SS.

UNIT: LESSON PLAN ONE: WE SHALL OVERCOME

I.

Objectives

Social Studies
VS.8:a,b
VS.9:c
Music
4.7
4.9
4.15
Language Arts
4.1:b, c, f, h, c
4.4: d, i, j
4.7: d
4.9: a
The student will know that:
-Black and white people in the United States and Virginia used to
be segregated based on race.
The student will understand that:
-Some people fight to earn rights that others have and to be treated
equally.
The student will discuss:
-what segregation means, and what the Civil Rights movement
was.
II. Materials for Learning Activities
Classroom/Carpet
Chart Paper/Easel/Markers
Computer (or other device for playing song from YouTube.com)
Printed song lyrics to We Shall Overcome
Book: We Shall Overcome written by Debbie Levy
Basket of books
Students may need writers notebooks and pencil
III. Procedures for Learning Activities
Time

Steps
Introduction:

2-3
mins.

Ask students to come to the carpet.

Rationale and Differentiation

On chart paper, write the following

header: Segregation, Civil Rights
Movement. Ask the students to give
silent thumbs up if they have heard of
either of these things, or if they know
anything about what they mean.
(Segregation and discrimination are terms the class
has covered in the past, so something should
sound familiar.) Check for understanding

and engagement.

This is almost a brief formative

assessment within a preassessment (The KWL chart).
Asking for a thumbs up allows
students time to think, a visual
way to gauge understanding/
knowledge/ interest, and sets the
expectation that all students
should be participating.

Instructional Strategies:
5-8
mins.

Under the words on the chart paper, make

a KWL chart. Invite the students to think
for a minute about what they might
already know or want to know about these
things.
After a brief pause, ask students to turn to
a partner and share something they may
already know or want to know. Let them
know you will call on pairs and groups to
fill our KWL chart.

Ask groups to raise their hands to share

something that they said or something
that our partner said.
Add all student responses to the KWL
chart.

Wait time is important here, as

some students need more time to
think and formulate ideas.
This is a safe way to share, and
everyone has an opportunity to do
so. Listen to students as they
discuss.
Student A is working on back and
forth conversational skills. She
has a permanent spot on the carpet
where she has little distraction and
is accessible to the student aide.
Students G, J, and R also have
permanent spots in close
proximity, and are familiar with
practicing conversational skills
with her. One of these students
will know to pair with Student A.
This gives everyone the opportunity
to share something that they feel
confident in.
It is important to validate all
student responses, when seriously
given all ideas count! The only

exception might me something that

would be not appropriate in school.

Explain to students that we are now going

to listen to a song called We Shall
Overcome. It is a song that began when
African Americans were slaves, and was
very popular during the civil rights
movement. Have a student pass out
copies of the lyrics. (Appendix A)
The song can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aor6DkzBJ0
3 mins.

Play the audio of the song.

(words to the song sung from :52-3:10)

(Remember to signal to Student N if

he should add a token to his board.
If by the end of the lesson he has
earned all five, let him take his
break.)

Listening to a song should be

inviting and engaging. Students B,
L, and P are music-minded, and
this should be a particularly
effective way to engage them.
Student A might need to wear
noise-dimming headphones.

Anticipate that students may have

questions after the song is played. Answer
any if need be.
15-20
mins.

Tell students that you are going to read a

book about the song, its history, and the
history of the civil rights movement.
Tell the students that the book has the
lyrics to the song we just listened to in it
along with more information. Let them
know that the information given in the
book might remind us of things we forgot
to add to our chart in the K section, things
we might want to add to the W section,
and things we might add to the L section.
Read the book, showing pictures and
answering questions or taking comments
if asked/given.

This book is a picture book, and

will likely appeal to all students,
but especially visual learners. The
book goes through the lyrics to the
song along each illustrated page.
Point at the chart to remind them
of the things weve already added,
and point to areas where we might
add more. This clear, instruction,
supported by the visual of a chart
outlines expectations well for these
9 and 10 year-olds who really need
that (Woods).

When finished, ask students to give you a

thumbs up if they learned anything new
from the reading the book or hearing the
song.
Then ask students to share things we can
add to the KWL chart.

This is just a quick way, again, to

assess the effectiveness of the
lesson so far. (Hopefully you should
see a thumbs up for everyone)

Themes and details discussed in the book:

-slaves/slave songs
-civil war/ending slavery
-free, but not truly free
-factory worker protest
-segregation: schools, libraries,
neighborhoods, train cars
-marching/singing
-MLK
-forms of hatred
-no service for blacks
-arrests, jail
-the Freedom Singers
-Million Man March
-LBJ/equal rights/
-laws changing
-song spreads to other lands/cultures
-election of Obama
-the struggle we face today

1 min.

Look for students who are not

raising their hands or havent
shared yet. Ask them if they have
anything to add. If needed, provide
prompts by opening the book to
particular pages. The pictures
should jog their memory, and give
them a support to rely on.
Anticipation:
If students are interested in specific
information in the book, there is a
kid-friendly extension of ideas in
the back of the book next to
thumbnail pictures.

Summary/Closure:
Close the lesson by noting how much we
knew already, and learned today (pointing
toward the chart). And that if there are
things we still want to know, look to this
week to learn more.

This will prepare students for what

is ahead of us this week, and wrap
up our thinking.
(Allow Student N a break if earned.)

Extensions/Connections:
10-20
mins.

This period goes into our Language Arts

block. To extend these ideas during that
time, or to finish out the Social Studies
time, students may:

While these options both require

reading or writing, there is a lot of
choice built into these directions.
This will help students build on
Language Arts goals as well as help
them to find ways to connect with
parts of the lesson that resonated
with them.

In your writers notebook, consider the

things we added to our KWL chart and the
Song We Shall Overcome. You may write
a poem, story, list, word web, write about
a connection you might have with these
ideas, or questions you might have about
these things.
The writing options and books

provided, offer work that may be

more or less challenging for each

Or, you may choose a book from this

basket. It has fiction and nonfiction books
that relate to issues dealing with the civil
rights movement.

student, but something that fits for

everyone.
Offer Student A the choice of one
book (show her the basket) or to
make a list (show her a writers
notebook). She needs this visual
support along with fewer options.
After she has made a choice, give
her the option of working at her
group table, or at the teachers
table (where she sometimes prefers
to work with less distraction).
Check in with students around the
room to see that they are getting
started, and to offer help or
guidance if needed.

Assessment
Check for understanding/engagement by thumbs up.
Consider answers that are recorded on chart paper.
Listen to students when they turn and talk.
Use questions students might have to inform your teaching and
your idea of their understanding.
Walking the room to see students and their work.
VI. Accommodations
Anticipate any questions your ELL learners might have, but
their comprehension/English is quite proficient.
VII. Fine Arts Integration
We Shall Overcome song
(Appendix A)
We Shall Overcome
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.
We'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand,
We'll walk hand in hand, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,

We shall live in peace,

We shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,
We shall all be free,
We shall all be free,
We shall all be free, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid,
We are not afraid, TODAY
Oh, deep in my heart,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.