Using Thematic Social Studies Teaching to Explore the Civil Rights Movement

Abstract In this article, I discuss one approach of implementing thematic teaching in the high school social studies classroom exploring the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. First, a short summary for the type of high school social studies classroom envisioned in the C3 Framework by NCSS is discussed. Then, I define thematic teaching and the benefits of doing this type of social studies instruction. Next, a brief overview of the benefits of using trade books focusing on social studies topics is provided. Finally, three activities are given. Each activity uses a social studies trade book connected to three different civil rights activists during the 1950s and 1960s: Thurgood Marshall, Fred Shuttlesworth, and Fannie Lou Hamer. The steps and resources to implement these activities are provided.