New
New
Year 11
AQA
Direct action and the Civil Rights Movement
Explain the role and impact of direct action in the Civil Rights Movement.
New
New
Year 11
AQA
Direct action and the Civil Rights Movement
Explain the role and impact of direct action in the Civil Rights Movement.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Direct action was one of the methods used to challenge segregation.
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott challenged segregation on buses.
- Sit-ins and the Freedom Rides were organised to challenge segregation in the early 1960s.
- Direct action aimed to attract media attention.
- Publicity helped increase participation in protests and create more pressure for change.
Keywords
Boycott - when groups of people refuse to use or buy certain products and services
Direct action - the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation or legal action
Publicity - widespread notice or attention given to someone or something by the media
Enhance - to improve something
Common misconception
Civil rights campaigners avoided situations where they might be attacked by opponents.
Attacks by opponents helped generate more publicity and sympathy for civil rights protests so risky situations were not avoided.
At the end of the lesson, students could be asked to compare factors (i.e. direct action, legal action, media, government intervention) and discuss which was most effective for generating progress for the civil rights movement.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Write the missing word. rights are rights which every citizen in a country has.
Q2.
What was Elizabeth Eckford part of?
Board of Education of Topeka
federal government
US Supreme Court
Q3.
Who sent troops to support the Little Rock Nine in 1957?
Governor Faubus of Arkansas
US Supreme Court
Q4.
Which two organisations consistently campaigned for improved African American civil rights in the early 20th century?
Congress
Supreme Court
Q5.
What ruling was made in the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954?
all segregation was constitutional
all segregation was unconstitutional
school segregation was constitutional
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
What is it called when groups of people refuse to use or buy certain products and services?
Q2.
Identify the examples of direct action which were part of the Civil Rights Movement.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
Q3.
Martin Luther King Jr first became a widely recognised civil rights leader during which protest?
Greensboro sit-in
Freedom Rides
Q4.
Where did the Freedom Riders travel?
Across the US North
Outside of the USA
Q5.
Identify the benefits of publicity for civil rights campaigners using direct action.
It made opponents realise that they were wrong.
It forced the Supreme Court to outlaw more racist laws.
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
Additional material
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