Lessons
In Solidarity: Southern Jews and the Civil Rights Movement
State standards
Results
2014 Wyoming Social Studies Content and Performance Standards [See Full Text]
WY SS8.2.4
Explain the cultural
contributions of and
tensions between groups in
Wyoming, the United
States, and the World (e.g.,
racial, ethnic, social and
institutional).
WY SS8.4.4
Identify historical
interactions between and
among individuals, groups,
and/or institutions (e.g.,
family, neighborhood,
political, economic,
religious, social, cultural,
and workplace).
WY SS12.4.4
Describe the
historical interactions
between and among
individuals, groups, and/or
institutions (e.g., family,
neighborhood, political,
economic, religious, social,
cultural, and workplace) and
their impact on significant
historical events.
2018 Ohio's Learning Standards Social Studies [See Full Text]
OH SS 9-12.AH.27.
Following World War II, the United States experienced a struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil rights.
OH SS 9-12.AG.4.
The processes of persuasion, compromise, consensus building and negotiation contribute to the democratic process.
OH SS 9-12.AG.15.
Historically, the United States has struggled with majority rule and the extension of minority rights. As a result of this struggle, the government has increasingly extended civil rights to marginalized groups and broadened opportunities for participation.
OH SS 9-12.AG.19.
Individuals and organizations play a role within federal, state and local governments in helping to determine public (domestic and foreign) policy.
2019 Oklahoma Academic Standards Social Studies [See Full Text]
OK SS 6.1.1.
Demonstrate an understanding of the virtue of civil discourse to analyze and address real-world problems.
OK SS 6.2.1.
Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of government, the benefits of democratic systems, and their responsibilities as citizens.
OK SS 8.4.6.
Define civic virtue and explain the individual's duties and responsibilities.
OK SS USH.7.1.
Analyze the major events, personalities, tactics, and effects of the Civil Rights Movement.
OK SS USH.7.2.
Examine how the Civil Rights Movement intersected with various other movements for individual rights and liberties.
OK SS USG.8.2.
Define civic virtue and explain the individual's duty and responsibility to participate in civic life.
2024 Oregon Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
OR SS HS.C.IR.9
Describe the civic behaviors that promote and strengthen a pluralistic democracy.
OR SS HS.C.DP.12
Using primary sources from multiple perspectives, identify and explain historical and contemporary efforts to narrow discrepancies between foundational ideas and values of American democracy and the realities of American political and civic life for traditionally underrepresented groups.
OR SS HS.US.CH.2
Using primary sources from multiple perspectives, identify and analyze developments in the growth of the US economy, the changing role of government, and efforts of individuals and organizations attempting to reduce political, economic, and social inequalities in the 20th century.
OR SS HS.US.CE.10
Evaluate the actdions and methods groups facing discrimination used to achieve expansion of rights and libereties from 1865-present.
OR SS HS.US.CP.18
Analyze the origins, evolution, and goals of the movement for Black equality from 1865 to the present, including examples of the social and political resistance to integration and equality.
OR SS HS.US.CP.19
Identify and analyze political, social, and intellectual movements in the post-WWII United States that challenged discrimination and changed traditional assumptions about race, ethnicity, class, gender, the environment, and religion.
2003 Pennsylvania Academic Standards for History [See Full Text]
PA SS 8.3.12.
Identify and evaluate the political and cultural contributions of individuals and groups to United States history from 1890 to Present.
2022 Rhode Island Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
RI SS6.1.2
Analyze the sources scholars use to study the past
RI SS8.1.2
Argue what it meant to be civically engaged in the past and identify ways to participate today
RI SS8.6.4
Argue the impacts individuals and groups have made towards securing civil rights in the United States
RI SSHS.CVC.7.2
Argue the impacts of Americans who have acted to address social inequalities in the past
RI SSHS.USII.6.1
Argue the ways legal and social actions for and against civil rights affected the lives of Black Americans before the Civil Rights Act of 1964
RI SSHS.USII.6.2
Argue the ways individuals and groups impacted the movement for the fight for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s and how those impacts continue to have lasting global social, political, and economic effects
2023 South Dakota Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
SD 8.SS.6.E
The student explains efforts to secure civil rights for African Americans, including the efforts
of:
̵ Rosa Parks
̵ Ruby Bridges
̵ Martin Luther King, Jr.
