Launch Activity

Ask participants to jot down and discuss the following questions: “How has the Civil Rights Movement evolved since the 13th Amendment? What has been the response to the movement in the United States, and how has that response shaped our country and the movement itself?”

Background Information

While listening to the fourth podcast series of Civil Discourse: An American Legacy titled Civil Rights in America, take notes about the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement since the 13th Amendment and the response to the movement. Provide copies of Frederick Douglass’ 4th of July speech, the Civil War amendments (the 13th, 14th, and 15th), a summary of the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision, and a summary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision for participants to read and look for additional pieces of evidence about the evolution of and the response to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. All documents are in the American Legacy book. Have participants research how the Jim Crow era was a response to the Civil War amendments, and the Civil Rights Movement was a response to Jim Crow. While listening and reading, participants should take notes and be able to summarize the key ideas of each podcast and document.

Vocabulary

Have participants share the words and phrases they found unfamiliar while a volunteer lists them on the (interactive) whiteboard. Be sure to include:

• Civil Rights Movement
• Civil War amendments
• dissenting opinion
• Jim Crow
• majority opinion
• precedent
• Reconstruction

Assign the words and phrases to groups of participants to research and define. Then, have the groups share with the entire class and discuss until all participants are comfortable with the surface meaning of the text.

Describe the Responsibilities of the Facilitator and Participants

“As the participant, your responsibility is to work with your partner or group to stay within the allotted time by providing concise, evidence-based responses. If it is your group’s turn to speak, your focus should be on using specific examples of evidence from the readings that support your claim and providing context that connects the evidence to your reasoning about your claim. While the other group summarizes what you said, your role is to listen for accuracy and provide clarification when necessary.”

“If it is your group’s turn to listen, your responsibility is to listen closely and take notes while the other side speaks. When it is your turn to summarize, you should provide a concise overview of the key points made by the other side, focusing on specific statements that they made, and be open to them providing clarification as needed.”

Define and State the Purpose of the Seminar

“In the structured academic controversy (SAC), participants are assigned a stance on a question and work to reach a consensus on a contentious issue. The strategy reinforces the idea that people should seek to understand the other side's argument before committing to a side. Remember that the goal of a SAC is not to win; rather, SACs should give participants adequate time to present content knowledge and diverse perspectives as well as time for clarification questions, small group discussion, large group discussion, and consensus building. The predetermined format allows for structure and support for multiple viewpoints to be heard, understood, and validated while informing everyone’s views on the question.”

• The Civil War amendments increased the Jim Crow response to the end of slavery.

Initial Preparation

• Participants are provided central text(s) to read in preparation. This is often done during the previous class period or as homework leading up to class.

Groups are Created

• Participants break into groups. Half of the group is assigned “A” in favor of the statement/question, and half is assigned “B” against the statement or question.

Final Preparation (Can be done during the previous class if time allows.)

• Each side of the discussion, “A” and “B,” find a space separate from the other group to meet and prepare. If either group is large enough, the “A” and “B” groups can be broken into smaller groups.
• During this preparation phase, participants work together to share evidence and ideas that can be used during the small-group discussion. The goal is that each participant leaves the large group planning phase with an understanding of the critical points supporting their claim. (Usually 3-5 minutes)
• During this time, break all the “A”s into pairs (there can be a group of three if there is an odd number) and then do the same with the “B”s.
• Give each pair time to discuss their plan for the small group discussion. (Usually 5-10 minutes)

Small Group Creation

• Each “A” pair/group is paired with a “B” pair/group.
  • Groups meet up and introduce themselves to the others.
  • Sentence stem prompt: “Hello, my name is _______, and I look forward to talking with you today.”

