Civil Rights Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie

How have you heard the phrase “civil rights” used before? (Tap prior knowledge)

What famous people do you think of when you hear the phrase “civil rights”? (Make Connections)

During the Movie (Pause Points)

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:28: Why couldn’t Linda Brown attend the school closer to her home? What did her father do about it? What was the outcome? (Identify cause/effect; Identify problem/solution)

Timecode 2:03: What can you tell about Rosa Parks’ character from her actions? (Analyze character; Make inferences)

Timecode 3:18: What was the purpose of Freedom Rides? (Identify problem/solution)

Timecode 3:34: Why do you think peaceful protests were met with anger and violence? (Draw conclusions)

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Civil Rights topic. (Make connections)

Why did it take so long to enforce civil rights laws? (Draw conclusions)

What are some peaceful ways to protest? (Reflect)

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Civil Rights topic page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.