Design for Learning

Lesson 2
Instructor: Lynn Putnam
Lesson Title: A Call to Action
Curriculum Area: Social Studies

Grade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 4th

Date: April 2016
Estimated Time: 1 day

Standards Connection: 4.14 Analyze the modern Civil Rights Movement to determine
the social, political, and economic impact on Alabama.
Recognizing important persons of the modern Civil Rights Movement, including Martin
Luther King, Jr.; George C. Wallace; Rosa Parks; Fred Shuttlesworth; John Lewis;
Malcolm X; Thurgood Marshall; Hugo Black; and Ralph David Abernathy
Describing events of the modern Civil Rights Movement, including the Montgomery Bus
Boycott, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, the Freedom
Riders bus bombing, and the Selma-to-Montgomery March
Explaining benefits of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and
Brown versus Board of Education Supreme Court case of 1954
Using vocabulary associated with the modern Civil Rights Movement, including
discrimination, prejudice, segregation, integration, suffrage, and rights
Learning Objective(s): After reading a portion of Letter From a Birmingham Jail,
students will complete a Sentence-Phrase-Word assessment based on the letter.
Learning Objective(s) stated in kid-friendly language: Today, boys and girls, we
will be learning about and analyzing the rhetoric used during the CRM and how this was
a call to action for the African American Community.
Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): Students will complete a Sentence-PhraseWord assessment. The students will be given a copy of Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
They must write a sentence that was meaningful to them, a phrase that provoked or
engaged them, and a word that captured their attention. All of these must be followed by
an explanation. This will be taken up as a formative assessment, with a completion
grade attached.
Engagement: The teacher will call the students to the carpet based on their table
groups. Good morning, boys and girls! Thank you all for coming to the carpet nice and
quietly. Teacher opens unit PowerPoint and goes to slide 18. Today, we are going to
continue learning about the CRM. The title of todays lesson is A Call to Action. I am
about to show you a portion of a picture. I am going to give you all a moment to look at
it quietly and think about what you notice or what you think is happening. Teacher goes

to slide 19. She gives the students time to think before asking questions. She asks:
What do you see or notice? What is your hypothesis or interpretation of what this might
be based on what youre seeing? She calls on at least 3 students to share their
thoughts and has students respond to their peers. Now, I am going to show you more of
the picture. Teacher moves to slide 20 to reveal more of the image. Now take another
moment to observe the photo. She asks the questions again. Specifically focusing on
what the predictions students are changing their mind on now that they see more of the
image. What new things do you see? How does this change your hypothesis or
interpretation? How does this new information change what you wondered about the
image? What new things are you wondering about? She calls on at least 3 students to
share their thoughts and has students respond to their peers. Now, I am going to reveal
the whole image! The teacher then reveals the whole image on slide 21, showing the
enormous crowd listening to MLK at the Washington Memorial. She asks these same
questions again. What new things do you see? How does this change your hypothesis
or interpretation? How does this new information change what you wondered about the
image? What new things are you wondering about? She calls on at least 3 students to
share their thoughts and has students respond to their peers. The teacher explains that
this picture shows MLK Jr. giving a speech in Washington D.C. and this speech was a
turning point in the CRM. Do you all think a persons words can have a large impact?
This is what we are going to discuss today! Transition to teaching
Learning Design:
I. Teaching: The teacher will send the students back to their desks based on their table
groups. Thank you all so much for being so nice and quiet! Can everyone please pull
out your note taking graphic organizer that I gave you all last lesson? The teacher goes
to slide 22. Lets go over our essential question once again. Can I have a volunteer to
read it please? Student reads: During the Civil Rights Movement, how did the people
who experienced injustice strive to achieve equality? What did we discuss yesterday
about this question? Students will say they discussed what injustice and equality mean.
What kind of injustice were African Americans facing? Why? The teacher will ask
question to specifically hear the students use the new vocabulary that was introduced
last lesson as well as separate but equal and Jim Crow Laws. Great job! Like I said last
lesson, today we are going to begin to learn how the African American community
worked to achieve equality. Teacher goes to slide 23. I have someone I want to
introduce to you all. His name is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Has anyone heard this name
before? What do you already know about him? MLK Jr. was a Baptist minister and a
Civil Rights activist. Has anyone heard the word activist before? An activist is someone
who campaigns or works towards a social change. So, in this case, MLK Jr. was
working for a social change between races. He is an important person that we will be
talking a lot about because he led the way for the Modern CRM. Without him and his

