Introduction

In this lesson, explore the full range of events and speeches given at the historic March on Washington led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement.

Subject

Social studies, English

Estimated time

Two 45-minute class periods

Grade level

Middle School and High School

Essential question

Given the objectives of the March on Washington, how did the individual speeches address the March's overall goals?

Warm up activities

1. What do you know about the March?
   • Read the History Channel post " March on Washington."
   • Take the online quiz from Teaching for Change to test yourself on your knowledge of the March on Washington and then review the answers.

1. Music of the Civil Rights Movement
   • Hand out LYRICS to the students and let them follow along as you play the three songs below.
   • Read through the background of each song (on lyric page).
   • Ask students to underline any imagery or meaningful statements within the songs that they felt drawn to.
   • Have students share with a partner those lyrics which moved them, and then open the discussion up to the class to evaluate why certain parts of the songs were particularly moving.
     • Video clips of civil rights songs
       • "Wade in the Water" performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock
       • "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'round" performed by the Roots
       • "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'round" performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock
       • "We Shall Over Come" performed by Joan Baez

Main Activity

Goals of the march

• Pass out the original March on Washington program and ask students if they recognize any of the speakers from page one.
• Explain that besides Dr. King there were several civil rights' leaders who spoke and organized the March. Explain that they will be put into small groups and will watch a short clip on the background of their leader and then listen to their leader's speech from the March on Washington.
• Before you split them into groups, as a class go over the goals of the March found on page 3, titled “What We Demand.” Discuss why organizers used the word "demand." Give students a copy of the March on Washington handout and ask them to process the demands as civil rights' goals.
• Split students into four groups and assign each group a civil rights leader and do the following:
  • • Have them watch the short biography on their leader and write down any Key Biographical Information on their worksheet.
    • Listen to the speech of their leader made at the March and write down and comment on any of the goals that were discussed during the speech. * You may need to pause the speech or listen to it several times to get all the information.

Biographical links

• A. Philip Randolf
• John Lewis
  
• Whitney Young Jr.
• Roy Wilkins

Links to speeches

• A. Philip Randolph
• John Lewis
• Whitney Young Jr.
• Roy Wilkins

Have students come back together as a class and share the following information to each other:

• What goals did your speaker cover?
• How well were the goals addressed?
• What did they not address?
• Was there any particularly powerful part of the speech?
• Were there any voices you feel were left out of the speech?

Extension Activities

1. Essay — Evaluate one speech in terms of its effectiveness of addressing the goals of the March on Washington. Be sure to give background information on the speaker and some contextual background for the speech and March on Washington.
2. Two famous leaders Civil Rights Leaders, Bayard Rustin and Malcom X, attended the March but were not asked to speak because of their radical backgrounds. Learn more about these dedicated and passionate men and their different views on how to create change.
   • Bayard Rustin
   • Malcom X
     

By Syd Golston and Katie Gould, teacher resource producer for NewsHour Classroom

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