By
[Text Publisher]
Recommended For
Upper Elementary School - Middle School
Words
60
Lexile
0L
Published
2026-05-01
PLACEHOLDER—pending perms
[Text]
WHEN IMAGES ARE PLACED, THESE ARE THE REQUIRED COPYRIGHT CREDITS:
Gordon Parks
Untitled, Shady Grove, Alabama, 1956
Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation
Gordon Parks
At Segregated Drinking Fountain, Mobile, Alabama, 1956
Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation
Gordon Parks
Department Store, Mobile, Alabama, 1956
Courtesy of and copyright The Gordon Parks Foundation
Directions: In this unit, we are looking at history not just as a list of dates but as a series of choices about what we remember and how we speak up. Read the following essential questions:
How does storytelling become a tool for civic change?
What is civic memory, and what responsibilities come with remembering?
Directions: “Look at the words civic, segregation, and discrimination. Think about what each word means and how it connects to the ideas and events you are studying in this unit. As you discuss these words with your classmates, consider how they help explain the experiences and issues explored in the texts.”
Civic: related to a community and how people participate in public life, including rights, responsibilities, and how decisions are made (laws, voting, government, and community action)
Segregation: the practice of separating people into different groups and keeping them apart in schools, neighborhoods, public places, or services—often by law or policy
Discrimination: treating someone unfairly because of who they are (such as their race, gender, religion, disability, or background), including denying equal opportunities or rights
Directions: Turn and talk in small groups to discuss the questions provided. These questions will help you better understand the Essential Questions for this unit. As you discuss, ask questions that connect to the ideas being shared and respond to others’ questions using relevant evidence and ideas. Listen carefully to your classmates, acknowledge new information that others share, and express your own ideas when appropriate. Use the context provided with each question to help guide your discussion if you need additional support.
What is an example of civic change?
What do you think civic memory means?
Why might it be important for people to remember times when segregation and discrimination were lawful?
Gallery Walk
Directions: You are now civic investigators. Your goal is to look for the “chain” discussed in Part A: how everyday discrimination led to collective action, and how those actions ultimately reshaped civic memory. As you read and analyze the sources, look for evidence that shows how one event or action led to another and how these moments helped influence the way people remember and understand the events of the Civil Rights Movement.
Using the following sources, you will move through the gallery in small groups, using the Notice, Wonder, Connect graphic organizer.
Segregation Story, 1956: Use this to see the “daily limits” and physical reality of segregation.
SNCC Flyer: Use this to see how personal frustration was organized into a movement.
Congressman John R. Lewis: Use this to see how one person’s testimony moved from the streets to the halls of government.
What does each source show you?
Who was John Lewis, and what were his accomplishments?
Why is John Lewis’s story worthy of deeper investigation?
Choose one visual detail or caption from the gallery walk. Explain how that specific piece of evidence helps you answer one of our Essential Questions: How does storytelling become a tool for civic change? OR What is civic memory, and what responsibilities come with remembering?
