Digital Story or Podcast: Who Would You Follow?

NOTE: This is an exemplar for Lesson 4 of the Civil Rights Movement Unit Plan. This exemplar is teacher made, and is designed to show students a brief snipit of what is to be expected of their own digital story.  Student created videos should feature more text and more photographs that demonstrate their understanding of the different stances that Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had on how to gain the rights that African Americans deserved. From this clip, students should be able to tell the difference in approach by these two men, as well as from what they have learned in class. This digital story was made using Photo Story 3 for Windows.

Why Assassinate a Public Figure? The Bad Behind the Good

Why are great leaders throughout history assassinated? Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Robert Kennedy, and many many others have been killed for being strong and powerful leaders of masses of people that supported issues that were controversial to the status quo. While studying the Civil Rights Movement, students will be asked to blog about why they think that two black leaders, as well as two white government officials that promoted peace and social justice within our country were shot to death. Why is it that people promoting peace and nonviolence were gunned down in cold blood? Which people in this country would want them dead, and why? Students will consider these questions as they take a critical stance on the issue.

This blog is designed for students in an 11th grade US History class, and it should be expected that students are able and prepared to critically analyze issues of social justice and the irony of the assassinations of those who stood for peace. To see more regarding this unit, please visit: http://red746showcase.wikispaces.com/ and click on the link to Civil Rights Movement through New Literacies- A Virtual Equality Movement .