Marion Butts Collection:
Civil Rights

Objectives: Students will enrich their knowledge of the civil rights movement in Dallas through the analysis of primary documents.

Social Studies TEKS:

• TEK 7.21C Organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and visuals including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
• TEK 7.7C Trace the civil rights and equal rights movements of various groups in Texas in the 20th century and identify key leaders in these movements.

Suggested Time:

Approximately 1-2 class periods

Materials & Resources:

• Primary source sets
• Word bubbles handouts
• Scissors & glue

Student Project:

• In pairs, students will be provided with a set of photographs of civil rights leaders in Dallas.
• Students will imagine the dialogue between the people in the provided photos.
• Using the word bubbles, students will write the dialogue between the civil rights activists/leaders.
• Post the finished products around the classroom and allow the students to do a gallery walk to see the creativity of their classmates.

Discussion Questions:

• What was the strategy of civil rights activists in Dallas?
• How did the civil rights movement in Dallas compare to the rest of the South?
• Would you have been a part of the civil rights movement?

Extension Activities:

• Have students write a longer dialogue between civil rights activists. Consider the two major view-points of the civil rights movement: violence vs. peaceful resistance.