Resources: Guiding Questions on Civil Rights | For Educators (2024)

My book, Dr. King, The Rabbi, and Me: A Connecticut Journey, chronicles the Civil Rights movement from April 1963 to May 1964. In addition, a more personal reflection about the movement is also presented. The learning experience can be enhanced by other books and countless primary sources such as newspapers, news photos, and videos. The Library of Congress is a great resource.

These guiding questions are a starting point that will, hopefully, promote student understanding of the Civil Rights movement—the chronology as well as some of the associated realities. Students may want to create their own guiding questions. Classroom teachers understand good practices in teaching. They know their own students and will, therefore, select questions that are age-appropriate and of student interest. Teachers should encourage students to use evidence-based data to support personal responses. Consequently, follow-up questions such as “how do you know” or “what evidence do you have” will foster student understanding of the content.

Questions about Participation in the Movement

1. In what ways were black children involved with the Civil Rights movement?
2. In what ways were white children involved with the Civil Rights movement?
3. Why were kids active participants in the Civil Rights movement?
4. Do you think that the kids who were active participants in the Civil Rights movement took risks? If you think they did, what risks did they take?
5. Did all adults agree that kids should be involved in the Civil Rights movement? Why or why not?
6. If you were a black person, would you be an active participant in the Civil Rights movement? Why or why not?
7. If you were a white person, would you be an active participant in the Civil Rights movement? Why or why not?
8. Carol-Anne did not participate in the Children’s Crusade or the March on Washington. But—do you think that Carol-Anne participated in the Civil Rights movement? If so, how? If not, why not?

Questions about the Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement: April 1963 to December 1963

1. April: MLK Jailed in Birmingham
   
   1. What do you know about MLK and his role in the Civil Rights movement at that time?
   2. Why was he jailed?
   3. What is a non-violent protest or demonstration?
   4. What are your thoughts about a non-violent approach? Can it be effective?
2. May: Children’s Crusade
   
   1. Why were black kids protesting?
   2. Who was Bull Conner?
   3. How did Bull Conner direct the Birmingham police department to react to the black kids who walked out of school?
   4. How do you think the black kids felt before the protest started?
   5. How do you think the black kids felt during the protest?
   6. How do you think the black kids felt after the protest was over?
   7. Do you think that black kids learned the same lessons from the Children’s Crusade that white kids might have learned? Why or why not?
      
      1. What lessons can black kids learn from the Children’s Crusade?
      2. What lessons can white kids learn from the Children’s Crusade?
      3. What lesson/s, if any did you learn?
3. June: Vivian Malone Escorted to University of Alabama Registration for Classes
   
   1. Why was Vivian Malone accompanied to sign up for college courses?
   2. Have you ever felt that you needed protection to do something you wanted to do? Why or why not?
4. June: Medgar Evers Murdered
   
   1. Who was Medgar Evers?
   2. What contributions to the Civil Rights movement did he make?
5. July–August: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
   
   1. What do you know about the March on Washington?
   2. Why did some people think that the March on Washington was necessary?
   3. Why did some people think that the March on Washington was not a good idea?
   4. In your opinion, what is the most important result of the March on Washington? Why is your selection important to you?
   5. When people reflect back, are there any disappointments related to the March on Washington?
6. September: 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
   
   1. What happened that day?
   2. How did Carol-Anne feel about this tragedy?
   3. Why do you think she responded as she did?
7. November: Kennedy’s Assassination
   
   1. What did you learn about the assassination of President Kennedy?
   2. Did the assassination of President Kennedy have an impact on the Civil Rights movement? If so, in what way?

Additional Considerations

1. How was life the same for Carol-Anne and the kids she read about in Time magazine or saw on TV?
2. How was life different for Carol-Anne from that of the kids she read about in Time magazine or saw on TV?
3. What did Carol-Anne think about the Civil Rights movement?
4. Did the Civil Rights movement become “personal” to her? Did it influence her in any way? If so, how did it influence her, and why?
5. What do you think were the three most important observations related to the Civil Rights movement that Carol-Anne discussed in her diary? Why did you make the choices you did?
6. In the “P.S. from Carol-Anne” that follows the July20 entry, Carol-Anne writes about “being lucky.” What do you think she meant when she said “I was so lucky”?
7. Was Carol-Anne envious or jealous of anyone or any situation in her own life? What was she jealous about?
8. Have you felt lucky? Been lucky? When? How does it feel?
9. In the past, some people have said, “I don’t see skin color; I treat everyone the same.” This position has been regarded as “color-blindness.” Do you think it is possible to be “color-blind” to the skin tone of someone you are looking at? Why or why not?
10. Had you been alive in 1963–64, how might the Civil Rights movement have affected you?
11. If you were a white person in the 1960s, would you have been an active participant in the Civil Rights movement? Why or why not?
12. In some sections of the book, the author uses the word “Negro.” In other sections of the book she uses “black.” Why do you think she made those word choices?
13. Is the Civil Rights movement over? Do people still have concerns about equality and equity in our country today? How are those concerns voiced today?
14. Do you think that Civil Rights will always be an issue in our country? Why or why not?