Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers 9 Time • Handout 1-1: Complete List of Trailblazers (for teacher use) 3 short sessions (10 minutes per session) and 5 full • Handout 2-1: Sentence Strips, copied, cut, and pasted class periods (50 minutes per period) onto construction paper • Handout 2-2: Categories (for teacher use) Overview • Handout 2-3: Word Triads Discussion Guide (optional), one copy per student This unit is initially phased in with several days of • Handout 3-1: Looping Question Cue Sheet (for teacher use) short interactive activities during a regular unit on • Handout 3-2: Texas Civil Rights Trailblazer Word Search twentieth-Century Texas History. The object of the (optional), one copy per student phasing activities is to give students multiple oppor- • Handout 4-1: Rubric for Research Question, one copy per tunities to hear the names of the Trailblazers and student to begin to become familiar with them and their • Handout 4-2: Think Sheet, one copy per student contributions: when the main activity is undertaken, • Handout 4-3: Trailblazer Keywords (optional), one copy students will have a better perspective on his/her per student Trailblazer within the general setting of Texas in the • Paint masking tape, six markers, and 18 sheets of twentieth century. scrap paper per class • Handout 7-1: Our Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers, one Essential Question copy per every five students • How have courageous Texans extended democracy? • Handout 8-1: Exam on Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers, one copy per student Objectives Activities • Students will become familiar with 32 Texans who advanced civil rights and civil liberties in Texas by Day 1: Mum Human Timeline (10 minutes) examining photographs and brief biographical infor- • Introduce this unit to the students: mation. • In a few days we will be doing some activities • Students will use an Internet search engine to seek related to people whose actions made enormous answers to a research question about one individual or changes in our daily lives, but for now, I want you a topic related to that individual’s contribution. to just meet some of these individuals briefly. I’m • Working in groups, students will determine and going to give each of you a card about one particu- investigate others in their smaller or larger communi- lar person. When you get your card, read about ties who can also be considered “Texas Civil Rights your Texas Civil Rights Trailblazer quietly; in a Trailblazers.” moment, we’ll do an activity together as a group. • Students will understand that extending democracy • Distribute one Texas Civil Rights Trailblazer card to to all citizens is a responsibility of citizenship which each student. Handout 1-1: Complete List of Trailblazers takes courage and persistence. (for teacher use) is available to provide an overview of the Trailblazers. Materials • Next, explain the group activity: • Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers, copied front-to-back and • We are going to create a “human timeline.” Please cut into quarters take a look at the dates at the top of your card. Do you see your Trailblazer’s birth date? We are going Texas Curriculum Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers 10 to line up in the order of the birth dates of the peo- • Did anyone hear about someone you’d like to know ple on your cards. Now that sounds easy enough, more about? right? But we are going to do it without talking— • Explain that these cards contain just brief informa- mum’s the word! You may use sign language, tion about the Trailblazers’ extraordinary lives but that gestures, or pointing, but you may not speak. This students will be learning more about all of these Texas will be a “Mum Human Timeline.” Civil Rights Trailblazers over the next few days. Con- • The “Mum Human Timeline” can take place either in tinue with twentieth-Century Texas History instruc- the classroom or in a large open area. tion using a textbook or other resources. • Classroom version of activity: • Optional Extension Activity: Have students arrange • Have all the students sitting in the same row of themselves in alphabetical order of the names on desks arrange themselves in order of the Trail- the cards. Once they are in order, have them say the blazers’ birth dates. Allow about a minute; give names aloud from A to Z. This offers another chance help or “hushes” if needed. Students may use to hear the Trailblazers’ names. their fingers to show a year of birth or just show each other the date on their cards. Day 2: Category Stand-Up (10 minutes) • Next, assign two adjacent desk rows to blend • Before the students arrive in the classroom, copy and together. Allow another minute. An odd row cut Handout 2-1: Sentence Strips and post them on the may simply wait or join a pair. walls around the