Fannie Lou Hamer Lesson Plan- Civics: Processes, Rules, and Laws

Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Fannie Lou Hamer, and supports the standard of illustrating historical and contemporary means of changing society. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Ask students:

  • Who are some civil rights activists that you have heard of? Who are they and what do you know about them?
  • Many civil rights activists fought for equal voting rights. What does it mean to ‘fight for voting rights’?

Step 2: BUILD BACKGROUND

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Assign the Fannie Lou Hamer Challenge and Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about Fannie Lou Hamer while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Create a video diary from Fannie Lou Hamer’s perspective describing one of her accomplishments.
  • Make-a-Map: Make a concept map sequencing the major events in Fannie Lou Hamer’s life. 
  • Creative Coding: Code a newscast reporting on Fannie Lou Hamer’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.

More to Explore

Sortify: World Changing Women: This game challenges players to sort influential women by attributes, such as musicians, writers, activists, and more.  

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Related:

    Filed as:  3-5, 6-8, 9-12, BrainPOP, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2