COURSE TITLE:

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in FILM & LITERATURE

NO. OF CREDITS:

3 QUARTER CREDITS
[semester equivalent = 2.00 credits]

WA CLOCK HRS:  
OREGON PDUs:  
PENNSYLVANIA ACT 48:  
30
30
30

INSTRUCTOR:

Eric Low
ericlow11@hotmail.com

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

One of the essential components in Language Arts and Social Studies is the study of the Civil Rights Movement. Our culture is fascinated with this topic and there is ample film and literature to help communicate the scope and importance of civil rights to future generations. This course will provide curriculum ideas for Language Arts and Social Studies teachers of grades 4th-12th that meet state standards for student learning.

This course will also provide video and literature ideas for teachers preparing for major themes of the Civil Rights movement that can wake up your students and empower discussions around many of the major social justice topics.  Films like “Malcolm X,” “Voices of Civil Rights,” “Martin Luther King, Jr.,” “Ghosts of Mississippi,” “Rosa Parks Story,” etc; many of these films are available at local libraries, from NetFlix, in video stores and also for free trial and purchase from documentary film sources like The Video Project. You will choose 8 videos to view and summarize, and write a short plan on how you’ll use some of these in your teaching situation.

If you choose NetFlix, a three-month subscription is about $30. (NetFlix also has an online video capability with the right operating system.) You will need to have access to both a DVD player and a VHS video player to enjoy the full range of media choices.

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, participants will have:

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  1. Have a broader knowledge of the different video and literature possibilities associated with the Civil Rights movement for classroom use.
  2. Develop greater skill in how to use videos for teaching purposes.
  3. Develop a plan for a teaching unit in the Civil Rights movement that applies to their teaching.  
  4. Apply extended reading on of Civil Rights issues to lesson plans, if the credit option is chosen.   

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Completion of all specified assignments is required for issuance of hours or credit. The Heritage Institute does not award partial credit.

The use of artificial intelligence is not permitted. Assignment responses found to be generated by AI will not be accepted.
 


HOURS EARNED:
Completing the basic assignments (Section A. Information Acquisition) for this course automatically earns participants their choice of CEUs (Continuing Education Units), Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, or Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours. The Heritage Institute offers CEUs and is an approved provider of Washington State Clock Hours, Oregon PDUs, and Pennsylvania ACT 48 Hours.




 

UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT INFORMATION

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT
Continuing Education Quarter credits are awarded by Antioch University Seattle (AUS). AUS requires 75% or better for credit at the 400 level and 85% or better to issue credit at the 500 level. These criteria refer both to the amount and quality of work submitted.

  1. Completion of Information Acquisition assignments 30%
  2. Completion of Learning Application assignments 40%
  3. Completion of Integration Paper assignment 30%



 

CREDIT/NO CREDIT (No Letter Grades or Numeric Equivalents on Transcripts)
Antioch University Seattle (AUS) Continuing Education Quarter credit is offered on a Credit/No Credit basis; neither letter grades nor numeric equivalents are on a transcript. 400 level credit is equal to a "C" or better, 500 level credit is equal to a "B" or better. This information is on the back of the transcript.

AUS Continuing Education quarter credits may or may not be accepted into degree programs. Prior to registering, determine with your district personnel, department head, or state education office the acceptability of these credits for your purpose.

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION

REQUIRED TEXT

YOUR TEXTBOOK OPTIONS:

After determining your assignment choice, select a book from the following list:

  1. Ashby, Ruth.Rosa Parks:  Courageous Citizen.  Sterling Publishing, 2005.
  2. Easwaran, Eknath.Gandi, the Man:  Story of His Transformation.  Blue Center of Mediation:  1997.
  3. King, Jr., Martin Luther.A Testament of Hope:  The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Harpercollins:  1991.
  4. Klarman, Michael.  From Jim Crow to Civil Rights.   Oxford University Press:  2007. 
  5. Martin, Jr., Waldo.  Brown v. Board of Education.  Bedford/St. Martin:  1998.

                                                                                                OR
Another book of your own choosing, with my prior approval.

