The Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of the Civil Rights Movement

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 09.02.09

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Objectives
  2. Strategies
  3. Notes
  4. Teacher's Bibliography
  5. Videos
  6. Websites
  7. Appendix

Hispanic Identity: From Dreams to Civic Participation

Meredith Charlton Tilp

Published September 2009

Tools for this Unit:

Guide Entry to 09.02.09

The 2008 election of President Barack Obama provides the opportunity to look deeply at evolving civil rights in the United States, and to address the question: "Why Hispanics in the US have not achieved the same degree of success in the US as African-Americans?"

Phase one of this unit will explore the questions: "Who am I? Where did I come from and what is my cultural background?" We will read Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama. Using Dreams from My Father, we will decode his father's heritage and mother and grandparents' influence, and study his education and values.

In phase two, students will examine the topic of discrimination. Students will explore how change has come about slowly in the southwest for New Mexico citizens and Mexican immigrants. The cases of Hernandez v. Texas, the Lemon Grove incident "Tierra Amarilla" and the record of Senator David Chavez will be examined.

Phase three explores the resources, rationale and practice of community development and civic participation. Each student will research, evaluate and volunteer for 8 weeks in a community organization in Santa Fe. Students will do a project including writing a resume, seeking recommendations and writing a diary on their work.

(Developed for Government, Economics, and U.S, History, grades 11-12; recommended for Social Studies, Government, Economics, and U.S. History, grades 10-12)

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