Building Block Stacks 1
How can music be a call to action?
This inquiry invites students to examine how musicians use their work to respond to societal challenges and promote change. Students will explore how these songs highlight critical issues like civil rights and social justice by analyzing “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke (written in 1963) and “Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan […]
The class begins with background on Sam Cooke, followed by students reading and listening to A Change is Gonna Come or Blowin’ in the Wind while annot…
Building Block Stacks 2
How can photographs be a call to action?
This inquiry explores how photographs of the Selma to Montgomery march served as a call to action during the Civil Rights Movement. By analyzing historical images and primary sources, students will examine the courage and resilience of the marchers, the impact of these visuals on public opinion, and the passage of the Voting Rights Act […]
The class begins with students analyzing photos from the Selma to Montgomery march using the See it, Feel it, Name it! strategy, first noting observat…
Building Block Stacks 3
How can print media be a call to action?
This inquiry invites students to explore the role of print media in driving social change by examining the murder of Emmett Till and the impact of Jet magazine’s coverage. Students will analyze the September 1955 issue of Jet magazine that featured the graphic image of Till’s open casket, exploring how this image shocked the nation […]
The class begins with students reading an NAACP press release on Emmett Till’s lynching and reflecting through a Head prompt. They then watch a video…
Building Block Stacks 4
How can social media be a call to action?
This inquiry examines how social media has become a powerful tool for modern youth activism, focusing on the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Students will analyze how platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok amplify voices, mobilize protests, and inspire global action against racial injustice and police brutality. By comparing the role of photographs in historical […]
The class begins with students reading a text on Black Lives Matter and applying the Sentence, Phrase, Word strategy to identify key ideas. They then…
Building Block Stacks 5
How can television be a call to action?
This inquiry explores how television can inspire social change, focusing on the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama. Students will analyze how footage of children enduring fire hoses and police dogs revealed the brutal realities of segregation and moved President John F. Kennedy to advocate for the Civil Rights Act. Through this, students will understand the […]
The class begins with students analyzing news broadcasts and Kennedy’s Civil Rights Address using a dialectical journal to select quotations and refle…