  • A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
    ISBN# 0060646918
    by King, Martin Luther, Washington, James M.
    HarperOne

    Buy from Amazon
  • Gandhi the Man: The Story of His Transformation
    ISBN# 0915132966
    by Easwaran, Eknath, Flinders, Timothy
    Brand: Nilgiri Press

    Buy from Amazon
  • Sterling Biographies®: Rosa Parks: Courageous Citizen
    ISBN# 1402748655
    by Ashby, Ruth
    STERLING

    Buy from Amazon
  • From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality
    ISBN# 0195310187
    by Klarman, Michael J.
    Oxford University Press

    Buy from Amazon
  • Brown v. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)
    ISBN# 0312111525
    by Martin Jr., Waldo E.

    Buy from Amazon

MATERIALS FEE

Text price varies based on your book choice. * Ashby, Ruth.Rosa Parks: Courageous Citizen. Sterling Publishing, 2005. * Easwaran, Eknath.Gandi, the Man: Story of His Transformation. Blue Center of Mediation: 1997. * King, Jr., Martin Luther.A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Harpercollins: 1991. * Klarman, Michael. From Jim Crow to Civil Rights. Oxford University Press: 2007. * Martin, Jr., Waldo. Brown v. Board of Education. Bedford/St. Martin: 1998. OR Another book of your own choosing, with my prior approval.

ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR HOURS OR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

A. INFORMATION ACQUISITION

Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. 
Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

Assignment #1: Why You Chose This Course

Please write a 1-2 page response to the following questions:

  • Why did you choose this course?
  • What kinds of themes and subjects are you looking for in film?

Assignment #2: Review Movies

Refer to the bibliography, which you can download to your desktop as a MS Word file. You will review film resources and pick eight films to view which best fit your teaching needs.  I have made a list of films, which I personally think are good ones, and all are available from NetFlix. Since there are many videos about the Civil Rights movement, you may select others that are not listed in this bibliography with my prior approval. Keep in mind that you will want to have use of a DVD player and have VHS viewing capability as well. Then once you’ve reviewed these sites and made your selections, in the online response box indicate your eight selections and briefly state what film sources you found most suitable.

Assignment #3: The Influence of Gandhi

  1. For this assignment we will first be looking at the influence of Gandhi’s teachings as they relate to the Civil Rights movement. Examine the book Gandhi, The Man: The Story of His Transformation, by Eknath Easwaran, by following the link from Google Books.  After reading the Appendix- “How Nonviolence Works” pages 147-171, summarize the overall material discussed in this chapter in the online box provided. 
    https://books.google.com/books?id=eda_y82OF4sC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
  2. Examine the following Youtube videos on Gandhi’s words and teachings.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p70uR2tz-Tghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B26Uqk63Xfw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-yFytF4LGU&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk_RtLayZqY&NR=1
  3. View your first two video selections as they pertain to the Civil Rights movement, making notes of the points made in the films that are relevant to what you want to convey to students.
  4. In the online response box indicate what films you saw, and make a list of your favorite quotes and episodes of Gandhi’s life and teachings.

Assignment #4: Martin Luther King, Jr. & Rosa Parks

  1. For this assignment we will start by reading about 2 key Civil Rights leaders: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. Read any two chapters of interest to you in the book entitled A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. and read chapter 1 of the book Rosa Parks:  Courageous Citizen, by Ruth Ashby.

           King:https://books.google.com/books?id=qnoc3JhV5iUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

          Parks:  http://books.google.com/books?id=QoZOx7JrlpAC&pg=PA1&dq=rosa+parks&lr=lang_en&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false

  1. Examine the following Youtube videos on Martin Luther King, Jr’s words and teachings.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oehry1JC9Rk​​​​​​​
  2. After reading these sections, summarize the overall material discussed in the online box provided. View video selections #3 and #4 as they pertain to the Civil Rights, making notes of the points made in the films that are relevant to what you want to convey to students.
     
  3. In the online response box indicate what films you saw, and make a list of your favorite quotes and episodes of Martin Luther King, Jr’s life and teachings.

