)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the events of 1963-1964 and explain how these events led to greater support for the civil rights movement.
Key learning points
- King wrote the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' after he was arrested following demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Kennedy became directly involved in Birmingham in May 1963, deciding to introduce a Civil Rights Act.
- In August 1963, the March on Washington became one of the most famous moments of the movement with 250,000 protestors.
- After the assassination of Kennedy in November 1963, many felt the civil rights movement began to slow down.
- Freedom Summer aimed to increase voter registration in Mississippi, but their schools became targets of violent attacks.
Keywords
Direct action - the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation
Freedom Schools - temporary schools set up in Mississippi to help overcome the inequalities in schooling
Common misconception
After Martin Luther King's famous 'I have a dream' speech, the civil rights movement continued to progress until the Civil Rights Act was passed.
The assassination of President Kennedy stalled the momentum the movement had gained with the events in Birmingham, he was the president that many black American had put their hope in - and many feared their hope died with him.
Teacher tip
As the lesson covers a lot of content, the first two sections should create a sense of both fast-paced chaos and expectation as the civil rights movement reaches breaking (or making) point - you might even want to play part of King's famous speech!
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords with their definitions
to officially register as a student on a university course
the use of demonstrations or protest to achieve a goal
groups with both black and white Americans
Q2.Which of the following groups came together to organise Freedom Rides?
Q3.In which year had the Supreme Court had ordered interstate bus terminals and stations to desegregate.
Q4.Which president supported the enrolment of James Meredith at the University of Mississippi with federal troops.
Q5.Who were the first black students to enrol at the University of Alabama on 11th June 1963?
Q6. is the act of signing up to be able to vote, which often involves meeting certain criteria.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which two organisations launched the Birmingham campaign?
Q2.The temporary schools set up in Mississippi to help overcome the inequalities in schooling were known as .
Q3.What did Martin Luther King Jr write in April 1963?
Q4.How many civil rights protestors were at the 'March on Washington' in August 1963?
Q5.What was organised in June 1964 to reignite the Civil Rights Movement following the assassination of President Kennedy?
Q6.Which act was signed by President Johnson in 1964?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The peace marches (1963) and Freedom Summer (1964), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The peace marches (1963) and Freedom Summer (1964), 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 The USA, 1954–75 conflict at home and abroad unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.