Are We Free at Last?

Teacher Page

I created this lesson for Middle School Special Needs students to meet objectives on their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). As a part of Lewisville's ISD technology innovation, this WebQuest implements higher order thinking skills, Social Studies TEKS, and district standards.

This lesson was created to celebrate freedom and the beginning of a new revolution in the early 1900's. As we see that segregation no longer exits, how do we bring our kids to realize how far we have come? This WebQuest exposes students to blessings that they should be thankful for, and how influential people who are no longer alive still influence society.

Learners

This lesson was originally designed for Middle School Special Needs students who are functioning below grade level. Since Texas Teks are designed a specific grade levels, this lesson is suitable for 4th through 5th grade reading level students.

The learners should have basic knowledge of computer terms and surfing capabilities. The learners should know how to maneuver back and forth through pages in order to be successful at this project. The learners should also know how to work the basics of email or have access to an email address.

Curriculum Standards

• Texas TEKS Social Studies Standards Addressed

• History. The student understands the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations. The student is expected to:

• describe the origins of selected customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community, state, and nation such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Independence Day, and Veterans' Day;

• History. The student understands how historical figures and ordinary people helped to shape our community, state, and nation

• Use Social Studies Terminology correctly

In this lesson students will communicate via email, and work cooperatively with each other. This lesson will require critical thinking for the open ended responses. Following the lesson students will create a collage expressing their feelings. Have students orally present their projects to the class and explain what they learned. I chose to pair the students in different ethnic groups or gender because this allowed them to think about bias comments before they make them.

This lesson will require at least three 50 minute class lessons, depending on your students learning abilities.

The lesson is structures in 5 Steps, each can be divided amongst the team members or can be modified for individual use. As a writing lesson or extension have the students write a one page paper on their understanding of segregation.

If you choose to let the students work in groups, make sure the steps are equally divided.

The WebQuest is structured around several sites in the web. There are no back buttons in the references web page, so make sure the students know how to close windows correctly when the have found the information they are looking for.

As a teacher you should have basic knowledge of surfing the web. As a precaution complete the WebQuest your self and modify the student worksheet as needed. The teacher should act as a facilitator for students with experience and a coach for students who are newer to the web.

Before you begin this assignment you will need to:

• Choose a partner that is from a different ethnic group than yourself. (if this is not available choose a student of a different gender)

• Become familiar with some of the vocabulary used in the WebQuest.

• To become familiar with the Vocabulary that you will run across, go to Martin Luther King, Jr. Vocabulary and study the worksheet.
• Once you have looked at each worksheet, go to the Matching Worksheet and test your memory.

• Determine which member will search for Martin Luther King information and who will search info on the Constitutional Amendments.

• Students Worksheet

Let's Begin:

Step 1: Who is Martin Luther King Junior?

Open this Timeline to learn about him.

Step 2: Research Mr. King

Can you answer these questions: (click each picture to open a new link)

1. Name the speech that Martin Luther King Jr. became famous for?

2. Even though Martin Luther King is no longer living, he is still especially remembered in what month and day every year?

3. Why did Martin Luther King stage a boycott in Montgomery Alabama in 1955?
   

4. What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 say? What is your definition of racism?

5. Look at the images from http://www.sithly.com/enchantme/inmemory/mlk/index.html and read the summary of each photo.

Step 3: Research the Constitutional Amendments

Can you answer these questions: (click each picture to open a new link)

1. Which amendment protects our Civil Rights?

2. In what year did Congress pass a new Civil Rights Act, designed to prohibit segregation in public facilities and accommodations, such as theaters, hotels, and restaurants?

3. In what legal case did the Supreme Court rule that segregation in schools violated the 14th Amendment?

4. Name three areas in the Jim Crow laws that separated blacks and whites? For example: Education or Schooling

Step 4: Racism Today

Can you answer these questions: (click each picture to open a new link)

1. Which restaurant in the mid 1990's faced a class-action lawsuit for racial discrimination?

2. In 2001 another famous restaurant chain was sued for $100 million dollars for allegedly segregating black customers into the smoking section to deny them service.