Assignment #5: Civil Rights

  1. View video selections #5 and #6 as they pertain to Civil Rights, making notes of the points made in the films that are relevant to what you want to convey to students.
  2. In the online response box indicate what films you saw, and make a brief summary of those points.

Assignment #6: Laws That Influenced Civil Rights

  1. For this assignment we will start by looking at court cases and laws that influenced the Civil Rights movement. Read pages 290-342 of the book From Jim Crow to the Civil Rights:  The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality and read pages 1-19 in Brown v. Board of Education:  A Brief History with Documents  by going to the following links on Google Books.  In the online box provided, summarize the key pieces of information that these chapters portray as impacting Civil Rights.        
    Crow: http://books.google.com/books?id=NytV-qWjSBcC&printsec=frontcover&dq=jim+crow+laws#v=onepage&q=%20crow%20laws&f=false  
    Brown:  http://books.google.com/books?id=KRxIUFnaFs8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=brown+vs+board&lr=lang_en&as_brr=3#v=onepage&q=&f=false
  2. View video selections #7 and #8; make note of points relevant to the Civil Rights movement.
  3. In the online response box indicate what films you saw, and make a brief summary of those points.

Assignment #7: Films Viewed

Describe in general terms how you plan to use any of the films viewed in your teaching. Indicate your grade level and the course or theme. Review the pages below on effective ways for asking questions. Make a list of “rich” (ie. engaging) questions you would pose to your students when viewing the films.

Right (and Wrong) Way to Ask Questions in the Classroom
http://www.edutopia.org/asking-students-good-questions

Using Think-Time and Wait Time
http://atozteacherstuff.com/pages/1884.shtml

Confessions of a Reluctant Teacher
Never Ask Students a Question you Already Know the Answer to
http://cgremore.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/never-ask-students-a-question-you-already-know-the-answer-to/

Asking Effective Questions
http://gsi.berkeley.edu/resources/labs/questions.html

ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS REQUIRED FOR UNIVERSITY QUARTER CREDIT

B. LEARNING APPLICATION

In this section, you will apply your learning to your professional situation. This course assumes that most participants are classroom teachers who have access to students. If you do not have a classroom available to you, please contact the instructor for course modifications. Assignments done in a course forum will show responses from all educators who have or are taking the course independently. ​Feel free to read and respond to others' comments. Group participants can only view and respond to their group members in the Forum. 

 



Assignment #8: (Required for 400 & 500 Level)

In this assignment, choose one of the following:

Option A)
In assignment #7, you were asked to describe in general terms how you might use any of the films you saw in your teaching. With the additional information from these last two assignments, develop a unit of several lessons you can implement with your students. Your unit should include the following:

  • Description of lesson
  • Expected student outcomes
  • Activities
  • Sequence of activities
  • Method of assessment
  • Follow-up learning

Describe any suggested texts or other reading students will do. You may also replace the above outline with your school or district’s own lesson plan format, if there is one.
                                                                                                  OR

Option B)
Execute the lesson from assignment #8 and provide a summary of the student’s assessment of the lesson.  Include your post lesson thoughts on the presentation and student performance.

Assignment #9: (500 Level ONLY)

In addition to the 400 level assignments, complete one of the following:

Option A) In assignments #3, 4 and 6 you read excerpts from five (5) novels that related to the Civil Rights Movement; for this assignment select one (1) of the five (5) novels, or another of your own choosing with my prior approval, and read it in its entirety.  As you read, make notes about the larger details of the book as they have related to Civil Rights.  Develop these notes into a lesson plan based on the format you used. Post this lesson plan in the online box provided.

OR

Option B) Another assignment of your own choice with the instructor’s prior approval.

C. INTEGRATION PAPER

Assignment #10: (Required for 400 and 500 level)

SELF REFLECTION & INTEGRATION PAPER
(Please do not write this paper until you've completed all of your other assignments)

Write a 400-500 word Integration Paper answering these 5 questions:

  1. What did you learn vs. what you expected to learn from this course?
  2. What aspects of the course were most helpful and why?
  3. What further knowledge and skills in this general area do you feel you need?
  4. How, when and where will you use what you have learned?
  5. How and with what other school or community members might you share what you learned?


INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS ON YOUR WORK:

Instructors will comment on each assignment. If you do not hear from the instructor within a few days of posting your assignment, please get in touch with them immediately.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR TEACHING THIS COURSE:

Eric Low, M.A.  has been a teacher and coach in the state of Washington since 1992.  He has lived, taught, and studied in Southwest Washington since 1995.  Eric has a Master’s degree in history from Eastern Washington University with an emphasis in America’s West and has been an active researcher of Washington State history for 20+ years.  Eric currently teaches history at Winlock High School and serves as a Lead Teacher for ESD 112s “Constitutional Connections” American History grant, a 3 year program that has worked to utilize and develop Social Studies Common Core and CBAs in the classroom.   

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT in FILM & LITERATURE

NOVELS

These novels can be found at local libraries, ESD providers, even on Google books.

Ashby, Ruth.  Rosa Parks:  Courageous Citizen.  Sterling Publishing, 2005.
Easwaran, Eknath.  Gandi, the Man:  Story of His Transformation.  The Blue Center of Mediation:  1997.
King, Jr., Martin Luther.  A Testament of Hope:  The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.  Harpercollins:  1991.
Klarman, Michael.  From Jim Crow to Civil Rights.   Oxford University Press:  2007.
Martin, Jr., Waldo.  Brown v. Board of Education.  Bedford/St. Martin:  1998.

 

NOVELS

Carson, Clayborne, et al. The Eyes on the Prize Civil Rights Reader: Documents, Speeches, and Firsthand Accounts from the Black Freedom Struggle, 1954-1990. New York: Viking, 1991.
Eyes on the Prize traces the movement from the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education case in 1954 to the march on Selma and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Companion volume to first part.

McAdam, Doug. Freedom Summer. Reprint. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.                  
Preface to a long hot -- Jim Crow's stranglehold -- Northern whites join the fight -- Preparing for battle -- Welcome to Mississippi -- Daring to register --freedom schools – The freedom Party -- Violence and tension -- The impact of freedom summer -- Timeline.

Moody, Anne. Coming of Age in Mississippi. New York: Dell, 1968.                                                     
Born to a poor couple who were tenant farmers on a plantation in Mississippi, Anne Moody lived through some of the most dangerous days of the pre-civil rights era in the South.

Parks, Rosa with Jim Haskins. Rosa Parks: My Story. New York: Dial, 1992.                                    
"The only tired I was, was tired of giving in". These are the simple yet eloquent words of Rosa Parks, who on December 1, 1955, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Written in her own moving language, this is her compelling story.

VHS & DVD Resources

Educational Service District
Many ESDs have Civil Rights videos available for use at your school.  Check selections.

Local Library Systems
Many local library systems have Civil Rights videos available for use at your school.

NetFlix
http://www.NetFlix.com/

NetFlix is an online DVD site for commercial and documentary movies which are mailed to you. A monthly subscription is about $10. You receive one DVD at a time;  you return one and are sent the next. NetFlix has a documentary section (upper right under favorite genres) and all the films listed below are all available there. If you work quickly you could view all the movies in less than two months.

The Video Project
http://www.videoproject.com/main-catalog.html
Teachers can sample a number of videos from this excellent source of media on a large variety of subjects. Click on the link above to see the selection. Many categories are related to the global issues focus of this course.

Videos from NetFlix

Free at Last: Civil Rights Heroes
Witness the amazing, courageous stories of Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, The Birmingham Four, Viola Liuzzo and more. The story of the Civil Rights movement in the United States is usually told through the acts of such charismatic leaders as Martin Luther King Jr., but often the struggle played out in the small acts of peaceful defiance performed by individuals. Hear the stories of those heroic people who helped stir a nation and forge a new path.

Ghandi
This awe-inspiring biopic about Mahatma Gandhi (Ben Kingsley) -- the diminutive lawyer who stood up against British rule in India and became an international symbol of nonviolence and understanding -- brilliantly underscores the difference one person can make. Epic and unforgettable, the film swept the 1983 Oscars, winning eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Kingsley), Best Screenplay and Best Director (Richard Attenborough).

