Professional Documents
Culture Documents
II.
III.
IV.
Purpose
o Throughout the course of this unit, students will:
Analyze and evaluate their own opinions on justice, freedom, and
equality
Synthesize information from various documents for research
Expand their knowledge of multiple perspectives in the United States'
Civil Rights Movement
Goals
o Outline initial personal opinions on justice, freedom, and equality, and reevaluate these opinions given new understandings of these themes.
o Create a historical research-based character profile to defend one
perspective of the Civil Rights Movement.
o Summarize main ideas from a text for discussion.
o Sequence and synthesize information from multiple perspectives of research.
Objectives
o Given a character biography, students will research the characters
background and prepare for a RAFT in which they will defend their
characters stance on violent versus peaceful protests.
o Given their research and character portfolios students will participate in a
RAFT debating the use of violent versus peaceful protests as a response to
social injustice.
Standards
Connection between English and Social Studies:
1. Social Studies: Students will be researching topics regarding the civil
rights movement and the essential history goals.
2. English: Students will conduct research using their notes and outside
sources as a means to produce well-written character portfolios.
CCSS
o Reading Standards for Informational Text
1. 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented
in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as
in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.
o Writing Standards
1. 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence. Explore and inquire into areas of interest to formulate an
argument.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the
significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate
or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically
sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly,
supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out
the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates
the audiences knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
V.
VI.
VII.
classroom and library to conduct research using their class notes, books, and
valuable sources on the Internet.
Day 3
o
o
o
VIII.
IX.
X.
XI.
XII.
On the day of the RAFT students will divide into two previously determined
groups. One group will have prepared an argument in favor of violent
protesting and one group will have prepared an argument in favor of peaceful
protesting. Using their prepared arguments groups will work together to write
an argument that they will present to the opposing group.
Groups will present their arguments in the form of a debate, allowing for
rebuttals and group collaboration on responses.
While listening to the opposing group students will evaluate and reflect on
their peers performance using the following observations: presentation
effectiveness and suggestions to strengthen the argument
Assessment
o The character portfolio assignment will be introduced and students will be
given class time to work on their research.
o Students will use their character portfolios during the RAFT activity and will
turn in their assignment at the end of the debate. Students who may not have
been present on either day of the lesson will still be required to complete and
submit a character portfolio.
Closure
o Before leaving class students will finish and turn in their observation sheet by
writing something they learned from the debate.
Extension/Edmodo
o After participating in the debate and hearing the prepared arguments from
both sides how would you change your argument to make it more effective?
What aspects of others arguments did you find most convincing? What made
them convincing?
Modification
o Provide student with research for their character
Accommodation
o Give a character Profile Outline (i.e. Character Name, Place of Residence,
etc.)