̵ Montgomery Bus Boycott
̵ Malcom X
̵ Greensboro sit-ins
̵ Freedom Riders
̵ March on Washington
SD 8.SS.6.K
The student identifies actions taken on behalf of African Americans after the Civil Rights Act, including the Selma to Montgomery March, Black Panthers, affirmative action, and civil unrest.
SD SS 9-12.USH.19.E
The student explains efforts to secure civil rights for African Americans, including the efforts of:
̵ Rosa Parks
̵ Ruby Bridges
̵ Martin Luther King, Jr.
̵ Montgomery Bus Boycott
̵ Malcom X
̵ Greensboro sit-ins
̵ Freedom Riders
̵ March on Washington
SD SS 9-12.USH.19.K
The student identifies actions taken on behalf of African Americans after the Civil Rights Act, including the Selma to Montgomery March, Black Panthers, affirmative action, and civil unrest.
2017 Tennessee Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
TN SS AAH.41
Describe various methods employed by African Americans to obtain civil rights.
TN SS AAH.43
Identify various organizations and their roles in the Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Black Panthers, Highlander Folk School, SNCC).
TN SS US.79
Examine the roles and actions of civil rights advocates (e.g., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks) and opponents (e.g., Bull Connor, Orval Faubus, Strom Thurmond) and how they coincided with, confronted, and challenged each other.
TN SS US.80
Describe the significant events in the struggle to secure civil rights for African Americans, including:
• Montgomery Bus Boycott • Marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and • Integration of Clinton High School in sit-ins (e.g., Nashville) Clinton, TN • March on Washington, D.C. • Integration of Central High School in • Birmingham bombings of 1963 Little Rock, AR • Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. • Freedom Riders • Highlander Folk School
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills: Social Studies [See Full Text]
TX SS 113.41.d.9
The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement
TX SS.113.51.c.5.C
describe the continued struggle for civil rights in America during this time in history such as the notable works of the NAACP, National Urban League, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and local leaders
TX SS.113.51.c.5.H
analyze the successes, failures, and ongoing impact of the Civil Rights Movement, including methods such as sit-ins, boycotts, marches, speeches, music, and organizations
2022 Utah Core State Standards for Social Studies: 7-12 [See Full Text]
UT SS U.S. II Standard 4.2
Students will use case studies involving African-American civil rights leaders and events to compare, contrast, and evaluate the effectiveness of various methods used to achieve reform,such as civil disobedience, legal strategies, and political organizing.
2014 College, Career and Civil Life C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards (Vermont) [See Full Text]
VT SS D2.His.3.6-8
Use questions generated about individuals and groups to analyze why they, and the developments they shaped, are seen as historically significant.
VT SS D2.His.3.9-12
Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
VT SS D2.His.4.6-8
Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
VT SS D2.His.4.9-12
Analyze complex and interacting factors that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
2023 Virginia History and Social Studies Standards of Learning [See Full Text]
VA SS USII.8.a
examining the contributions of key leaders and events during the Civil Rights Era including, but not limited to Robert Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Jonathan Daniels, Dorothy Height, the Selma march, sit-ins, and boycotts
VA SS VUS.16.a
analyzing the origins of the Civil Rights Movement, the effects of segregation, and efforts to desegregate schools, transportation, and public areas
VA SS VUS.16.d
analyzing key events including, but not limited to the murder of Emmett Till, bus boycotts, Little Rock Central High School desegregation, Greensboro sit-ins, Freedom Rides, Birmingham demonstrations, the 1963 March on Washington, the Freedom Summer, and Selma to Montgomery Marches, with additional emphasis on events in Virginia
2019 Washington Social Studies Learning Standards [See Full Text]
WA SS H2.11-12.3
Evaluate how individuals and movements have shaped contemporary world issues.
WA SS H3.11-12.1
Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
2023 Washington, D.C. K-12 Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
DC SS US2.62
Assess when the Civil Rights Movement began and ended, evaluating grassroots and advocacy movements from the 1890s through the 1960s and into the 21st century.
DC SS US2.66
Analyze the tactics used by different Civil Rights organizations and leaders to achieve racial and economic equality in the South, including key events organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Black Panthers, Brown Berets, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
DC SS US2.69 A
Analyze the contributions of different groups to the Civil Rights Movement and how it inspired and intersected with various other civil rights movements and events including but not limited to the gay rights movement, the Stonewall Uprising, the American Indian Movement (AIM), the United Farm Workers, the Women’s Liberation Movement, the Asian American Movement, disability rights movement, Chicano Movement, Latinx resistance and the anti-war movements.