room. • Finally, have all students blend together into one • Explain to students that they will be receiving a dif- line. Indicate beginning and end of line in two ferent Trailblazer card this time. Emphasize that all opposite corners. the Trailblazers have made important contributions • Open area version of activity: which have extended liberty and democracy to groups • Ask students to move to take their Trailblazer and individuals formerly denied full civil rights. Top- cards and then move to the open area. ics addressed include desegregation, voting rights, • Indicate a beginning (earliest birth date) and women’s suffrage and women’s rights, fair wages and end (most recent birth date) of the line. labor, freedom of speech, prison reform, religious • When you say, “Begin,” all students should freedom, and visionary artistry. silently find their Trailblazer’s place in the • Distribute Trailblazer cards and make sure that stu- timeline by using fingers to signal dates or by dents do not get the same card they had for the previ- showing each other the date on their cards. Give ous activity. Ask students to read the information on help or “hushes” if needed. the card silently. • When students have assembled themselves into one • Ask students to look at the category titles taped to the timeline, “check” the timeline. Beginning with the wall around the room. Call on students to read the earliest birth date, have students say the name of their titles aloud. Ask students what they think these are person and their year of birth. This is a good time to categories of. Affirm responses that suggest ways in help with pronunciation of names. Require that each which democracy may be extended to more citizens, student speak loudly. Restate each name. for example, ways in which people need help, ways • Return to classroom/seats. Ask students: people can help others, examples of civil rights, etc. • Did anyone have a card or hear a name of someone • Ask students to quietly stand beneath a category that you had heard of before? describes their Trailblazer. Require students to select Texas Curriculum Texas Civil Rights Trailblazers 11 just one even though several may be appropriate. • Ask students to look at the Looping Question at the Handout 2-2: Categories (for teacher use) is available bottom of each of the cards. Clarify that the question to provide a quick reference for various categories in is not related to the Trailblazer described on the card which the Trailblazers could be classified. but that someone else in the room has a card that • Once everyone has selected a category, ask students answers the Looping Question. For questions and standing beneath each sign to read aloud the names of answers, refer to Handout 3-1: Looping Question Cue their Trailblazers. Continue through all categories. Sheet (for teacher use). • Next, ask students to move to another title describing • Ask for a volunteer to be the first person to read aloud the Trailblazer. After they reshuffle, read aloud titles the Looping Question on their card. The person who and names as before. has the Trailblazer card with the answer to that ques- • See if they can find a third category that fits their tion should raise his/her hand and say aloud the Trailblazer. After they reshuffle, read aloud titles and Trailblazer’s name. names again. • “Loop” around the room with answers and new ques- • Have students return to their desks. While referring to tions. The person to answer to the last question will be the section, “Stand up for . .” Categories in Handout the original volunteer. 2-2: Categories (for teacher use), say, “I wonder what • If time allows, distribute Handout 3-2: Texas Civil kinds of careers our Trailblazers followed? Stand up Rights Trailblazer Word Search (optional) and/or con- if your Trailblazer is an elected official. In sports and tinue with twentieth-Century Texas History instruc- entertainment? Attorney? Educator? Medical profes- tion using a textbook or other resources. sional? What other career paths did our Trailblazers follow?” As students stand, call on them to quickly Day 4: Using a Search Engine to Answer a Research state the name and career of their Trailblazer. Question (50 minutes) • Ask students whether anyone had the card for or had • Explain that everyone will be taking a closer look at heard of a Trailblazer they would like to know more one Texas Civil Rights Trailblazer and the issue that about. Find out which Trailblazers they are interested in. person with which that person is most closely associ- • Conclude by explaining that courageous people come ated. To the extent possible, have students think about from many walks of life and work in many different a Trailblazer that interests them. ways to achieve their goals. • Go through the cards asking, “Does someone want • If time permits, have students complete Handout 2-3: to do Lyndon B.