American Civil Rights Scheme of Work

(ages 13-14)

This six-lesson scheme uses practical drama to explore the development of the American civil rights movement, from slavery and the Civil War through to mid‑20th century protest. Lessons combine historical texts, film and music with ensemble devising and physical techniques: frozen pictures (tableau), split scenes, thought tapping, essence machines, mime and symbolism. The unit explicitly references a clip of D.W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation and Billie Holiday’s 'Strange Fruit', and contains activities that address challenging historical topics. Use this plan to structure classroom exploration and practical response to primary materials.

What Students Will Learn

Students will build practical drama skills while exploring historical events and perspectives from the American civil rights era. Across the unit pupils practise tableau/frozen pictures, improvisation, mime, thought tapping and modelling (essence machines), interpret speech extracts and respond to film and music. Activities emphasise ensemble work, physical expression and textual interpretation as students dramatise episodes such as the Underground Railroad, Little Rock Nine and the Washington Demonstration, and use symbolism to reflect on themes raised by 'Strange Fruit'.

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6 detailed lesson plansA complete, practical teaching sequence for the unit.
Lesson-by-lesson activity guidanceUse the unit structure, skills focus and classroom tasks without starting from scratch.
Linked classroom resourcesResources, Video, Music are included where they support the lesson sequence.

Week 1: The American Civil War
Explores causes of the American Civil War to illuminate life for Black people of the time. Students create frozen pictures and use spontaneous improvisation to deepen historical understanding.
Resources Include
Resources
The Causes of the American Civil War
Week 2: Escaping Slavery & Lincoln's Role
Examines escape from slavery and Lincoln’s role through historical text and enacted scenes. The class performs 'The Underground Railway' activity, reads a Gettysburg Address extract and stages a split scene depicting Lincoln’s assassination and emancipation.
Week 3: Reconstruction and The Ku Klux Klan
Considers Reconstruction-era racism and the Ku Klux Klan, supported by a historical film clip. Students watch a clip from D.W. Griffith’s 'Birth of a Nation' then explore lingering racism via 'The Lynching' using mime, thought tapping and improvisation.
Resources Include
Video
Birth of a Nation (extract)
Week 4: Segregation & The Little Rock 9
Explores segregation through the story of the Little Rock Nine and class modelling. The class models an essence machine to represent segregation and groups dramatise the Little Rock Nine using varied drama techniques.
Resources Include
Resources
The Little Rock Nine
Week 5: Martin Luther King & Malcolm X
Introduces key civil rights leaders and their speeches to examine differing approaches to protest. Students read extracts (including Rosa Parks, MLK and Malcolm X) and perform a whole-class spontaneous improvisation of the Washington Demonstration.
Resources Include
Resources
The Montgomery Bus IncidentExtract from Martin Luther King - I have a dreamMalcolm X Quotes
Week 6: Symbolism in Music
Uses music to explore symbolism and the unit’s themes through a powerful song stimulus. Students set studied themes and issues to music, working with the haunting piece 'Strange Fruit' by Billie Holiday.
Resources Include
Music
Strange Fruit