Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Leader?

1
Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Leader?

• A lesson plan to accompany the
• Digital History Reader
• www.dhr.history.vt.edu
• Virginia Tech School of Education
• Composed by
• Tommy George
• Karen McNamara
• Gina Rumbolo

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Just Do It Activity (5 min.)

• Concept Attainment Model
• Lets define Racism as a class
• Please provide a list of examples, non-examples,
  essential characteristics, and non-essential
  characteristics.
• Example Black Codes in Virginia
• Non-Example full suffrage/equal citizenship
• Essential Characteristic negative feelings
  towards a group or minority
• Non-essential Characteristic limitations of
  civil liberties, separate, but equal Plessy v
  Fergusson)

3
Character Profiling Activity (15 min.)

• Using the provided handout and attached
  information, students will be able to generate a
  brief paragraph describing the character of
  Jackie Robinson.
• Goal a first impression from the provided
  information
• Result completion of brief paragraph and general
  discussion to follow.

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But first, who was Jackie Robinson? a brief
lecture of his life, accomplishments, etc. (15
min.)

• 42 on the Brooklyn Dodgers
• Lifetime .311 batting average, Hall of Fame
  inductee, Rookie of the Year, MVP, stolen-base
  titles, etc.
• Born in rural Georgia, moved out West to
  California with his mother and four siblings
• 1st to letter in four sports at UCLA including
  football, basketball, baseball, and track

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Besides Sports

• Drafted into the Army after Pearl Harbor
• Becomes a second lieutenant
• Court-martialed for not moving to the back of a
  bus
• Charges were eventually dropped and he received
  an honorable discharge from service

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Jackies Role in the Civil Rights Movement

• "If they can fight and die on Okinawa,
  Guadalcanal (and) in the South Pacific, they can
  play ball in America." Happy Chandler,
  commissioner of Major League Baseball and former
  Senator and Governor of Kentucky
• Accomplishment Was the first African-American
  to play Major League Baseball (drafted by the
  Brooklyn Dodgers)

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Heres to you, Mr(s). Robinson

• As Sports Illustrated's Bill Nack wrote
  "Robinson was the target of racial epithets and
  flying cleats, of hate letters and death threats,
  of pitchers throwing at his head and legs, and
  catchers spitting on his shoes."
  (espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016431.html)

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WebQuest Activity (30 min.)

• Using the provided handout and instructions,
  students will independently or in small groups,
  research information from the online module to
  answer the attached questionnaire.
• The website for this activity is
• http//www.dhr.history.vt.edu/us/mod08_robinson/in
  dex.html.
• If time allows, please complete the
  self-assessment quiz after answering the
  questions.

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Jackie Robinson Spectrum (10 min.)

• Students will be provided a series of statements
  pertaining to Jackie Robinson.
• The students will personally rate/rank these
  statements based on their opinions and
  interpretations of the material.
• Spectrum ranges from strongly agree to
  strongly disagree
• A general discussion will be held during the
  spectrum activity based on the results and
  differing perspectives of the students.

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Closure Personal Perspective Paper (remaining
time/homework)

• Goal allow students to use their prior knowledge
  of the content to develop their own
  interpretation of the original guiding question
  of
• To what did degree did Jackie Robinsons life
  influence the Civil Rights Movement?
• Please read the instructions carefully on the
  attached handout.
• Grammar, formatting, AND content will be
  assessed. This assignment should be AT LEAST
  one-page, typed, single-spaced, 12-point Times
  New Roman Font.