Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement
I can explain the importance of Martin Luther King for the civil rights movement, including the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement
I can explain the importance of Martin Luther King for the civil rights movement, including the 1957 Civil Rights Act.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- After the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Martin Luther King emerged as an important leader of the movement.
- Martin Luther King established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).
- The SCLC organised a campaign for voter registration amongst black people.
- Eisenhower enforced a Civil Rights Bill, although it was considered 'watered down'.
Keywords
Orator - an orator is a public speaker
Registration - registration is the act of signing up to do something, for example voting
Citizenship - when you gain citizenship, you became a legally recognised member of a nation and have certain rights and protections under the law
Act - an act is a law passed by the government
Democrats - Democrats are members of one of the two major political parties in the US, Republicans are members of the other party
Common misconception
Martin Luther King Jr had always been part of the civil rights movement.
King entered the spotlight following the Montgomery Bus Boycott and became a successful, popular leader as he was not associated with any large organisations.
To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 history lesson on: Martin Luther King Jr and the early civil rights movement, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the USA: how did the civil rights movement develop between 1954-60? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a public speaker.
a legally recognised member of a nation with rights and protections
a law passed by the government
members of one of the two major political parties in the US