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Mary Eliza Church Terrell-Civil Rights Leader
Lesson 2:
From Unit Writers as Activists
Purpose:
By reading about her life and her work, students will understand how Mary Eliza Church Terrell’s writing and activism brought about change for African Americans and women.
Duration:
Two Fifty-Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
- recall information and knowledge from United States history, place him/herself in the position of a 19 th century African-American woman, and imagine what he/she would do to improve his/her situation.
- read a paper about 19 th century activist and writer Mary Eliza Church Terrell and summarize what he/she read by answering related questions.
- identify the language techniques from a sample of her writing that Terrell uses in her writing/speech to rally and unite others to her causes.
- understand the importance of actions such as Terrell's to protect minority voices.
Materials:
- Internet Access
- Attachment One: Briefing Paper Questions , student copies
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Have students imagine that they are African-American women in the year 1890.
Have them brainstorm a list of obstacles that they will face and then another list of things they could do about it. Tell them that they are about to study a woman who was in that position.
Day One:
- Direct students to learningtogive.org and have them go to the briefing papers, which are under “resources.” Find Mary Eliza Church Terrell and click on her name to get to the briefing paper by Nina Gondola. (If you do not have access to the Internet, teachers can print out this page to share with students.)
- Students will read the briefing paper and answer the questions from Attachment One: Briefing Paper Questions on their own. Have them turn in their responses for evaluation.
- If students finish before the end of the class period, have them browse the other briefing papers to learn about other philanthropists.
Day Two:
- Return responses to Mary Eliza Church Terrell questions and discuss, paying close attention to question four.
- Have several volunteers say Terrell's speech in front of the class, as they imagine she would have said it for maximum effect.
- For closure, have students write about why people like Terrell are essential for positive social change.
Assessment:
- Assess students' answers to the Terrell questions in Attachment One: Briefing Paper Questions for accuracy.
- Evaluate students' participation in Day Two's discussion using your own methods.
- Assess students' answers to the closure question based on thoughtfulness.
Bibliographical References:
Learning to Give Home Page, 1 June 2001, < http://learningtogive.org > (29 August 2002).
Lesson Developed and Piloted by:
Serena Fraser KesslerRomulus Community Schools
Romulus Senior High School
Romulus, MI 48174
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Briefing Paper Questions
(Teacher Note: Delete answer suggestions before copying the questions for students)
- What were Terrell's two main concerns that she worked toward?
(women's suffrage and women's rights, civil rights for African-Americans)
- List five ways that Terrell worked to promote her causes.
(writing, public speaking, lobbying, teaching, political activism)
- Explain what Terrell's role in the Thompson Cafeteria test case was. (include the details of the case)
(Terrell picketed, lead demonstrations, and was a key witness in the case in which three black people were denied service at a restaurant despite the anti-discrimination laws of 1872-1873, which mysteriously disappeared from the books. The Supreme Court upheld the old laws. )
- Using the quote from Terrell cited in Jones and found under “importance” in the briefing papers, identify the writing/speaking techniques and vocabulary she uses to rally and unite women to her cause.
(Terrell uses language that emphasizes unity – “National,” “joined hands,” “work together,” “common cause,” “partners,” etc. to bring her group together. Her diction shows that she is educated – “we wish to set in motion influences that shall stop the ravages made by practices that sap our strength, and preclude the possibility of advancement.” – and therefore helps to prove her equality. Statements such as “our peculiar status in this country … seems to demand that we stand by ourselves” show that she is calling on Black women to take the matter into their own hands – no one will do it for them.)
Unit Contents:
Overview:Writers as Activists Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- Fable for Tomorrow and Today—Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (A)
- 2.
- Mary Eliza Church Terrell-Civil Rights Leader
- 3.
- "Anything We Love Can Be Saved"-A Contemporary
- 4.
- Writing for Action
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