NATIONAL DAY CALENDAR CLASSROOM – Week 12 – November 26 – December 2
Wrapping up the month of November and entering the last month of the year, the classroom looks to history for our lesson.
On December 1, Rosa Parks Day remembers a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Long before the day Rosa Parks lit a spark under the movement, other men and women believed in the right to equal rights for all men and women. Many of these citizens won’t be found in history books, but newspaper articles, encyclopedias, and case law remember them. Challenge your students to find them.
The history books remember Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony. All provided valuable momentum to their civil rights movements. Their perseverance, powerful abilities to speak before crowds and dedication made considerable inroads to break down barriers such as segregation and myths about allowing the right to vote for all citizens.
One name lost to history is Elizebeth Jennings Graham. A summary of her story can be found on National New York Day, but she is not the only activist to make contributions to causes. There are many important stories. Have students use their research skills in the library and see what their sleuthing skills find!
VOCABULARY
civil rights – the rights of personal liberties to political, social, and legal equalities.
suffrage – the right of a citizen to vote in an election
segregation – setting apart or separating a group of people from the main body or group.
citizen – legally recognized member of nation or state; naturalized or native.