2021 West Virginia Social Studies Curriculum Standards [See Full Text]
WV SS.CS.23
Demonstrate an understanding of the origins, struggle and progress of racial
minorities seeking social, economic and political equality in the United States.
-Examine and identify the foundations of the Civil Rights Movement through documents
(e.g., Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, etc.) and Supreme Court decisions
(e.g., Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. BOE Topeka).
-Investigate and cite examples of intolerance, prejudice, persecution, discrimination and
segregation (e.g., Black Codes and Jim Crow laws).
-Debate the role of activists for and against the Civil Rights Movement (e.g., KKK, Black
Panthers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., SCLC, Student Non-Violent Coordinating
Committee, AIM, Chicano Movement and UFWOC).
WV SS.USC.29
Demonstrate an understanding of the social and political conflicts that brought forth
an era of change in America.
-Investigate key people, places, and events of the African-American Civil Rights
Movement.
2018 Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies [See Full Text]
WI SS.Hist2.b.m
Explain patterns of change
over time in the community,
the state, the United States,
and the world.
WI SS.PS2.a.h
Critique the struggle for
suffrage and citizenship
since the founding period.
Analyze the constitutional
tension between protecting
individual rights and
promoting the general
welfare and security of the
country, as well as between
majority rule and minority
rights.
Assess the impact of
individuals, groups, and
movements on the
development of civil rights
for different groups.
WI SS.PS2.c.m
Compare and contrast the
political, social, and
economic status of
marginalized groups both
historically and in the
present, both in the United
States and worldwide.
Investigate how groups
(e.g., women, religious
groups, civil rights groups,
indigenous peoples,
LGBTQ) have advocated for
access to greater rights.
WI SS.PS2.c.h
Analyze how the U.S.
Supreme Court has allowed
the restriction and enabled
the expansion of rights for
groups.
Evaluate different goals and
methods of groups who
have advocated for access
to greater rights (e.g.,
women, religious groups,
civil rights groups,
indigenous peoples,
LGBTQ).
Analyze the role of the
Universal Declaration of
Human Rights (UDHR) and
nongovernment
organizations (NGOs such
as Save the Children or the
Red Cross) in how human
rights have been addressed
in different countries.
2018 Nevada Academic Content Standards for Social Studies [See Full Text]
NV SS.9-12.US.14.
Evaluate the impact of individuals and reform movements on the struggle for greater civil rights and liberties.
NV SS.9-12.US.16.
Interpret events from a variety of historical and cultural perspectives, including but not limited to: suffragettes, civil rights activists, nationalists, progressives, political activists, immigrant groups.
NV SS.9-12.US.26.
Examine how and why diverse groups have been denied equality and opportunity, both institutionally and informally.
NV SS.9-12.US.27.
Analyze how resistance movements organized and responded to oppression and infringement of civil liberties, and evaluate the impact of the responses.
NV SS.9-12.CE.14.
Evaluate the impact of individuals and reform movements on legislation and court decisions in the struggle for greater civil rights and liberties.
NV SS.9-12.CE.23.
Evaluate the ways in which citizens or associations have used the Constitution to influence or take action to fight for civil liberties and social justice.
2019 North Dakota Social Studies Content Standards [See Full Text]
ND SS C.6_12.3
Describe the rights and liberties of individuals.
ND SS C.6_12.4
Investigate the role and responsibilities of citizenship in society.
ND SS US.6_12.1-6.E4.5
Compare and contrast how different groups competed for equality and the effecticeness of various movements.
2021 North Carolina K-12 Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
NC SS AH.C&G.1.3
Explain how various individuals and groups strategized, organized, advocated and protested to expand or restrict freedom and equality.
NC SS AH.C&G.1.4
Explain how racism, oppression, and discrimination of indigenous peoples, racial minorities, and other marginalized groups have impacted equality and power in America.
2016 New York Social Studies Framework [See Full Text]
NY SS 8.9
Domestic Politics and Reform: The civil rights movement and the Great Society were attempts by people and the government to address major social, legal, economic, and environmental problems. Subsequent economic recession called for a new economic program.
NY SS 11.10
Social and Economic Change/Domestic Issues (1945-present): Racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities were addressed by individuals, groups, and organizations. Varying political philosophies prompted debates over the role of the federal government in regulating the economy and providing a social safety net.