Timed Share-Out

• Group “A” takes 1-3 minutes to deliver an opening statement. The opening statement is to focus solely on the resources that they were provided, with emphasis on providing direct quotes.
  • Sentence stem prompt: “The Civil War amendments increased the Jim Crow response to the end of slavery because…”
  • During this time, group “B” cannot speak. They are to listen and take notes.
  • Time allotted depends on participants' ability, how much preparation time they were given, and how many resources they were provided as supporting research.
• Group “B” is given between 15 seconds and one minute to summarize what group “A” said during their opening statement.
  • Sentence stem prompt: “What I heard you say is…”
  • Time allotted depends on how much time was provided for the opening statement. Give approximately one-quarter of the time of the opening statement to summarize. Emphasis is on being concise in highlighting key points.
  • During the summarize portion, group “A” should not speak unless something provided by group “B” is incorrect. Then, clarification can be provided.
  • At the end of the summary time, the facilitator will ask, “Group A, did Group B understand you correctly?”
    • If yes, we move on; if no, additional clarification can be provided.
• The process is repeated with the two groups switching roles:
• Group “B” takes 1-3 minutes to deliver an opening statement. The opening statement is to focus solely on the resources that they were provided, with emphasis on providing direct quotes.
  • Sentence stem prompt: “The Civil War Amendments DID NOT increase the Jim Crow response to the end of slavery because…”
  • It is important to note that even though group “B” is second, their opening statement cannot directly address or refute anything said by group “A” as part of their opening statement. The opening statement by group “B” should be the same that they would have given even if they had gone first. The facilitator will emphasize this point.
  • During this time, group “A” cannot speak. They are to listen and take notes.
  • Time allotted depends on participants' ability, how much preparation time they were given, and how many resources they were provided as supporting research.
• Group “A” is given between 15 seconds and one minute to summarize what group “B” said during their opening statement.
  • Sentence stem prompt: “What I heard you say is…”
  • Time allotted depends on how much time was provided for the opening statement. Give approximately one-quarter of the time of the opening statement to summarize. Emphasis is on being concise in highlighting key points.
  • During the summarize portion, group “B” should not speak unless something provided by group “A” is incorrect. Then, clarification can be provided.
  • At the end of the summary time, the facilitator will ask, “Group B, did Group A understand you correctly?”
    • If yes, we move on; if no, additional clarification can be provided.
• The process is repeated, with the two groups switching back to their original roles. The number of rounds is determined by how much time the facilitator wants to dedicate to the discussion and how much background material was provided at the start. The more time and material, the more rounds can and should be provided for deeper discussion.
• Things to note for rounds two and beyond:
  • Unlike the opening statements, in rounds two and beyond, the groups can directly address or refute statements made by the other group as part of their opening statement or at any point in SAC.
  • Emphasis is given to using direct quotes from the material provided. The more rounds provided, the more likely participants will start bringing “outside information” to the conversation. Background knowledge can be useful, but be careful about the academic rigor of the source. For example, having knowledge of specific Jim Crow laws and policies of the past can be helpful. Sharing a meme that you read on Facebook is not helpful. The facilitator will be listening in to as many small group conversations at a time as possible to help ensure that the conversations stay at an academically rigorous level.

Open Conversation

• For 3-5 minutes, the group drops their assigned “role,” and each member participates in an open discussion about what they have heard.
• Sentence stem prompts:
  • “I think the most persuasive argument in favor of is….”
  • “I think the most persuasive argument against is…”

Final Vote

• Each participant casts a vote based on what they have learned and what they believe.
• Sentence stem prompt: “I am voting yes/no that the Civil War amendments increased the Jim Crow response to the end of slavery.”
• Each small group tallies their votes.

Voting Share Out

• The facilitator asks each group to share their vote tally and if they were for/against the statement/question.

Full Group Discussion

• The facilitator asks if they noticed anything about the voting (this is especially powerful when you have a 4-0 yes AND a 4-0 no in the same room) and why they think the voting went that way.
• The facilitator then leads a full group discussion that focuses on the two sentence stems:
  • “I think the most persuasive argument in favor of is….”
  • “I think the most persuasive argument against is…”
• Time of the final discussion depends on how much time is available and how much time the facilitator wants to spend on the discussion. The full group discussion can take place during the following class period.

Transition to Writing

Participants are encouraged to revisit notes they captured on their selections, personal recording space, etc., and during the Launch Activity.

Writing Task

While the 13th Amendment ended slavery, two additional amendments (the 14th and 15th) were passed to protect the rights of African Americans throughout the United States. How much did the addition of the 14th and 15th Amendments add to the reaction that eventually became known as Jim Crow? Write an argumentative essay (or other form of expressive work like a PowerPoint presentation or a Public Service Announcement video) that provides the key reasons why (or why not) you believe that the 14th and 15th Amendment significantly increased the backlash to the ending of slavery in the United States and how those amendments would strengthen American democracy. Focus on the included texts and podcasts, issues raised in related readings and during the SAC, and your background knowledge on your stance.

Extension Task

Examine the debate between W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington over how early 20th century African Americans needed to approach the struggle for civil rights in the United States. Compare and contrast their viewpoints and share your thoughts about the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, as well as how they were both shaped by the Jim Crow era and Reconstruction.

• The 13th Amendment
• The 14th Amendment
• The 15th Amendment
• Frederick Douglass’ speech: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” (1852)
• A summary of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision*
• A summary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision*
• Brown v. Board of Education Decision (Unabridged)
• The 60-Second Civics podcast series titled Civil Rights in America.

• Booker T. Washington’s Atlanta Compromise Speech (1895)
• W.E.B. DuBois Critiques Booker T. Washington
• The Debate between DuBois and Washington, PBS
• “W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington Had Clashing Ideologies During the Civil Rights Movement,” by David Blatty, Biography