ED 352

Unit Plan Selma: Historical Biographical Narrative

Title: Individuals of Selma
Subject/Course: English Language Arts / Social Studies
Topic: Historical Narrative & Voting Rights
Grade: 7th/8th
Designer: Alyssa Toetz
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goal(s)
CCSS: WS.7.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences.
Thinking like a Historian: Cause and Effect, Change and Continuity, Through
their eyes
Understanding(s)
U
The significance of the right to vote.
Legal obstacles black citizens faced in
attempting to vote.
Individual efforts to achieve the Voting
Rights Act of 1965.
Non violent movements

Essential Question(s)
Q
Does voting matter? Why were black citizens
throughout the South ready to risk their lives to
secure their right to vote? Why do so few
people today exercise that right? Can students
make a difference?

Students will know

K
Individuals who participated in Selma
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Historical Biographical Narratives

Students will be able to

S
Students will watch the Selma
documentary in order to
explore/research individuals and issues
of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Students will compose a historical
narrative in order to illustrate their
understanding of individuals during
the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Other Evidence:

Performance Tasks:
Students will compose a historical

biographical narrative based on their

gained understanding of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965.
Criteria
-Illustrates the actions and beliefs of an
individual who participated in Selma.
(Modes of illustration: diary entry, news
article or broadcast, fake book profile)
-Incorporates relative historical facts and

Students will complete a graphic organizer

while watching the Selma documentary.
Students will reflect on voting rights in the
1960s in comparison with voting rights of
today.

evidence from Selma documentary

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Learning Activities:
Day
Materials Needed
1.

2.

Selma Bridge to Ballot

documentary
Graphic organizer

3.
4.

Continue documentary
Compose biographical
historical narratives

5.

Final Reflection

Learning Activities

Assessment Strategies

Introduce the Voting

Rights Act of 1965

Engage students in class

discussion. (Does voting
matter? Why do so few
people exercise that right?
Why were black citizens
in the south ready to risk
their lives for the right to
vote?)
Graphic organizer
focused on the
participation of
individuals
What did I know
before viewing?
What do I want to
learn?
What did I learn
about individuals
who participated
in Selma from the
film?

Students will watch the

documentary and
specifically focus on the
varied roles of
individuals during
Selma.

Ask students to
brainstorm and consider
the following (How did
individuals further the
movement? What role
did media play in
bringing awareness and
public support of voting
in the south?)
Ask students to reflect
on parallels that exist
between the voting
events of the early
1960s and today?

Students will follow the

provided criteria while
creating their
biographical narrative.

Collect what students

record in their reflections.