NY SS 12.G3
Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of Citizenship: Active, engaged, and informed citizens are critical to the success of the United States representative democracy. United States citizens have certain rights, responsibilities, and duties, the fulfillment of which help to maintain the healthy functioning of the national, state, and local communities.
NY SS 12.G4
Political and Civic Participation: There are numerous avenues for engagement in the political process, from exercising the power of the vote, to affiliating with political parties, to engaging in other forms of civic participation. Citizens leverage both electoral and non-electoral means to participate in the political process.
2022 New Mexico Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
NM SS 9-12.Civ.32.
Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights.
NM SS 9-12.US.105.
Analyze the origin, goals, and outcomes of civil rights groups in the 1950s and the 1960s and their influence on contemporary civil rights movements.
NM SS 9-12.US.106.
Evaluate resistance to integration in white communities, protests to end segregation, and Supreme Court decisions on civil rights.
NM SS 9-12.US.107.
Evaluate how the events of the civil rights movement impacted people from diverse groups.
NM SS 9-12.US.109.
Analyze the important policies and events that took place during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon.
NM SS 9-12.US.110.
Investigate how identity groups and society address systematic inequity through individual actions, individual champions, social movements, and local community, national, and global advocacy.
2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards: Social Studies [See Full Text]
NJ SS 6.1.12.HistoryCC.13.a
Compare and contrast the leadership and ideology of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement, and evaluate their legacies.
NJ SS 6.1.12.HistoryCC.13.c
Determine the impetus for the Civil Rights Movement and generate an evidence-based argument that evaluates the federal actions taken to ensure civil rights for African Americans.
NJ SS 6.3.8.CivicsDP.1
Identify an issue of inequality, develop multiple solutions, and commuicate the best one to an appropriate government body.
2006 K-12 Social Studies New Hampshire Curriculum Framework [See Full Text]
NH SS:CV:8:4.1
Describe and analyze ways Americans can effectively participate in civic and political life at the local, state, and federal levels, e.g., problem solving, public engagement, or voting.
NH SS:HI:6:5.1
Examine the impact ethnic and religious groups have had on the development of the United States, e.g., the Irish or the Mormons.
NH SS:CV:12:4.2
Investigate how knowledgeable and engaged citizens have acted to preserve and extend their liberties, e.g., writing letters to the editor or participating in town meetings.
2019 Nebraska Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
NE SS 6.1.2
Investigate the roles, responsibilities, and rights of citizens.
NE SS 6.4.3
Examine historical events from the perspetives of marginalized and underrepresented groups.
NE SS 7.4.3
Examine historical events from the perspetives of marginalized and underrepresented groups.
NE SS 8.4.3
Examine historical events from the perspetives of marginalized and underrepresented groups.
NE SS HS.1.2
Demonstrate meaningful civic participation by analyzing local, state, national, or international issues and policies.
NE SS HS.4.2
Analyze the complexity of the interaction of multiple perspectives to investigate causes and effects of significant events in the development of history.
2024 Idaho Content Standards K-12 Social Studies [See Full Text]
ID SS 9-12.US2.29
Analyze the motives, strategies, methods, organizations, and impacts of various Civil Rights Movements.
ID SS 9-12.GOV.18
Describe the means that citizens use to responsibly participate in the political process, including campaigning, petitioning, demonstrating, running for office, lobbying, and voting.
2022 Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science [See Full Text]
IL SS.6-8.CV.1.MC.
Evaluate the powers and responsibilities of individuals, political parties, interest groups, and the media; how these have changed over time, and the impacts on multiple communities.
IL SS.6-8.CV3.MdC.
Analyze the origins, purposes, and processes connected to maintaining or changing powers and how individuals and societies protect, grant, or deny rights.
IL SS.6-8.H.1MdC.
Analyze connections and disconnections among events and developments in broader historical contexts and identify the effects of events on groups of people who have been marginalized.
IL SS.6-8.H.4.MdC.
Compare and contrast the central historical arguments in secondary works across multiple media.
IL SS.9-12.CV.1.
Distinguish between the rights, roles, powers, and responsibilities of individuals and institutions in the political system and analyze the marginalization of multiple groups and perspectives in that system.
IL SS.9-12.CV.8.
Analyze the methods individuals can use to challenge laws to address a variety of public issues.
IL SS.9-12.H.5.
Analyze the factors and historical context, including overarching movements, that influenced the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
IL SS.9-12.H.6.
