Civil Rights and ConservatismLesson Plans

  aclassapartthumbnailA Class Apart

Grades 9-13+
Students will study a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Hernandez v. Texas, which played an important role in the Mexican American civil rights movement and learn more about life for Mexican-Americans in the first half of the 20th Century.

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jim_crowGrowing up under Jim Crow in Grapeland, Texas

Grades 8-11
This video segment from Finding Your Roots features Ruth Simmons as she discusses her childhood in Grapeland, Texas as the daughter of sharecroppers.

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votermobilizationVoter Mobilization in Texas

Grades 4-13+
While many Latino leaders have looked to political action to advance the lives of their communities, there have been different approaches. Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, activist José Gutierrez and Willie Velasquez embody differing strategies.

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What Party Are You?

Political parties have played a central role in American politics since the 1830s. Complete an exercise to figure out which party your political views match best.

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GI Forum Mobilizes

Grades: 4-13+
If you thought the 2008 and 2012 elections were the first instances of Latinos exercising political power, roll back the clock to the tight presidential election of 1960.

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Who Are Latinos?

Grades: 4-13+
In this lesson plan drawing on material from Latino Americans, students consider their own preconceptions of Latinos, view a trailer for the documentary series Latino Americans and identify new topics questions to investigate further.

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Stories of Arrival

Grades: 4-13+
In this lesson plan drawing on material from Latino Americans, students will trace the varied stories of becoming Latino in the United States—and dispel common generalizations.

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