Lesson Plan – Different Roads to Freedom: The Power of Dissent in the Civil Rights Era

 Jalan Murray

Dr. Harris

ENGL 2016

1 December 2025


Grade: 9th

      Lesson Plan – Different Roads to Freedom: The Power of Dissent in the Civil Rights Era

-Course Description

This four week unit teaches 9th graders how different kinds of dissent shape movements for freedom. Instead of repeating basic Civil Rights information that they already should have proper knowledge of from the previous grades, this lesson focuses on how style, strategy, and different personal choices influence the way leaders push for a change. Students will explore dissent through debate, personal writing, and answering questions out loud so they can understand that disagreement is not just weakness but also part of how movements can grow stronger.

The goal is to get students to learn that social change never comes from one single leader. Movements require people who challenge power in different ways. This unit encourages students to recognize their own voice and understand that changes can be loud, emotional, strategic, artistic, or even direct.

-Primary Focus 

The unit revolves around binary oppositions in leadership, including direct, strategic, loud, patient, and long term change. Students will use these differences to examine how Bayard Rustin and Malcom X, two leaders with similar objectives challenged power in different ways. These binaries show that even with the same goal different points of view can improve plans and gain progress.

Primary Text:

“Malcolm X Debates Bayard Rustin” (1960) – Video

Justification: This debate shows a visual disagreement between two major leaders. The video allows 9th graders to analyze the tone and emotions that are difficult to teach through the text by itself which also supports the binary opposition.

-Supporting Texts:

1. James Baldwin, “Letter to My Nephew” (1962)

Justification: Baldwin gives an emotional and reflective disagreement. His tone contrasts with Malcolm X's intensity, demonstrating to students the power of unspoken criticism.

2. Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb” (2021)

Justification: Gorman provides an updated poet that shows how protest connects to young people. She demonstrates how activism nowadays brings success, creativity, and hope.

3. Jo Ann Robinson, The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It

Justification: Robinson involves behind the scenes planning. This text expands the unit by showing that activism involves organizing, writing, and community work not just speeches or protests.

-Learning Outcome/Objectives

By the end of the unit, students will be able to: 

1. List different types of dissent: creative, emotional, strategic, or direct. Students will know that opposition can come in different ways such as speeches, debates, letters, poetry, and originality. They will be able to define the kind of dissent, present information from the provided texts and videos and explain how each way represents a response to unfairness. 

2. Describe how Bayard Rustin and Malcolm X use different ways to achieve the same goal. Students will be able to explain how Malcolm X and Bayard Rustin's debate was different in terms of tone, plans, and the communication they used. Students will need to identify specific areas in the video where Malcolm X used direct arguments and Rustin uses thoughtful reasoning. Students will then explain how each of these approaches improves racial equality regardless of the differences between them.

3. Compare historical dissent to today's activism. Students will make a connection between Malcom X and Bayard, and current activists. They will analyze how today’s younger activists use social media, public speaking, art, and community organizing to challenge inequality. Students will then explain similarities and differences between past and present activism.

4. Create an original expression of dissent using their own words. Students will use what they learned by explaining their own form of dissent such as a poem, speech, poster, letter, or message that address an issue they found interesting or cared about. They will then explain why they chose that specific format and how it communicates with their message in a clear and effective way.

5. Evaluate how disagreements can strengthen social movements. Students will understand that disagreement inside a movement does not necessarily weaken it but introduces new strategies and ideas. They will be able to explain why debates like Malcolm X vs. Bayard Rustin helped movements grow, showing how different views contribute to a fight for justice.

-Assignments:

Assignment 1 – Leadership Reflection

Students will write a one page essay explaining how they can relate to Malcolm X’s or Rustin’s strategic approach. *Must include one quote from the debate!

Assignment 2 – Binary Oppositions Analysis Chart

Students create a chart identifying oppositions (direct vs. strategic etc.) *Use evidence from the debate

Assignment 3 – Activist Case Study

Students select a younger activist and identify their form of dissent. *Must include a visual (photo or poster).

Assignment 4 – “Your Dissent, Your Way” Creative Project

Students create a poster, short speech, poem, or message expressing their own dissent on an issue. Work is presented in a gallery walk.

-Activities + Field Trip:

Class Activity: Debate Circle

Students reenact parts of the Malcolm X and Rustin debate. This helps them practice tone and rhetorical strategies.

-Field Trip: Louisiana Civil Rights Museum (New Orleans)

This gives students access to in person information and stories that also explains different forms of dissent.

-4-Week Timeline

Week 1 – Understanding Dissent

Introduce unit and binary oppositions

Watch Malcolm X vs. Rustin debate

Assignment 1 Due: December 5

Week 2 – Binary Oppositions in Leadership

Assignment 2 Due: December 12

Discussion: “Thinking vs. Action”

Week 3 – Youth Activism

Watch/read Amanda Gorman poet and video of her explaining

Assignment 3 Due: December 19

Creative project planning

Week 4 – Creating Your Own Voice / Field Trip

Monday and Tuesday- work on presentations

Assignment 4 Due: January 9

Gallery walk and reflection

Tuesday, January 20: Field Trip to the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum in New Orleans.

Wednesday, January 21: Students Last Day


















Works Cited:

Gorman, Amanda. The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country..

https://einhorncollaborative.org/the-hill-we-climb/


“Malcolm X Debates Bayard Rustin.” YouTube, uploaded by Reelblack, 2013.

https://youtu.be/YmVjIooLCe8?si=psSpTtKiNrrMIEsr


Robinson, Jo Ann. The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It. https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai3/protest/text5/robinsonbusboycott.pdf


“What Is Dissent?”

https://truthout.org/articles/how-dissent-has-shaped-the-us-ralph-young/


James Baldwin: A Letter to My Nephew

https://progressive.org/magazine/letter-nephew/

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