voice, the CRM would not have been what it was and produced so much change in that
amount of time. To further introduce Martin Luther King to you all, I have a story to
share! It is called My Brother Martin. It is written by his older sister Christine. The
teacher pulls out the book. Just by looking at the cover and knowing the title, what do
you all think the story will be about? The teacher will call on at least three students to
make predictions. Raise your hand if you have a brother or sister. Now, keep your hand
raised if you would like the idea of your brother or sister writing a story about you. The
teacher calls on a couple students to have them explain why they would or would not
like this. This is a collection of memories that his sister has about him while they were
growing up. Here is what the book description says: Long before he became a worldfamous dreamer, Martin Luther King Jr. was a little boy who played jokes and practiced
the piano and made friends without considering race. But growing up in the segregated
south of the 1930s taught young Martin a bitter lesson -- little white children and little
black children were not to play with one another. Martin decided then and there that
something had to be done. And so he began the journey that would change the course
of American history. How, interesting does that sound? I think it sounds wonderful!
Now, lets begin the story. The teacher reads the story, stopping every couple pages to
have the students make predictions and ask them questions. What did you all think of
the story, boys and girls? How did you predictions of the story line up with the actual
text? Do you all think you know Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. better? I know I do! Teacher
moves to slide 24. Today, we will be focusing on rhetoric. What is rhetoric? Has anyone
heard this word before? Rhetoric is using language to persuade or influence people.
Words have power. They can be used to persuade, inform, or fight for something. Do
you all think a single letter, speech, or conversation can have this effect? Turn and talk
with a partner. Teacher gives the students a minute to discuss, then calls on a few
students. What did you all discuss? Why do you think that? Have you ever used your
words to persuade someone or change their mind about something? The teacher goes
to slide 25. MLK Jr.s most famous speech has is known as the I Have a Dream
speech. This emphasized his belief that one day all men could be brothers. Do you
think he meant actual brothers? Thats right! He meant that everyone would treat each
other like brothers and love one another, no matter the color of their skin. The picture
that we looked at earlier in the lesson was from MLK Jr. giving this speech. That was a
giant crowd wasnt it? Do you think that someone in that crowd was inspired by his
words and wanted to do something to achieve equality? Through this speech, many
people in cities not experiencing racial tension began to question the nation's Jim Crow
laws and the second-class treatment of African American citizens. That is exactly the
impact that MLK Jr. wanted to have. He wanted people to question the segregation laws
in America and take action to have them go away. Now, we are going to watch a clip
from the I Have a Dream speech. Pay close attention to the way he talks and the
power behind his voice, as well as the reaction of the crowd. To help you all follow
along, I have a copy of this portion of the speech we will be watching. When something

is impactful to you, or you have a question about something, underline it and we can
discuss after the video clip is over. Teacher clicks the hyperlink and the class watches
the clip. After watching the speech, the class will do The 4 Cs activity. She will record
the discussion of each question on its own piece of chart paper. Okay boys and girls,
now we are going to discuss the speech using the 4 Cs technique that we have used
many times before in class. Teacher moves to slide 26. I will record some of our
thoughts on chart paper. The first C is connections. We are going to connect the
speech to our own lives and what we have learned in other subjects. So, what
connections do you draw between the speech and your own life or your other learning?
Teacher records student thoughts and comments. The next C is challenge. Is there
anything in this speech that you didnt agree with that you would like to challenge?
What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge or argue with in the
speech? Teacher records student thoughts and comments. The third C is concepts.
What key concepts or ideas do you think are important and worth holding on to from the
speech? What was his main reason for giving this speech? Teacher records student
thoughts and comments. The last C is change. What changes in attitudes, thinking, or
action are suggested by the speech, either for you or others? What does Martin Luther
King Jr. want to change in the country? How does he say it is going to happen? Teacher
records student thoughts and comments. Wonderful thinking, boys and girls! I am very
impressed with you all. I am going to leave these pieces of chart paper in the room so
you all will be able to look at them throughout the unit. Teacher goes to slide 27. Now,
we are going to discuss another way MLK Jr. used his gift of rhetoric to impact the
CRM. In the spring of 1963, MLK Jr. was arrested while leading supporters of his
Southern Christian Leadership Conference in a nonviolent protest. The SCLC was a
Civil Rights activist group fighting for equality and justice in a peaceful way. While in jail,
King wrote a letter to local white ministers justifying his decision not to call off the
protest, even though he and the other people protesting were being beaten and hurt by
local police officers. This letter outlined why he wanted equality as well as the change
that he was hoping to see. His letter was published in the national press, along with
shocking pictures of police brutality against protesters in Birmingham. MLK Jr. was
arrested for doing nothing illegal. So, why do you think he was arrested? Is that fair?
Think about that for a moment. Now, talk to a neighbor. Please raise your hand if you
would like to share what you and your partner talked about. Students share and class
discusses. What impact do you think his letter had as well as the pictures that were
published? These two forms of rhetoric used by MLK Jr. were a call to action. No one
would have strove to achieve equality if they werent inspired or felt a calling to. That
was the purpose behind MLK Jr.s words. The teacher will move to slide 28. Now, we
are going to do an activity to show all we have learned about MLK Jr. and the impact he
had. We will be doing an open-mind portrait. The teacher will pass out large, rectangular
pieces of construction paper to the class and instruct them to take out their own
markers. You all will draw a portrait of MLK Jr. on one side of the paper I just gave you,

