Ms.

Elder’s Unit on Equality and the Civil Rights

Movement
Intended for 5th/6th Grade

Created By: Amanda Elder

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 ED621 UbD Unit Design Template

Candidate Name: Amanda Elder Host Teacher Name: Madison Visser

School: Government Hill Elementary Grade Level: 5/6 combo # of Students: 32
Theme of Unit: Civil Rights Movement Content Area: Social Studies

Classroom Demographics: Many different cultures and races present in the class. Majority of the class is boys.
This class contains a high percentage (25%) of students with behavioral and/or learning disabilities. Wide range
of lexile levels. Ages range from 10 to 12. (No Spanish immersion students)

Alaska Content Standards: (4-5 different content area standards)

Government and Citizenship- A. A student should know and understand how societies define authority, rights, and
responsibilities through a governmental process.
Cultural- E. Culturally-knowledgeable students demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the relationships and
processes of interaction of all elements in the world around them.
History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Technology- A student should be able to use technology to locate, select, and manage information.
Reading standards for literature k-5- 3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact, how conflicts are resolved).

Transfer Goal(s) - Unpacked Standards (Transferability – One transfer goal per standard above)

Government- The students will be able to explain the laws that resulted from the Civil Rights Movement
Cultural- Students will acknowledge and appreciate the different characteristics in people.
History- Students will demonstrate how equality laws enable the opportunities many have today.
Technology- The students will be able to assess information from the internet and form their own interpretation.
Reading- Students will compare a historical fiction story to information on the actual event (Civil rights movement)

BIG IDEA of the Unit: Fairness and Equality

STAGE 1 – Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (Meaning)

Enduring Understanding(s) : (1 per standard) Essential Questions to be Considered: (1 per standard)
Students will understand that…. Why does government need to have a presence in how we
Laws were necessary for all American citizens in order for treat others?
equality to improve. Why do differences tend to separate people?
America is a diverse mix of cultures, heritages, religions. How do we measure the success of laws pertaining to
The equal rights of women and African Americans have not equality?
been constant throughout history but have improved over Can we ever fully reach equality in all forms?
time. What can we gain from historical fiction that we cannot
Technology widens our breadth of learning. from historical nonfiction?
Historical fiction can help one relate to history through a
story.

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STAGE ONE: STAGE TWO:
Objectives/Learning Targets (Acquisition) Assessment/Acceptable Evidence Of Learning
(Objectives should cover every transfer goal) You will embed these into your lessons, as they apply
Knowledge: What students should know….
Define equality and what it means to them.
Explain the difficulties minority groups experienced
before and after the Civil Rights
Movement.
Acknowledge that diversity is beneficial to learning and
growing by sharing something they
have learned through someone that is
different from themselves.
Utilize different perspectives to form an opinion on what short entry in their social studies journal about what they
is fair and equal.
Skills: What students should be able to do….
Compare the story of Freedom on the Menu to the actual
events during the Civil Rights
Movement to find similarities.
Show that differences in people are to be accepted
through describing differences between
the student and someone they care
about and why they admire those
differences.
Relate a set of opportunities people have today to laws
formed during civil rights movement through a T chart.
(The law and how it affects someone today) (Civil Rights
Act, Voting Rights Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act,
Equal Pay Act, Equal Rights Amendment)
Utilize a computer and the internet to find a definition
and examples of equality.
Create a time-line of events leading up to one of the laws
during the Civil Rights Movement.
These assessments will measure the Objectives - knowledge
and skills - to the left. Identify if the assessments are and
should include Formative, Summative, AND Performance
types of evidence.
 Accessing background knowledge/prior learning
 Formative
 Summative
 Performance
 Student Self-Assessment/Reflection
_____________________________________________
Accessing background knowledge- The students will write a
know or think equality means. -Formative
In groups of four, students will research definitions and
meanings of equality using the internet as a resource. The
group will then come up with a skit to present to the class
about what equality means to them. -Formative, Performance
Students will be paired where they are in some way different
from each other. (likes, dislikes, hobbies) They will talk to
each other with the intent of teaching each other something
new. Students will then share with the class what they learned
from their partner. -Formative
The students will compare and contrast the books, Sit-In:
How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, Freedom on
the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins and the actual event using
a Venn diagram. -Formative
Students will use a T chart throughout the unit to compare the
acts of the civil rights movement (Civil Rights Act, Voting
Rights Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Equal Pay Act,
Equal Rights Amendment) to how it affects someone today.
-Formative
In small groups, students will create a time-line for the
city’s Civil Rights Day. The groups will be given an act or
event that they need to plot on a time-line and include
actions that led up to the event. -Performance
Throughout the unit, students will end the class period
with a short quiz in their journals about the topic of the
lesson for that day. -Formative
Students will complete a letter to Criberia detailing what
equality is, how America obtained equality and give
advice on how to encourage equality.
Rubrics attached in Assessment Portfolio
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STAGE TWO : Culminating Performance Tasks (synthesis of Unit or parts of Unit. You will develop these more fully
in ED621C)
Ask Yourself: how can I have students incorporate the body of their learning into a multifaceted
demonstration of their understanding of the Big Idea(s) of this unit? Think about: scaffolding your
lessons leading toward the Culminating Performance Tasks.