Analyze the concept and pursuit of the "American Dream" and identify the factors that could promote or present barriers to the pursuit of the "American Dream" for multiple groups.
IL SS.9-12.H.7.
Identify and analyze the role of individuals, groups, and institutions in people's struggle for safety, freedom, equality, and justice.
IL SS.9-12.H.8.
Analyze key historical events and contributions of individuals through a variety of perspectives, including those of historically underrepresented groups.
2023 Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies [See Full Text]
IN SS 6.CIV.14
Examine ways by which citizens may effectively voice opinions, monitor government, and bring about change in government, including voting and participation in the election process.
IN SS 6.CIV.15
Use a variety of informational resources to identify and evaluate contemporary issues that involve civic responsibility, individual rights, and the common good.
IN SS 6.C.5
Explain the importance of responsible participation by citizens in voluntary civil organizations to bring about social reform.
IN SS USG.5.5
Explain and give examples of important citizen actions that can impact local, state, and federal government as individuals and members of interest groups.
IN SS USH.6.1
Describe the challenges involved with the enforcement of desegregation directives in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
IN SS USH.7.1
Explain the efforts of groups of African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and women to assert their social and civic rights in the years following World War II.
Iowa Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
IA SS-Gov.9-12.18.
Critique the influence of intermediary institutions on government and policy such as, interest groups, political parties, the mass media, campaigns, caucuses, elections, PACs, and local, state, tribal, and international organizations.
IA SS-Gov.9-12.19.
Evaluate the effectiveness of political action in changing government policy, such as voting, debate, contacting officials, campaign contributions, protest, civil disobedience, and any alternative methods of participation.
IA SS-Gov.9-12.20.
Explain the significance of civic values to a well-functioning democracy including concepts such as conviction vs. compromise, majority vs. minority rights, state interests vs. individual interests, rights and responsibilities, and other related topics.
IA SS-US.9-12.13.
Analyze how diverse ideologies impacted political and social institutions dudring eras such as Reconstruction, the Progressive Era, and the Civil Rights movement.
IA SS-US.9-12.15.
Assess the impact of individuals and reform movements on changes to civil rights and liberties.
2022 Kentucky Academic Standards: Social Studies [See Full Text]
KY SS HS.UH.CE.5
Evaluate the ways in which groups facing discrimination worked to achieve expansion of rights and liberties from 1877-present.
2022 K-12 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies [See Full Text]
LA SS 8.1
Explain ideas, events, and developments in the history of the United States of America from 1877 to 2008 and how they progressed, changed, or remained the same over time.
LA SS 8.9
Analyze the social, political, and economic changes that developed in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
LA SS 8.15
Analyze causes, major events, and key leaders of the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 to 1968.
LA SS C.1
Evaluate continuity and change in U.S. government, politics, and civic issues throughout U.S. history, including those related to the powers of government, interpretations of founding documents, voting trends, citizenship, civil liberties, and civil rights.
LA SS C.10
Evaluate how civil rights and civil liberties in the United States have developed and been protected by the U.S. government over time.
LA SS US.1
Analyze ideas and events in the history of the United States of America from 1776 to 2008 and how they progressed, changed, or remained the same over time.
LA SS US.16
Analyze causes, major events, and key leaders of the Civil Rights movement.
2019 Maine Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
ME SS 6-8.CG2.F2
Students understand constitutional and legal rights, civic duties and responsibilities, and roles of citizens in a constitutional democracy by describing how the powers of government are limited to protect individual and minority rights as described in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
ME SS 6-8.CG3.F1
Students understand political and civic aspects of cultural diversity by explaining basic civil aspects of historical and/or current issues that involve unity and diversity in Maine, the United States, and other nations.
ME SS 9-12.CG3.F1
Students understand political and civic aspects of cultural diversity by explaining basic civil aspects of historical and/or current issues that involve unity and diversity in Maine, the United States, and other nations.
ME SS 9-12 H2.F1
Students understand historical aspects of unity and diversity in the United States, the world, and Native American communities by identifying and critiquing issues characterized by unity and diversity in the history of the United States and describing their effects, using primary and secondary sources.
ME SS 9-12 H2.F2
Students understand historical aspects of unity and diversity in the United States, the world, and Native American communities by identifying and analyzing major turning points in the history of Native Americans and various historical and recent immigrant groups in the United States, making use of primary and secondary sources.
2018 Massachusetts History and Social Science Framework [See Full Text]
MA SS 8.T4.5.
