SUBJECTS

U.S. History, Government, and Social Studies

 GRADE LEVEL

9-12

After completing the lesson, students will (1) understand the controversy surrounding the passage of civil rights bills in the 1960s, (2) appreciate the arguments for and against civil rights legislation, and (3) experience what a debate in the Senate involves.

 LESSON PLAN

The Set-Up

April 1963: A bill is introduced in Congress proposing an end to discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or sexual orientation in places of public accommodation.  Not only does “The Omnibus Civil Rights Act” involve public schools, playgrounds, parks, and drinking fountains, but the provisions also include privately owned businesses such as restaurants, stores, and bars.  This proposed law also prohibits discrimination in hiring, promoting, or other job-related behaviors.  It further prohibits any educational (testing) restrictions on voting.  To enforce these provisions, the bill provides for the establishment of several new federal agencies, including one to monitor discrimination in employment, one for monitoring voting, as well as giving the Attorney General broad powers of enforcement.

Participants

Lead Sponsor	Lead Opposition
Bayard Rustin	Strom Thurmond
Fannie Lou Harner	George Wallace
Ralph Abernathy	Governor Orville Faubus
John F. Kennedy	Sheriff Eugene T. “Bull” Connor
Jackie Robinson	James O. Easton
Richard Nixon	Sam Ervin, Jr.
James Farmer	J. Edgar Hoover
Stanley Levison	John Patterson
John L. Lewis	Ross Barnett

Assignments

Students will role play. Two students will play the parts of Lead Sponsor and Lead Opposition. They will choose their character from among the U.S. senators who served in 1963 (Reference:  http://www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/cdocuments/hd108-222/index.html)

Other students will select from among the people listed above.

There are three grades associated with this assignment – two essays and debate participation.

Pre-Debate Essay

Using print and online resources, students will write an essay describing the position of their character in detail.  The essay should include quotes, statistics, and anecdotes explaining the character’s support or lack of support for this bill.

Debate

Using a teacher-directed debate format, students will engage in what some have called “extended discussion,” or debate, about the proposed bill. A student’s preparation, ability to respond appropriately, and willingness or ability to stay “in character” are all under examination here.  Can he or she successfully articulate their character’s position to the members of the Senate, and then stand up to the questioning from the bill’s primary supporter and opponent?

Post-Debate Decision

Following the debate, students assume the role of a non-committed senator (the teacher will assign each student a state by blind drawing).  Their second essay requires them to decide if they are going to vote for the Omnibus Civil Rights Bill and to explain why.  The essay should use citations from the debate, including specific names and references.  Remind students that their re-election depends on their ability to convince their constituents that they voted wisely, and with their constituents’ interests in mind.

As an alternative to the essay format, students may choose to develop a campaign brochure explaining and defending their vote.

 CREDIT

Adapted from “Simulation Debate: Civil Rights Bill” presented by a Congress in the Classroom® 2008 participant, Larry Rogers, School of Imaging and Information Technology, Rochester, NY.