Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Developed by: Maine Council for the Social Studies

Grade Level: -5-8, 9-12 

The MLR performance indicators listed below are for illustrative purposes. Depending on the focus of the lessons as developed by individual teachers, these indicators may or may not be addressed. Conversely this is not a definitive listing of all of the performance indicators which could be addressed in this lesson.

MLR - Middle: Civics and Government (Fundamental Principles of Governments and Constitutions): C-2, C-4, C-7; English/ Language Arts: A-2,A-4, A-7, A-8, A-9, A-10, A-11; B-5, B-7, B-9; C-5; D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4, D-5; E-3; F-2; G-7, G-8, G-10; H-2, H-8, H-9

Task Description

Students first need to learn about the definitions of civil rights and civil liberties. After finding definitions from several sources, students should discuss and agree on working definitions they will be able to use.

Student Product /Performance

Students should then find examples in newspapers and in other print media of stories about civil rights and civil liberties.

After summarizing and discussing the stories in class, they could create illustrations and combine their examples into collages, one for civil rights and the other for civil liberties.

Students could present their collages to the class for discussion.

A second part of the activity could send students to the Internet for stories of civil rights and civil liberties issues in Maine. After discussion, the second set of collages would focus on Maine examples.

 Resources

Internet
Links to some Maine papers online:
Bangor Daily News
Portland Press Herald
Kennebec Journal
Sun Journal
Times Record
Journal Tribune
Morning Sentinel

Links to some national news sources:
Boston Globe
New York Times
Washington Post
CNN Interactive
CNNfn [Financial Network]
MSNBC

Criteria for Evaluation

Students should demonstrate by their discussion of the examples an understanding of civil rights and civil liberties. By understanding the examples in Maine, students would then follow the stories in the newspaper, in other print media, on television, and on the internet. Students should report to the class on their findings.