Describe how a democracy provides opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process through elections, political parties, and interest groups.
MA SS 8.T4.10.
Analyze issues involving liberty in conflict with equality or authority, individual rights in conflict with the common good, or majority rule in conflict with minority rights.
MA SS 8.T4.12.
Examine the role of political protest in a democracy.
MA SS 8.T5.4.
Explain the historical context and significance of laws enacted by Congress that have expanded the civil rights and equal protection for race, gender, disability (e.g., the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act, 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, 1990 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), and explain how the evolving understanding of human rights has affected the movement for civil rights for all.
MA SS USII.T4.4.
Analyze the origins, evolultion, and goals of the African American Civil Rights Movement, researching the work of people such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, John Lewis, Bayard Rustin, Robert F. Kennedy, and institutions such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and the Congress of Racial Equality.
2019 Michigan K-12 Standards: Social Studies [See Full Text]
MI SS P4.2.1
Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where individuals would plan and conduct activities intended to advance views in matters of public policy, report the results, and evaluate effectiveness.
MI SS USHG8.3.1
Civil Rights Movement- analyze key events, ideals, documents, and organizations in the struggle for African-American civil rights.
MI SS USHG8.3.2
Ideals of the Civil Rights Movement- compare and contrast the ideas in Martin Luther King's March on Washington speech to the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Seneca Falls Resolution, and the Gettysburg Address.
MI SS C3.3.1
Describe and analyze how groups and individuals infuence public policy.
MI SS C6.3.2
Explain how informed members of society influence civic life.
2022 Mississippi Standards for the Social Studies [See Full Text]
MS SS 6.13
Examine the challenges of civic engagment in the contemporary world.
MS SS MS.8
Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
MS SS USH9
President Kennedy, President Johnson, and President Nixon: Demonstrate an understanding of domestic and international issues from each administration.
MS SS USH11
Civil Rights Movement: Evaluate the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on social and political change in the United States.
MS SS USG.8
Describe and evaluate the role, rights, and responsibility of a citizen in the American democracy.
MS SS AAS.8
Analyze the successes and challenges of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
MS SS PAD.8
Examine how and under what circumstances state governments and the federal government have expanded or constrained the civil and political rights of African Americans and other groups since the Civil War.
2016 Missouri Priority Standards for Leveraging Learning in Social Studies [See Full Text]
MO SS 9-12.AH.1.CC.B
Explain connetions among historial context and peoples' perspectives at the time in the United States' history.
MO SS 9-12.AH.1.CC.E
Analyze the causes and consequences of a speifi problem in United States' history post c. 1870 as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
MO SS 9-12.AH.1.GS.A
Analyze laws, policies, and proesses to determine how governmental systems affect individuals and groups in society in United States history c. 1870-2010.
2021 Montana Content Standards for Social Studies for K-12 [See Full Text]
MT SS.CG.9-12.5
Evaluate how citizens andinstitutions address social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international levels
MT SS.CG.9-12.10
Analayze historical, ontemporary, and emerging means of hanging societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights
MT SS.H.9-12.7
Analyze how historical, cultural, soial, political, ideological, and economic contexts shape people's perspectives
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies [See Full Text]
AL SS 10
Evaluate the influence of events, organizations, and individual actions on the expansion of the Civil Rights Movement nationally.
AL SS 10b
Analyze the extent to which the actions and campaigns of civil rights activists and organizations from 1954 to 1965 prompted federal measures to advance civil and human rights.
AL SS 14
Explain the shifts in the scope of the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1960s into the 1970s, including geographic regions, issues of focus, and participation.
AL SS 11b
Describe how social movements, including the Civil Rights Movement, have created change throughout the history of the United States.
AL SS 16a
Describe how civil rights campaigns in Alabama were led by a coalition of local, grassroots organizations and national civil rights leaders and organizations.
Hawai'i Core Standards for Social Studies [See Full Text]
HI SS.PID.3.7.2
Assess the importance of exercising the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy
HI SS.PID.5.7.1
Plan and demonstrate some ways in which an active citizen can effect change in the community, state, nation or world
HI SS.US.10.6.1
Evaluate the effectiveness of civil rights organizations and actions in overcoming racial segregation
HI SS.PSG.3.1
Identify ways to be an active citizen (e.g., through volunteerism, activism, voting, socially responsible actions) who affects positive change in the community, state, nation, or world
2023 Florida's State Academic Standards: Social Studies [See Full Text]
FL SS.7.CG.2.8
Examine the impact of media, individuals, and interest groups on monitoring and influencing government.
FL SS.912.A.7.5
Compare nonviolent and violent approaches utilized by groups (African Americans, women, Native Americans, Hispanics) to achieve civil rights.
FL SS.912.A.7.7
Assess the building of coalitions beetween African Americans, whites, and other groups in achieving integration and equal rights.
FL SS.912.CG.2.6
Explain how the principles contained in foundational documents contributed to the expansion of civil rights and liberties over time.
2018 Delaware History Standards: K-12 [See Full Text]
DE SS HAS1 6-8a
Students will examine historical materials relating to a particular region, society, or theme; analyze change over time, and make logical inferences concerning cause and effect.
DE SS HAS1 9-12a
Students will analyze historical materials to trace the development of an idea or trend across space over a prolongued period of time in order to explain patterns of historical continuity and change.
DE SS HA2 6-8b
Students will examine historical documents, artifacts, and other materials, and analyze them in terms of credibility, as well as the purpose, perspective, or point of view for which they were constructed.
DE SS HAS2 9-12b
Students will examine and analyze primary and secondary sources in order to differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations.
DE SS HAS4 9-12b
Students will develop an understanding of modern United States history, its connections to both Delaware and world history, including Postwar United States (1945-1970s)
2023 Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
CT SS US.Civ.5.b
Evaluate the effectiveness of individuals, groups, and institutions in addressing issues of civil rights and justice in the post-World War II era (e.g., disability, education, environmental justice, LGBTQ+ rights, poverty, racial and gender equity, voting access).
CT SS CG.Civ.14.b.
Analyze advocacy and activism in the United States related to a contemporary human rights issue using the United States Constitution and other historical sources (e.g., youth activism, journalism, social media, whistleblower, protestors, strikes, boycotts, petitions, resistance).
CT SS US.Civ.5.c.
Analyze the role of legislative and judicial decisions in expanding or limiting civil liberties (e.g., Hernandez v. Texas, Executive Order 10450, Loving v. Virginia, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972, Roe v. Wade).
2022 Colorado Academic Standards: Social Studies [See Full Text]
CO SS.8.4.1
Describe major political and/or social changes that affected the definition of citizenship, expanded or restricted the rights of citizens, and how those changes impacted women, Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, LGBTQ, religious minorities, and people living in annexed territories.
CO SS.HS.1.2
Analyze how opposing perspectives, compromise, and cooperation have shaped national unity and diversity. For example: The rights and contributions of diverse groups and individuals, including African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQ individuals, women, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and religious minorities, and the role of organizations and government in advancing these rights (e.g., NAACP, American Indian Movement, and United Farm Workers.)
CO SS.HS.4.3
Evaluate opportunities for people to participate in and influence government through interest groups and social movements. For example: The tactics and strategies of nonviolent resistance championed by Dr. Martin Luther King in response to the Jim Crow laws of that era, or the Indigenous land rights movement.
2016 California History Social Science Framework [See Full Text]
CA SS 11.10. 4
Examine the roles of civil rights advocates (e.g., A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, James Farmer, Rosa Parks), including the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "I have a Dream" speech.
CA SS 11.10.5
Discuss the diffusion of the civil rights movement of African Americans from the churches of the rural South and the urban North, including the resistance to racial desegregation in Little Rock and Birmingham, and how the advances influenced the agendas, strategies, and effectiveness of the quests of American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans for civil rights and equal opportunities.
2022 Arkansas Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
AR SS H.5.AAH.4
Analyze the influence of key African Americans on political and social change since 1950 using primary and secondary sources:
● Civil rights leaders: (e.g., Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, A. Philip Randolph, Rosa Parks, Daisy Bates, John Lewis)
● Political leaders: (e.g., Thurgood Marshall, Shirley Chisholm, Patricia Harris, Condelezza Rice, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Clarence Thomas, Ketanji Brown Jackson)
● Military and science leaders: (e.g., Marcelite Harris, Katherine Johnson, Colin Powell, William E. Ward, Lloyd Austin)
● Education and thought leaders: (e.g., Langston Hughes, Thomas Sowell, Zora Neale Hurston)
AR SS H.5.AAH.5
Examine various ways African Americans participated in the Civil Rights Movement and the effects of their actions:
● Boycotts: (e.g., Montgomery bus boycott, Mississippi Freedom Summer)
● Marches: (e.g., Birmingham, Selma, March on Washington)
● Music: (e.g., "People Get Ready," "We Shall Overcome," "Freedom Highway," "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud," "A Change is Gonna Come")
● Sit-ins: (e.g. Greensboro, Nashville, University of Chicago, Baltimore)
● Speeches: (e.g., "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," "I have a Dream," Fannie Lou Hamer's Testimony, Kwame Ture on "Black Power," Ella Jo Baker on the struggle for Civil Rights)
AR SS H.5.AAH.6
Analyze the effects of legislative developments in Congress and state governments on the African American experience between 1950-1970 in the areas of voting, civil rights, affirmative action, fair housing, education, employment, and commerce.
AR SS H.5.USH.17
Analyze the roles of individuals, groups, and events in securing civil rights during the mid-20th century:
● Individuals: (e.g., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, Cesar Chavez)
● Groups: (e.g., NAACP, Freedom Riders, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee)
● Events: (e.g., murder of Emmett Till, Brown vs. Board of Education, desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, passage of 24th Amendment, passage of Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, sit-ins, assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.)
2018 Arizona History and Social Science Standards [See Full Text]
AZ SS 6.C4.1
Explain challenges and opportunities people and groups face when solving local, regional, and/or global problems.
AZ SS 6.H2.1
Evaluate the causes and effects of conflict and resolution among different societies and cultures.
AZ SS 7.C4.1
Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies to promote the common good.
AZ SS 7.C4.4
Explain challenges people face and opportunities they create in addressing local, regional, and global problems at various times and places.
AZ SS 8.C2.1
Analyze the powers of citizens in a variety of governmental and non-governmental contexts.
AZ SS 8.C2.3
Analyze concepts and ideals such as majority and minority rights, civil dissent, and the rule of law.
AZ SS 8.C4.1
Compare historical and contemporary means of changing societies to promote the common good.
AZ SS 8.H3.1
Explain how and why prevailing civil, social, religious, and political movements changed the United States during the 20th and 21st centuries.
AZ SS HS.H4.1
Examine how historically marginalzed groups have affected change on political and social institutions.
2024 Alaska Social Studies Standards [See Full Text]
AK SS.8L7.23.4
Analyze the contributions of key individuals to the advancement of civil rights and social change.
AK SS8.7.23.5
Investigate the role of social movements in shaping political and cultural landscapes.
AK SS.8.7.5.1
Engage in collaborative discussions about the ongoing struggle for civil rights, equal justice, and the responsibilities of citizenship in a diverse society.
AK SS.8.8.21.1
Compare and contrast viewpoints from different historical perspectives to evaluate changing attitudes toward race, citizenship, and civil rights.
AK SS.USH.6.6.1
Evaluate the effectiveness of civil rights organizations and actions in overcoming racial segregation.
Length: 60-120 minutes | Grades: 6-12 | Themes: Jewish values, democratic values
Lesson Overview
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s fought for racial equality in the United States, facing fierce resistance from those defending segregation. Even among supporters, there were mixed feelings about how quickly and broadly change should happen. In Birmingham’s Jewish community, many wrestled with the tension between standing up for justice and protecting their own safety. In the years since, they have reflected more critically on their role during that time.
In this lesson, students reflect on the roles individuals take on in social change movements and the tensions between deeply held values and the personal risks such involvement can bring. Using the Jewish community in Birmingham, Alabama as a case study, students will examine primary sources to better understand the community’s actions.
Enduring Understanding
The relationships that individuals and communities have to social change movements evolve and are determined by the interplay between values, risks, and social context.
Jewish people did not have one fixed or unified position on racial justice during the Civil Rights Movement.
Among Jews who acted in solidarity during the Civil Rights Movement, the Jewish value of justice for all explicitly motivated people’s actions.
Essential Questions
What motivates people to participate in social change movements?
How do values influence people’s actions during times of social change?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to identify how values influenced people’s behavior during the Civil Rights Movement.
Students will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary source texts in order to evaluate the complex motivations and decisions of Jews during the Civil Rights Movement.
Students will be able to discuss the multiple ways Jewish people articulated their positions on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Toolkit
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Southern Jews and the Civil Rights Movement lesson plan
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Southern Jews and the Civil Rights Movement slide deck
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Southern Jews and the Civil Rights Movement handout
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In Solidarity film
