Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era

Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era tells the story of one of the most tumultuous and important eras in American history through the lives of six major figures of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Thurgood Marshall, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, and Ella Baker. The work of these people sparked the passion of a nation and helped change the tide of social injustice in a way that reverberates to this day. Kids consider questions such as who are the leaders in today’s Black Lives Matter movement? Who is creating the paths toward justice and equality in today’s world? How far has the United States come in terms of equality? Hands-on projects about social justice issues alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Try these research projects! Analyze protest songs sung on civil rights marches Compare the history of women’s rights with the history of African American rights Research the influence civil rights leaders had on future leaders Compare and contrast speeches by civil rights leaders