• Read the following articles CNN.com & LookSmart Articles and discuss with your partner the final outcome, why you think it happened, and if the allegations seemed true or not.

• Be prepared to tell the class a brief summary of what you read.

• Choose and print 2 images from "Google Images" for your collage. (One image must be on segregation and the other on equality)

  To get images: (you must use Google Images) Type in segregation in the search box, then click Search. Browse the first 2 PAGES and choose one image. Right click on the image to bring it up. Then click on the image at the top near the address bar to get a bigger picture. Go to file and print. Repeat the same steps for the next picture. Good Luck!

Step 5: Send a Freedom Card

Go to MLK Jr. E-Cards and choose a card that you would like to send to a friend. Personalize the card with the correct information. Using your Smartkidsmail address send this to someone very special. If you do not have an email address, check with your teacher to see if you can use your parents or schools general email account.

Resources Needed

Here are the things that will make this WebQuest an adventurous success.

• E-mail accounts for all students can be obtained at smartkidsmail.com for free.
• Some of the links have MPEG and Real Player files to listen to MLK Speeches. This would be an additional component that will bring students closer to understanding Mr. King's purpose.
• Students Worksheet

This lesson can be done with one teacher with a small class or if you have a larger class and aide or another teacher would be useful for successful completion of the lesson.

Evaluation

Teachers check for understanding throughout the lesson. See to it that the students are creative in their collage as well as their explanations. Use the grading rubric to determine if objectives were mastered.

Your grade will be determined on how well you answered the questions, completed your greeting card, and your collage. Use the rubric below to assess your performance.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4	Score
Research factual information on Martin Luther King, Amendments, Racism Today.	Answered 1-3 questions correctly out of 12. Several mistakes or skipped questions. Missed the concept of the questions.	Answered 4-7 questions correctly out of 12. Minimal mistakes or skipped questions. Missed the concept of the questions.	Answered 8-10 questions correctly out of 12. Several mistakes or skipped questions. Understood the concept of the questions	Answered 11-12 questions correctly out of 12. no mistakes and very detailed explanations.
Freedom Card	Didn't choose a card at all. Or Chose a card with out editing it.	Chose a card but didn't edit it correctly.	Chose a card, edited the card correctly, attempted or sent the card to someone in the class.	Chose the card, edited the card, mailed the card. Used the correct sender and receiver in the information line.
The Collage	No Images, no text, only hand written information.	Used text, but didn't follow the image guidelines.	One image that didn't follow guidelines. used appropriate text to describe collage.	Final product is colorful and speaks out. Followed guidelines for images, wrote or typed test to explain collage.

Conclusion

Students should have a working knowledge of vocabulary used in this lesson. Students should be able to discuss what they learned and relate today's society with the past.

Credits

Thanks to all the wonderful people in the world who provided these links, images and useful information. Keep Dr. Kings Dream alive by educating our children on the past, present, and future.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/36_l_johnson/psources/ps_civilrights.html

http://www.holidays.net/mlk/rosa.htm

http://www.familyeducation.com/quiz/0,1399,67-11649,00.html

http://www.grandview.mccsc.edu/mlk04/MW/past.htm

http://www.sithly.com/enchantme/inmemory/mlk/index.html

http://www.nps.gov/malu/documents/jim_crow_laws.htm

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/stories/120900/new_10.html

http://encarta.msn.com/text_761580651___3/Segregation_in_the_United_States.html

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/remembering/laws.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/mlk/classroom/MLKquiz.html

http://people.brandeis.edu/~fft/food%20for%20thought%20logo-little.jpg

http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/equal_protection.html

http://www.africana.com/research/encarta/segregation.asp

http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/early-civilrights/brown.html