Lesson Plan - Voices From Selma

Build Background Knowledge

Before reading the article, ask students to respond to these prompts: Is there something you would be willing to risk your life for? Think about at least one historical event you’ve learned about in which individuals risked their lives for a cause. What were they trying to achieve? Students can write their responses, turn and talk with a peer, or share their responses with the class.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the skill builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms civil rights, Congress, Constitution, democratic, encampment, House of Representatives, human rights, poll taxes, segregation, and sit-ins. Have students refer to the skill builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they are unsure of.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• What were the Selma marches? Why were they important? (Central Idea)
The Selma marches were a series of protests in Alabama in 1965. They were aimed at ending the unjust practices that prevented many Black Americans from exercising their right to vote in much of the South. The marches were important because they helped bring about the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which made it illegal to deny any American the right to vote based on race. That legislation also outlawed literacy tests and poll taxes. The marches helped make more people across the United States aware of and critical of the racism and violence that Black Americans faced in many places. 

• How were Black Americans prevented or discouraged from voting in the South in the early 1960s? (Key Details)
To prevent or discourage Black Americans from voting in the early 1960s, White officials in the South made Black voters take literacy tests and pay fees called poll taxes. Black people could also be fired from their jobs for trying to register to vote. In some situations, Black people were even killed for trying to register to vote.

• What role did Alabama Governor George Wallace play in the event that became known as Bloody Sunday? (Cause and Effect)
In the event that became known as Bloody Sunday, Alabama Governor George Wallace ordered White state troopers to stop the group of 600 protesters in Selma, Alabama, from marching to Montgomery. As a result of Wallace’s order, the troopers used violence against the protesters. They attacked them with clubs, whips, and tear gas. Many marchers were injured and hospitalized.

• What likely caused the number of marchers to grow between March 7, 1965, and March 25, 1965? What does this show about the way many Americans felt about voting rights? (Drawing Conclusions)
A group of about 600 marchers set off on March 7, 1965, in the first attempt to reach Montgomery in protest of voter discrimination. By March 25, 1965, the group of marchers had grown to about 25,000. The increase in the number of marchers was likely a result of the violence of Bloody Sunday being broadcast on the national news. The fact that the number of protesters grew so much shows that many Americans believed in the importance of voting rights for all people.

• What did John Lewis mean when he compared a citizen’s vote to “the most powerful nonviolent tool” in a democratic society? Do you agree with Lewis? (Word Choice)
Sample response: John Lewis meant that a citizen’s vote can be used to help make meaningful changes in a democratic society. Because all citizens have a voice in a democracy, they can use voting to choose leaders who will make the changes they want to see happen. I agree with Lewis’s comparison of a vote to a powerful nonviolent tool because it is a way for citizens to make their voices heard in a civilized, peaceful way.

• Sheldon Steinhauser and Lynda Blackmon Lowery both participated in the march that reached Montgomery on March 25, 1965. Identify one similarity and one difference between their motivations to march. (Synthesizing)
Both Steinhauser and Blackmon Lowery felt determined to march because they believed that racial discrimination was a serious injustice. Steinhauser had seen coverage of Bloody Sunday on the news, and he was inspired to show his support by flying to Alabama to join the march. Blackmon Lowery, on the other hand, had participated in Bloody Sunday and was badly injured during that march. She was determined to march again “to finish what she had started.” 

• Choose 1-2 sentences from the excerpt of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s speech on page 14. Paraphrase the sentence(s) in your own words. (Paraphrasing)
Possible answer: The first sentence from the excerpt of President Johnson’s speech means that achieving the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was like winning a very important battle in the overall fight for freedom and equality. Denying millions of Americans the right to vote because of the color of their skin was a serious injustice, and conquering it with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a victory against racism and discrimination.

Analyze a Video

Direct students to the video “Bloody Sunday: The Fight for Voting Rights” at junior.scholastic.com. Then ask students: What did Martin Luther King Jr. mean when he said “And when we talk about marching by the thousands, we always prepare ourselves for the follow-up”? Invite students to discuss why people take a stand against injustice, even when the “follow-up” could be scary or dangerous. 

Your Turn: Analyze a Primary Source 

Direct students to the “Your Turn” prompt at the end of the article. Invite students to consider how primary sources about a historical event provide a different perspective than secondary sources about the same event. 

Assess Comprehension

You can use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.