Culminating Performance Task 1 Culminating Performance Task 2

Title of Task___Letter to Criberia___
Sketch CPT #1 here in prep forED621 C
As we wrap up our unit on the Civil Rights Movement and
equality, we have been asked to write letters to the citizens
of Criberia. A group of Criberia citizens have a growing
concern about the happiness of their people and the lack of
fairness and equality seen in their country. They have
reached out to ask us how America ensures equality and
fairness for its people. Using your journal entries and final
exam questions, you are going to each write a letter
explaining your definition of equality and fairness and how
the history of America worked toward equality for all. You
need to use examples, one protestor who made a difference
and one law that enacted change. Your letter should be
respectful, free of spelling errors, and it needs to give at
least one piece of advice on what the citizens can do to
make a change.
Attach Rubrics (ED 621C)
Title of task __Daily Journal Writing_____
Sketch CPT #2 here in prep for ED621C
Throughout our unit we have learned about the events that
shaped the Civil Rights Movement. The city of Anchorage
is hosting a Civil Rights Day and asked for a class to create
a time-line of the major events during the Civil Rights
Movement (Emancipation Proclamation, 13th through 15th
amendments, Plessy vs Ferguson case and the Brown vs
Board of Education case). I have volunteered our class to
create the time-lines. In small groups, you will be given an
event and you need to detail the actions that led up to the
event on a time-line. We have previously learned about all
of these events and discussed the actions that resulted in the
event. You will need to compile your notes and knowledge
to complete this project. This time-line will be shared with
the citizens of Anchorage who attend the festival so it
needs to be accurate, organized and legible. You need to
include short descriptions of the actions and events.
Everyone in the group needs to participate in the process
and design. A template time-line will be given to your
group and it is up to the group how it’s organized to include
all information.
Attach Rubrics (ED 621C)

STAGE THREE: Learning for Understanding/ Instructional Activities

Learning Activities and Strategies: Strategies for Differentiation/ Multimodal
(For Guidance: Please Don’t write in this box) Instruction/Universal Design for Learning:
(For Guidance: Please Don’t write in this box)
 Instructional activities should lead to meeting the
Objectives above. Identify ways you are providing opportunities for multi-
Ask Yourself: how will the students meet the Objective(s)? modal learners and ELs to meet the objectives and be
 Embed the Assessments into the lesson – (Tip: some successful demonstrating their learning.
instructional activities can serve as assessments.) (Visual/Auditory/Kinesthetic (VAK), Multiple
Ask Yourself: how will students demonstrate their Intelligences, etc.)
understanding of the content? Ask Yourself: 1) What are multiple ways I can provide
 The entire focus should be directed toward meeting the access to the content for “non-traditional” Learners? 2)
Transfer Goal(s) and Enduring Understandings as What are multiple ways students I can have students
well as answering the Essential Questions for the demonstrate their understanding of the content?
lesson.
Ask Yourself: By the end of each lesson, 1) can students
answer the all or part of the Essential Questions? 2) Do
they have a better grasp of the Enduring Understandings?
3) Have they reached, or are they on their way to reaching,
the Transfer Goals?
For each Lesson, specify:
What will the teacher do?
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 What will the students do?

Pre-Requisites: What is the prior knowledge students have to have before starting this Unit?
Students should be familiar with using a computer and internet to research a topic.
Students should be able to use reading strategies to point out important information from a story.
Students need to be familiar with a time-line and venn-diagram and how to use them.

Introduction/Hook (Make a connection with students’ backgrounds using an authentic situation to start them thinking
about the Big Idea and the Theme of this Unit.)

The unit will start with having students think about a time they felt they were treated unequal or unfairly. Did they do
anything about it? Did they stand up for themselves or another? Have a brief discussion as a start to the unit and then
explain what the unit will consist of.
Title of Lesson- Lesson 1-What is equality?

Materials for lesson- Social studies journals, chrome books,

Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson

Essential Question- Why do differences tend to separate people?
Objectives-
Define equality and what it means to them.
• Students will define equality through research using the internet.
• Students will express their understanding of equality through a performance skit in small groups.
Show that differences in people are to be accepted through describing differences between the student and someone they
care about and why they admire those differences.
• Students will work in pairs to learn something new from each other and share one interesting fact about their
partner to the class.
Acknowledge that diversity is beneficial to learning and growing by sharing something they have learned through
someone that is different from themselves.
Utilize a computer and the internet to find a definition and examples of equality.
Content areas covered in lesson (from standards)
Cultural- E. Culturally-knowledgeable students demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the relationships and
processes of interaction of all elements in the world around them.
Technology- A student should be able to use technology to locate, select, and manage information.
Embed Assessments in Lesson activities
Lesson 1) Differentiation Strategies for the
 Introduce the Unit- Ask the students to think about process/product/assessment
a time they felt they were treated unequal or
unfairly. Did they do anything about it? Did they Reflection on their experiences of fairness or equality
stand up for themselves or another? Spend a couple connects background knowledge to what will be taught
minutes letting students share their thoughts.
Introduce students to the Civil Rights Movement Research, preparation of skit, and watching skit
and how at its basic level it was people fighting for presentations allows for various process methods of
fairness and equality. The students will spend this retaining definition of equality
unit learning about the different people that
protested and the things they accomplished to gain Lesson includes, solo, team, and group work.
equality for others.
 To start the lesson students need to get get out their Lesson includes reading, writing, and speaking
social studies journal and write about what they
know or think equality means. I want them to do ELL students having difficulty with doing research in the
this first thing before any conversations influence English language may use Google in their native language.
their answer.
 After the journal entry students will take out their
chrome books and research definitions and
meanings of equality. Give them about 10 minutes
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 to do this and then place them in groups of five. As
a group, they need to refer to their definitions of
equality and make a short skit about equality to
present to the class. The skit needs to be outlined
on paper to turn in.
 Groups are allowed 3 minutes per skit. Have
groups present and then spend a minute or two
answering questions about the skit or have a brief
discussion. At the end, students need to turn in their
skit outline.
 Diversity- Ask students to look around the room
and try to find someone that is exactly like them in
every way. (Ideally, students will not be able to do
this. If they do name someone, point out a
difference between the two students). Discuss why
they cannot find someone exactly like them and
how this makes for a better community.
 Have students find a partner, someone that they are
not close friends with. Preferably someone they
don’t know very well. The groups will have 8
minutes to discuss ways in which they are different
and alike. (examples- hobbies, likes/dislikes,
personal style, etc) Each student should remember
one thing they learned about their partner that they
admire that is different from them self. The
students will then share the one thing they learned
by writing it on the board. Call students up 5 at a
time to write it on the board. Afterward, go through
each one and point out the positives of the
difference and how it makes for a better
community.
 True/false quiz on equality
 To end this lesson and briefly start the next lesson,
ask students why differences would separate people
and how do we as a country ensure everyone is
treated equal and fair.

Title of Lesson- Lesson 2-Background to the Civil Rights Movement

Materials for lesson- Social studies journals
Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson
EQ- Why does government need to have a presence in how we treat others?
Objectives-
• Students will plot the events leading up to the Civil Rights Movement onto a time-line
Content areas covered in lesson (from standards)
Government and Citizenship- A. A student should know and understand how societies define authority, rights, and
responsibilities through a governmental process.
History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Embed Assessments in Lesson activities
Lesson 2) Differentiation Strategies for the
 Process/product/assessment process/product/assessment
 Start the class by writing the word, segregation, on
the board. Ask students to take a minute to Lecture includes visual and auditory learning.
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 formulate what they think segregation means. Have
a brief discussion on segregation and what it
means. (Attempt to separate and isolate races in
every area of life and achieve supremacy). Ask
students how they would feel if they were forced to
use separate facilities (bathrooms, schools, stores,
etc) because of their race, skin color, or culture.
 Ask students to pull out their social studies journals
and turn to the next clean page. They will be filling
out a time-line during this unit. We will be starting
in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation.
Lecture style notes are attached for discussion and
lecturing of the events that led to the Civil Rights
Movement. Students need to add the following to
their time-line: Emancipation Proclamation, 13 th
through 15th amendments, Plessy vs Ferguson case
and the Brown vs Board of Education case.
 A the end of class students need to respond to
the multiple choice questions on the
Amendments in their journals.

Title of Lesson-Lesson 3- Important protestors of the Civil Rights Movement

Materials for lesson- If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks
The Story Of Ruby Bridges
The Little Rock Nine: A Primary Source Exploration of the Battle for School Integration
Freedom Riders: A Primary Source Exploration of the Struggle for Racial Justice
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Large sheet of paper, markers, social studies journals, computer with projector
Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson
EQ- What can we gain from historical fiction that we cannot from historical nonfiction?
Objectives-
Explain the difficulties minority groups experienced before and after the Civil Rights Movement.
• Students will summarize what they have learned about a protestor through a small group book reading.
• Students will plot the events of the protests on their time-line.
Compare the story of Freedom on the Menu to the actual events during the Civil Rights Movement to find similarities.
• Students will compare and contrast historical fiction to historical non-fiction about the Greensboro sit-ins through
the use of a historical fiction book and a fact based video. Their learning will be placed in a venn-diagram.

Content areas covered in lesson (from standards)

History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Reading standards for literature k-5- 3. Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or
drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact, how conflicts are resolved).

Embed Assessments in Lesson activities

Lesson 3)
 Process/product/assessment
 Start the lesson by asking the class if they know
anyone that contributed to or participated in the
Civil Rights Movement. Make a list on the board or
jog students memory if they can’t think of anyone.
 Today students will get into groups of 5 and read a
story about famous protestors during the Civil
Rights Movement. Then they need to complete the
Differentiation Strategies for the
process/product/assessment
Lesson activates prior knowledge during discussions
Lesson includes group, solo, and whole class work
Lesson includes auditory and visual learning through
books, video, and discussion.
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 columns on the large chart posted on the board. The
column titles are; Name of person or group, What Writing, speaking, and reading all included in lesson.
were they protesting for, what happened, What was
the outcome, One important fact. Split students into Jigsaw reading activity allows for students of varying
groups of 4 and assign them a book from the list reading levels to read at or near their level
below. Students should take turns to read a portion
of the book aloud to their group. Give students 30
minutes to complete this task.
 After each student has filled in their portion of the
chart, discuss with the class what each group
shared on the chart.
 At the end, have students pull out their time-lines
and as a class fill in where each event happened on
the time-line.
 Books- If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa
Parks
The Story Of Ruby Bridges
The Little Rock Nine: A Primary Source
Exploration of the Battle for School Integration
Freedom Riders: A Primary Source Exploration of
the Struggle for Racial Justice
 Bring the students back together and read the
historical fiction story, Freedom on the Menu: The
Greensboro Sit-Ins as a read-aloud.
 Following the story, show a quick 6 minute video
documentary on the Greensboro Sit in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbbcjn4d1cE
 Have students take out their social studies journals
and draw a Venn Diagram on a new page. On the
left write, historical fiction. On the right write,
Nonfiction. Have a class discussion on differences
of historical fiction versus nonfiction. (How are the
facts portrayed, what feelings/emotions do you get,
how do you relate to each, the characters involved)
 Sentence completion questions over protestors
are to be completed in journals.

Title of Lesson-Lesson 4- Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act

Materials for lesson- Computer, document camera, print out sheets on each act, blank time-line worksheets, social
studies journals, social studies textbooks
Objectives and Essential Questions for lesson
EQ- How do we measure the success of laws pertaining to equality?
Objectives-
Create a time-line of events leading up to one of the laws during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Students will plot on their time-line the dates that four acts were approved
• Students will research events that led up to an approved act and plot the events onto a time-line.
Content areas covered in lesson (from standards)
History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Embed Assessments in Lesson activities
Lesson 4) Differentiation Strategies for the
 Start the lesson with a short clip about Martin process/product/assessment
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
 Discuss with students what he was fighting for, Lesson includes, solo and group work.
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 comparing him to the other protestors we learned
about in the last lesson. Then ask the students if Discussion builds upon knowledge learned in previous
these people achieved what they were fighting for. lesson
 Introduce four acts that resulted from the civil
rights movement and the fight for equality. (Civil Reading, writing, and listening included in lesson.
Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Equal Credit
Opportunity Act, and Equal Pay Act.). Discuss Auditory and visual learning through use of video and
what the act aimed to accomplish and then plot on lecture
the time-line, in their social studies journals, when
the act was approved. Students have the option of using the textbook or printed
 For the activity, students will be given an act that sheets of information (Easier to comprehend and pull
resulted from the Civil Rights Movement and plot information from) to complete a time-line leading up to an
important events that led to the enactment of the act act.
onto a time-line. They can use the textbook or print
outs provided on each act. Number students off 1
through 4. 1- Civil Rights Act; 2-Voting Rights Act;
3- Equal Credit Opportunity Act; 4- Equal Pay Act
 Once students have finished, group them by act.
Pass out the sheet with 4 blank time-lines on it.
Start with the Civil Rights Act and discuss with the
group the important events they plotted. Plot them
on a time-line on the sheet provided under a
document camera for the class to follow along and
plot on their own worksheet. Do this with each
group until each time-line is completed on the
worksheet.
 As a closure, talk about how these acts improved
the lives of many people in America.
 Students will complete the matching item set
questions on Acts in their journals.

