Civil Rights Leaders

 

WebQuest for 6th Grade (Language Arts)

Designed by
Samantha Solic
samantha.solic@dpsnc.net

Introduction | Task | Resources | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction
Racism is a central theme of the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry. The Logan family could not escape the racism and segregation that existed in rural Mississippi during the 1930's. Yet, they never allowed people like the Wallaces and Harlan Granger to make them feel worthless. Instead, they clung to the land (a symbol of freedom), boycotted the Wallace store, and raised their children to believe that they were just as important as whites.

The Task
Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry documents the story of a fictional family that fought against racism. Your job will be to research real-life civil rights leaders who fought for equality & write an essay explaining how you would handle a racist situation. Some of the figures you will be researching are well known civil-rights leaders. Others are less well-known, but have made equal contributions to the civil rights movement. Research findings will help you to develop possible solutions you can incorporate into your final essay.
Resources
Get to Know the Civil Rights Leaders

The Process

  1. Choose two to three civil rights leaders to research, look for pictures and quotes that reflect how they dealt with racism.
  2. Complete the Bio-Cube on at least three figures.
  3. Choose one figure to present your findings to the rest of the class.
  4. Paste their picture on a piece of construction paper & laminate.
  5. Present your findings. A complete, formal presentation must include:
    • Laminated Picture
    • Brief Biography of the Peron's life that provides an overview of the time & place in which they lived
    • Racism they were confronted with
    • Their philosophy on dealing with racism
    • Quotation
  6. Write an essay using the prompt below:

Writing Prompt:
You are on your way home from school when you see a group of large boys pushing around a classmate of yours.  They are calling your classmate a “nigger” and knocking his books onto the ground.  The classmate asks the group of boys to stop, but they just laugh and continue to make racist remarks.  You feel you should do something because their words & actions are wrong, and if ignored could lead to more serious problems.

Explain how you would solve the problem in a way that you think will help your classmate without putting yourself in too much danger. Be specific in explaining the actions you would take.

Note! You will turn in all stages of the writing process (problem/ solution graphic organizer, rough draft, and final draft). Do not throw these pieces away.

Evaluation

Conclusion
The Logans are a fictional family, but there were certainly many families like the Logans that fought against racism and segregation. The civil rights leaders that you researched are just a few examples of brave African-Americans. Many individuals have gone unnoticed, and the battle against racism is still not won. I hope that this project has inspired you to consider what you can do to combat racism in our time.

Last updated November 15, 2006