Civil Rights History Tour in Sixth Grade
Source/Author: Rashanda Williams, Sixth Grade English Teacher
February 18, 2021
Sixth graders in Ms. Williams’ class read “Midnight Without a Moon” by Linda Williams Jackson and created a history tour in their classroom on civil rights issues related to the book.
The story focuses on a 13-year-old girl and her personal conflict regarding whether or not to become part of an important social justice movement after the murder of Emmett Till in the summer of 1955.
Students drew historic context sketchnotes about topics related to civil rights issues in the US in the 1950s and 1960s (Emmett Till, Ruby Bridges, NAACP, key activists, race relations, The Great Migration, etc.) to help them better understand the setting of the novel they read in class and make connections to the real world.
They placed their sketchnotes, research and videos around the classroom and hosted an exhibit-style history tour. Everyone walked around the room in small groups, in 6-minute rotations, to take notes on each other's research.
Later in the year, they'll be making their own documentaries about human rights, civil rights and environmental issues of their choice.
Find more photos here.
Find more photos here.
