Lesson Plans

Objectives

Students will learn about and examine segregation and "separate but equal" as it existed in Mississippi and the American south.
Students will identify the laws and court rulings that were in effect and were challenged with the Civil Rights movement.
Students will learn about the Freedom Rides and the challenges faced by the participants during the rides.
Students will use historic images, oral histories, and documents to examine the events and people surrounding the Freedom Rides in Mississippi.
Students will discuss, examine, and determine the outcome of the Freedom Rides and the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.

Mississippi Department of Education Curricular Connections

Lesson plans may be downloaded in sections below or as a single file.

Table of Contents, Objectives, Curricular Connections (download)

Lesson One: Separate but Equal? (download)
Students will understand the history of segregation laws and practices that lead to the Freedom Rides and the Civil Rights Movement.

Lesson Two: A Freedom Rider’s Journey (download)
Students will learn about the 1961 Freedom Rides, the riders, the challenges faced along the way,the impact of the rides on the civil rights movement, and the nation’s awareness of segregation in the south.

Lesson Three: Who Makes a Movement? (download)
Through historic images and documents students will learn about the riders, the authorities, and everyday citizens who helped them.

Lesson Four: Making Change Happen (download)
Discover and discuss the legacy of the Freedom Rides in Mississippi and the country: subsequent movements, integration in the South, and the effects on our life today.

Vocabulary List (download)
List of terms covered in the Freedom Rides Lesson.

Evaluation (download)
The teacher’s lesson plan evaluation forms are located at the end of the document. Please take the time to fill them out and return them to the MDAH Museum Division.

Further Reading (download)
List of articles, Web sites, and books to read further on the Freedom Rides and the civil rights movement.

Bibliography (download)
List of materials researched in preparation for this lesson.