then on the back of the page, you will draw the back of his head. On the back of his
head, you will draw phrases, symbols, or small pictures that make up who he is and
what you know about his impact on the CRM thus far. When you have finished, I will
hang these up in the classroom so everyone can see each others pictures and what
they believe encompass MLK Jr. These will be hung up in the classroom using fishing
line, so that they will be seen from all angles. This will allow the students to observe
their friends work and see what others think. Now that you all have your supplies, you
can get to work! Teacher walks around the room and facilitates as the students are
working. She gives at least 10 minutes for this activity. I see some wonderful open mind
portraits, boys and girls! Is there anyone who would like to share theirs with the class?
The teacher allows 3-5 students to share. Transition to practice
II. Opportunity for Practice: Now that we have learned about the rhetoric used by Martin
Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement and gotten into his brain, we are going
to complete a creative writing activity. I am going to pass out to each of you the writing
prompt as well as paper to complete the activity. Teacher passes out directions and
paper. Lets go over the directions together. They say: Imagine you were living during
the Civil Rights Movement and advocating for desegregation. Write a letter or speech to
persuade, inform, or inspire people for your cause. Use the lines below to write your
letter or speech. Use complete sentences! So, you all will first choose whether you
want to write a letter or speech. Then, you will write about why you think segregation is
not fair for African Americans. You must write at least five sentences, and they must be
complete sentences with proper grammar. Are there any questions? Teacher will
answer questions. When you are finished, you may choose a book from our Civil Rights
book collection at the front of the room to read, or choose an activity from the choice
board. Then, when I call time, you will share your speeches or letters with your table
group. Now, you all may get to work! The teacher gives the students about 10 minutes
to complete. Alright boys and girls, put your finishing touches on your writing. Now, you
all will share what you wrote with your table groups. The teacher gives the students
about five minutes for this. Teacher claps to get students attention. Now, I would like
each table group to choose one person from the group who they think was the most
inspiring and persuasive. If your group chooses you, please come up to the front of the
room because you will be sharing your writing for the class! The teacher waits for the
four students to come to the front and allows each child to read their speech or letter.
The class will discuss what made each writing influential and connect this to how these
specific words can make a change for equality. Transition to assessment
III. Assessment: The teacher will go to slide 29 and introduce and explain the
assessment of Sentence-Phrase-Word. Great job on your speeches and letters, class!
I am very impressed with the thought and effort you put into your wok. Now it is time for
our assessment. Each of you will be given a copy of a portion of Letter from a
Birmingham Jail. After reading it, you must write a sentence that was meaningful to
you, a phrase that provoked or engaged you, and a word that captured your attention.
Each of these must be followed by a brief explanation as to why you chose that

sentence, phrase, and word and how this impacts the fight for equality. In order to get
full credit for your work, you must make sure you have a sentence, phrase, and word
with explanations! When you are finished, please turn in your paper to the basket at the
back table. Teacher passes out copies of the letter along with the assessment
worksheet. If you finish early, you may continue one of the projects from the choice
board if you have started one, or you may choose to begin one! To remind you all, all of
the directions and resources you need for the choice board activities are on the side
table by the door! Now, you may begin your assessment! She walks around the room
and keeps an eye on students as they are completing their assessment.
IV. Closure: Teacher asks closing questions: What is rhetoric? How is this used to
inspire people? What kind of power can words have? How did MLK Jr. influence the
nation through his words? Now, please take out your chromebooks, go to our classroom
website, and answer the question for the day. Once you all are on the webpage, please
give me a thumbs up. Great! Everyone is there. Lets all go to the blog post for today
and I will read you all the question. The question for today says: How was rhetoric
used during the Civil Rights Movement to influence the nation? Now, you will have five
minutes to respond to the question. The teacher gives about 5 minutes to complete this.
The teacher will give a sneak peak into the next lesson to get the students excited about
the topic and wanting to know more. Now that the African American community has a
call to action, how will they act upon it to achieve equality? This is what we will be
covering next lesson!

Materials and Resources:

Unit PowerPoint
(https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UuJjslSVKg2lAvhmNwDIfEuqElowJy8h3Yli6d
YYPfY/edit#slide=id.gcb9a0b074_1_0)
Elmo projector
Student chromebooks
Classroom website (http://fourthgradersforequality.weebly.com/a-call-to-action)
Graphic organizer
I Have a Dream video
Copy of I Have a Dream (1 per student)
Copy of Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1 per student)
Butcher paper
Construction paper and markers/ crayons
Sentence-Phrase-Word assessment
Creative writing prompt
My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris
Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners): If needed,
selected students will be given graphic organizers that are already filled in so they are

able to follow more closely with the lesson, rather than trying to take notes and falling
behind and missing information. Gifted students will be given a choice board of
extension activities for each lesson. This will allow them to apply their knowledge on a
deeper level and use higher level thinking skills.
Data Analysis:
Reflection: