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Inquiries Filed Under:

1960s and Revolution

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About the inquiry

The goal of this inquiry is to present the social movements of the 1960s as an interconnected whole, not just isolated causes. Doing so helps students understand the significance of the era and the mindset of people at the time. 1960s activists– and their critics– often spoke about change as a revolution.

Compelling Question

Did the movements of the 1960s create a revolution?

Staging Question

Have students search for “revolutionary” or “revolution” and various consumer products, and watch “What is Revolution?” and discuss the academic definition of revolution.

1
Supporting Question

Who created the movements of the 1960s-- were they ordinary people or elites?

Formative Tasks

Students work in groups to complete the graphic organizer provided for their assigned activists and then share with the class.

Sources

Students generate their own sources through Internet searches, guided by the graphic organizer provided (list of people to research also provided).

2
Supporting Question

What did the 1960s movements seek to change-- did those changes require reform or transformation?

Formative Tasks

Groups complete graphic organizers, then individually answer the supporting question in a thesis statement, listing 3-5 pieces of supporting evidence.

Sources

Source A: March on Washington
Source B: A Kind of Memo
Source C: The Incredible War
Source D: Where do we go from here?
Source E: El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán
Source F: Occupy Alcatraz

3
Supporting Question

Did activists work inside or outside the established political system?

Formative Tasks

Students complete a Venn diagram placing actions in circles of “within political system,” “outside political system,” or “both inside/outside.”

Sources

Source A: Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Source B: YouTube playlist (see links provided)

4
Supporting Question

Were the movements successful?

Formative Tasks

Students highlight or annotate the timeline and polling data for markers of success, barriers to success, or ambiguous relationship to success

Sources

Source A: Timeline: Charting the 1960s Movements Over 50 Years (provided)
Source B: Links to polling on topics related to the 1960s movements (provided)

Summative Performance Task

Argument: Construct an argument (detailed poster, outline, essay) that addresses the compelling question using specific claims and relevant evidence from the sources while acknowledging competing views.

Extension: Hold a structured academic controversy on the compelling question (examples of how to structure here: https://sheg.stanford.edu/structured-academic-controversy-sac-lessons).

Taking Informed Action

No data found.