Ghosts of Mississippi
In 1963, civil-rights activist Medgar Evers was shot to death by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith (James Woods). He was captured, but after two trials ended in hung juries, De La Beckwith went free. Thirty years later, Assistant District Attorney Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) reopened the case. Ghosts of Mississippi tells the true story of his struggle to bring De La Beckwith to justice.

Hidden Agenda: Vol. 4: Anarchy USA: In the Name of Civil Rights
This fascinating look at the Civil Rights Movement, filmed at the height of the turmoil, is perhaps more important now than it was in 1965. By focusing on the events that preceded the deadly riots and fighting, this film uncovers a hidden agenda that made money by pitting one side of the conflict against the other. Also examined are the similarities between this movement and those throughout the world intended to overthrow governments.

King: Man of Peace in a Time of War
Speaking candidly on the topic of black participation in the Vietnam War, Dr. King makes a special appearance on the popular television talk series "The Mike Douglas Show." Not seen since 1967, this rare interview captures the passion and commitment of the great civil rights leader. Combined with archival footage and conversations with notables Rev. Jesse Jackson and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, this is a must-watch tribute.

Let Freedom Sing: How Music Inspired the Civil Rights Movement
From the Civil Rights era to Watergate, the most striking moments in 20th-century American history were accompanied by an amazing soundtrack of artists whose work reflected and commented on those turbulent times. Revisit the remarkable sounds of Ruth Brown, Isaac Hayes, Mavis Staples, Pete Seeger and many others in this stirring musical history lesson. Oscar-winning actor Louis Gossett Jr. narrates.

Malcolm X
Spike Lee's Oscar-nominated drama illuminates the life of black nationalist Malcolm X (Denzel Washington), following him from his early days in prison to his conversion to Islam, marriage to Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett) and discovery of Elijah Mohammad's (Al Freeman Jr.) Nation of Islam writings. When Malcolm turns his back on the Nation of Islam (following a pilgrimage to Mecca), he becomes a murder target.

Mississippi Burning
When three civil rights workers disappear in 1964 Mississippi, two FBI agents (Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe) with wildly divergent styles resort to increasingly violent tactics to apprehend the culprit Ku Klux Klan. Crucial to the case is the testimony of a beautician (Frances McDormand) who's struggling to break free from the racist influence of her husband (Brad Dourif). Director Alan Parker's fact-based drama received seven Oscar nominations.

The Jackie Robinson Story
This 1950 biographical movie tackles the racial issues that elevated and threatened Jackie Robinson, the first baseball player to break the color barrier. The Hall of Fame Dodger plays himself with dignity (holding his own against Ruby Dee as his wife). Until director Spike Lee realizes his dream of dramatizing Robinson's life, this film quietly does some heavy lifting in the consciousness-raising department.

The Long Walk Home
Sissy Spacek stars as Miriam Thompson, a Montgomery, Alabama, housewife who finds herself in the midst a civil rights revolution when she helps her black maid, Odessa (Whoopi Goldberg), during the infamous bus boycott of the 1950s. When Miriam discovers Odessa is forced to walk the 9 miles to her house and back, she volunteers to give Odessa a ride — much to the dismay of Miriam's husband and social circle.

The Rosa Parks Story
Angela Bassett stars in the story that sparked the birth of the modern civil rights movement in the late 1950s. Parks took the only available seat in the first row of the "colored" section on a city bus; when a white woman boarded and the driver demanded that the black riders in her row move, everyone complied except Parks. This singular event threw Parks and her family into the Ku Klux Klan's ring of hatred -- and into the NAACP's limelight.

Voices of Civil Rights
Packaged together for the first time, six powerful documentaries — including the Emmy-nominated Crossing the Bridge (2002) —recount the Civil Rights struggle, relying on historical newsreel footage, archival material and interviews with surviving participants. The range of topics includes Jim Crow laws, sit-ins, the violence of "Bloody Sunday" and the influence of activists Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr.