Title: The New South / Lesson 2: Denial of African-American Rights

Subject: Social Studies, Georgia Studies

Grade Level (s): 8th

Duration: 50 minutes

Type of Lesson: New American Lecture

Standards and Elements:

SS8H7 - Evaluate key political, social, and economic changes that occurred in Georgia during
the New South Era.

b. Analyze how rights were denied to African Americans or Blacks through Jim Crow laws,
Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and racial violence, including the 1906 Atlanta Riot.

Tag Standards:
Advanced Communication Skills
1. The student uses written, spoken, and technological media to convey new learning or
challenge existing ideas.
10. The student supports and defends his/her own opinions while respecting the opinions of
others.

Creative Thinking & Creative Problem-Solving Skills

7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex concepts.

Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills (HO/CTS)

2. The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth
knowledge of a topic.
11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant
information

Summary: Students will participate in a class lecture. The teacher will lecture in five minute
intervals with breaks in the lecture every five minutes. During the break students will answer
questions on the content of the lecture.

Enduring Understanding(s): Students will be able to evaluate key political, social, and
economic changes that occurred in Georgia during the New South Era.

Essential Question(s):
How did the denial of rights to African-Americans influence social, political, and economic
change at the turn of the twentieth century?
Evidence of Learning:

What student should KNOW: Students should know important issues related to the denial of
African American rights, including Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson, disenfranchisement, and
the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot.

What student should BE ABLE TO DO: Student should be able to analyze how rights were
denied to African-Americans or Blacks through Jim Crow laws, Plessy v. Ferguson,
disenfranchisement, and racial violence including the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot.

Suggested Vocabulary:

Jim Crow laws

Disenfranchisement
Racial Violence
Plessy v. Ferguson
1906 Atlanta Race Riot

Procedure: The teacher will deliver a lecture on the denial of African America rights in the New
South. The lecture will be divided into four 5 minute sections. After each five minute section, the
students will answer questions or complete a short task related to the lecture.

Each Step of the Strategy:

Hook: As students enter the classroom, they will see a picture projected on the board of several
young African American children looking at a playground from behind a fence. The playground
is for white children only and the African American children are not permitted to play there. The
teacher will ask the students to answer the following questions:

1. Imagine you are one of these children. How would you feel about not being able to use the
playground in the park?

2. How do you personally feel when seeing this photo?

After the completion of the hook activity, the teacher will pass out a sheet of paper for the
students to complete during the lecture. On one side there will be a visual organizer for students
to take notes. On the other side of the paper will be a section for students to answer question
from the teacher. After passing out the paper, the teacher will begin the lecture. The lecture will
consist of four topics, each accompanied by pictures projected on the board. At the end of each
topic, the teacher will ask either a mastery, interpersonal, understanding, or self-expressive
question.

The first discussion in the lecture will be on Jim Crow laws. The teacher will provide a
background on the creation, naming, and enforcement of these laws. At the completion of the
lecture on this topic, the teacher will ask the students to turn over the notes side of their paper
and summarize the lecture on Jim Crow laws in their own words.
The second topic of the lecture will be on the disenfranchisement of African Americans during
the New South period. This lecture will cover the basics of disenfranchisement and will include
examples of disenfranchisement efforts including poll taxes and literacy tests. At the completion
of this five minute lecture, the teacher will ask the students to imagine how the Civil Rights
movement may have been different if African Americans were allowed to freely vote during the
New South period.

The third topic of the lecture will be on the Plessy v. Ferguson case. This lecture will cover the
planned arrest of Homer Plessy for sitting in an all-white street car, the court case that followed,
and the protection of the separate but equal but ruling. At the completion of the lecture, the
teacher will ask the student to imagine they are Homer Plessy and how they would feel about the
ruling allowing separate, but equal.

The fourth topic of the lecture will be on the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot. At the completion of this
lecture, the teacher will ask the students consider some the causes of the riot were and what long
term effects those causes along with the events of the riots had on the development of race
relations in Atlanta.

Assessment: Students will be assessed informally based on the quality of responses to questions
during the lecture. At the completion of the lesson, students will discuss their answers to
questions with a partner. Students will complete a synthesis activity for further informal
assessment.

Differentiation:
Students will be provided multiple ways to demonstrate mastery.
Linguistic learners will have the opportunity to demonstrate understanding of concepts orally.
Intrapersonal learners will have the opportunity to complete the assignment independently.
Interpersonal learners will have the opportunity to express empathy in their answer.
Mastery learners will have the opportunity to describe concepts for understanding.

Resource(s)/Material(s):
Teacher created presentation based on SSUSH7b
Projector
Paper
Microsoft Surface
Hook picture:

1. Imagine you are one of these children. How would you feel about not being able to use the
playground in the park?

2. How do you personally feel when seeing this photo?

 Denial of African-American Rights
Event Summary Effect on Rights
Jim Crow Laws

Disenfranchisement

Plessy v. Ferguson

1906 Atlanta Race Riot

Mastery Task Interpersonal Task

In your own words, summarize the How do you think Homer Plessy felt about the
lecture on Jim Crow. ruling that allowed for the constitutional
protection of separate, but equal?

Understanding Task Self –Expressive Task

What long term effects on race relations How might the Civil Rights Movement have
did the 1906 Atlanta Race Riot have? been different if African Americans were
allowed to freely vote during the New South
period?
Synthesis Activity: Quiz

1. Explain the purpose of Jim Crow laws during the New South period.

2. What is disenfranchisement? What strategies were used to create the disenfranchisement of

African Americans during the New South period?

3. Describe the events leading up to the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906. How did the riots affect the
national perception of Atlanta?

4. Explain the Plessy v. Ferguson case and how it influenced laws for African-Americans.