Title of Lesson- Lesson 5- Bringing it all together

Materials for lesson- Blank sheet of lined paper, pencil, colored pen
Objectives and Essential Questions for closure
Why do differences tend to separate people?
Can we ever fully reach equality in all forms?
Why does government need to have a presence in how we treat others?
How do we measure the success of laws pertaining to equality?
Objectives
Relate a set of opportunities people have today to laws formed during civil rights movement through a T chart. (The law
and how it affects someone today) (Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Equal Pay Act,
Equal Rights Amendment)
Students will show what they have learned by responding to 3 question prompts that directly relate to the Civil Rights
Movement.
Students will self-correct any errors after discussion with a partner of what they have learned this unit

Content areas covered in Lesson (from standards)

Government and Citizenship- A. A student should know and understand how societies define authority, rights, and
responsibilities through a governmental process.
History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Embed Assessments in Lesson activities

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Lesson 5) Differentiation Strategies for the
 Students will be given a short answer question process/product/assessment
and sentence cloze completion questions as the
final quiz. Pass out the quiz sheet. Assessment allows for personalized display of learning.
 Once students are finished, they may work with a ELL students can verbally answer assessment questions to
partner to improve their short answer question if teacher/TA if necessary.
they wish. They cannot use resources, only the
knowledge of their partner as they discuss what Students have the ability to improve on their written
they learned during the unit. They need to do this answers via partner discussion.
with a colored pen to differentiate what they wrote
themselves and what they wrote working with a Listening, speaking, and writing used to complete
partner. Let students know that they can take into assessment.
consideration what their partner wrote, however
just copying their partners answer may get them the
wrong answer and they will be graded on that.
They need to discuss together what they learned
and formulate their own improved answer.
 Students should turn their papers in when they are
done. Once finished, they may read the paperback
stories based on the unit we just completed.

Closure for Unit

Materials for Closure- Social studies journals
Essential Questions- Why does government need to have a presence in how we treat others?
Why do differences tend to separate people?
How do we measure the success of laws pertaining to equality?
Can we ever fully reach equality in all forms?
What can we gain from historical fiction that we cannot from historical nonfiction?
Objectives- Students reflect on the unit by going back to the hook question and answering the same questions, except this
time about the people we learned about during the unit.
Content areas covered in Closure-
History- A student should understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and
the future.
Embed Assessments in Closure activities
Closure: Differentiation Strategies for the
As a class, go through and discuss the events we put onto process/product/assessment
our time-lines during the unit. Use cause and effect to tie
events together. Ask for student input on how events are Whole group and partner discussion for reflection
related. Ask students for any feedback, questions, thoughts,
etc on the unit.
• As the final project, students are to write a letter
to the citizens of Criberia, describing what
equality means and how America’s history
shaped equality for all Americans today.
Students need to include advice on how the
country can begin the path toward equality for
their people.

UNIT REFLECTION Cultural Capital: Discuss how this Unit increases your students’
access to “Cultural Capital.” (Address the varied ways your assessment, instructional, and differentiation
strategies assess and access the background knowledge and experience of the students, how you attempt to

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connect your lessons with students’ backgrounds: languages, abilities, and local culture(s), and how this Unit
creates opportunities for students to have more equal and authentic access to “mainstream” culture regarding the
content of your Unit.

The unit starts with students own understandings of equality and segregation. Students then learn about how
Americans in the mid 1900’s saw segregation and viewed a need for equality. Students compare their
understandings to their learning. Discussions throughout the unit have students reflect on their learning and
their own view of the Civil Rights Movement.

The unit connects the acts approved during the Civil Rights Movement with the laws we have today in
American society. Students learn not only how the laws came to be but why they came to be and how the laws
were necessary for Americans today. Students with cultures common outside of the US are taught how America
views equality and the laws we have in place to ensure equality.

Attachments: Graphic Organizers and Assessment Rubrics for Lesson.

Note: If there are more than 3 Graphic Organizers with your curriculum, please take .jpgs of them so you can fit
a few examples on one page – making sure, of course, that they are legible.

Time-line sheet for Lesson #4

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