Malcolm X Discussion Prompts & Pause Points

Before the Movie

What do you know about the Civil Rights Movement?

What do you hope to learn about Malcom X?

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 0:29: What goal did Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X share?

Timecode 1:59: Why was segregation worse in the South?

Timecode 3:18: Why didn’t other Civil Rights leaders support the ideas of the NOI?

Timecode 3:53: Why did many NOI members use X in place of their last name?

Timecode 4:48: How did Malcolm X take the NOI from a small group to a national movement?

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Malcolm X topic.  

How did Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X differ in their approach to civil rights?

Why might some have perceived the NOI’s beliefs as its own form of bigotry?

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the Malcolm X 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.