Classroom Activities
In order to teach the content, I envision students engaging in the following readings/viewing over the course of
a three week unit; these texts would be read as a class and annotated on by students using the signpost lessons
(from the Notice and Note text-see Resource section) and classroom conversations using the questions in the
table for each excerpt:
-The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson
-Let the People See: The Story of Emmett Till by Elliott J. Gorn
-Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America by Mamie Till-Mobley and
Christopher Benson
These are the selected texts that I recommend for use in an inquiry study of Emmett Till. I would start with
having students view the Eyes on the Prize documentary. The YouTube URL is included; the
documentary runs about ten minutes, allowing for viewing more than once. When I teach the unit, I plan on making
the questions that I have included into a worksheet for students to answer as they view the documentary. The
list of questions is detailed and requires students to view the documentary very carefully. The documentary
provides a good overview of the key events related to Till as well as grounds students visually in that specific
historical period.
I have included questions for excerpts from two biographies and one memoir. These questions should be discussed
before students work on the Source Investigation Sheet for each text, which is located below the table of
questions. When I teach the unit, I will have students read one excerpt at a time and annotate it on their own
first. Students will then add to their annotations as we discuss the questions for each excerpt as a class, and
then students will complete a Source Investigation Sheet for each text to evaluate each source based on what
they read.
|
The Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed
America by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson
Pages-Introduction pages xx-xxiii, pages 24-25, 39-41, 149-151
|
The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson Pages 1-6, 13-24,
144-top of 148, 160-top of 161;165-168
|
|
Pages xx-xxiii-Mamie’s broad recollection and feelings towards her son’s death and legacy
- Mamie writes this book many years after her son’s death. Based on what she says, what
impact has her son’s death had on her life?
- What purpose does she have for writing the book? How might her purpose for writing be different
than other authors who do biographies on Emmett Till?
Pages 23-25-Mamie’s friendship with her friend Ollie
- What does this section reveal about Mamie as a person?
- What does this section reveal about how life was in Argo during Mamie’s childhood?
- What does her friendship with Ollie reveal about what Mamie valued as a person?
Pages 39-41- Emmett stuttering and his relationship with cousin Wheeler
- How did Emmett’s family help him overcome his stuttering? What does this show about his
family?
- Why was being able to speak clearly important to Till’s family?
- Who is Wheeler and how did Emmett feel about him?
- How was Emmett prepared for school by his family?
Pages 149-151-Till’s mother’s choice to attend the trial of the murders.
- Almost immediately after the funeral in Chicago, Till’s mother decided to go to the trial
in Mississippi. Why was this dangerous?
- In making her decision to attend the trial, how did Till’s mother feel?
- There are several people that helped make it possible for Till’s mother to attend the
trial. Who are they and why were they helpful?
|
Pages 1-6-Recent interview with Carolyn Bryant
- Why do you think Carolyn decided to speak after all these years?
- Why did the author and Carolyn get in contact? Why do you think the author includes this detail?
- How was the Murrow case like what happened to Till?
- Why do you think ‘miscegenation’ (aka race-mixing) was a big deal in the South
during the 1950’s? Think about how they tried to keep people separate through
segregation.
- Why do you think she admits to lying on page 6?
- Why do you think the author opens the book with his interview of Carolyn Bryant, when the book
is about Till?
Pages 13-24-a comparison of racism in Chicago and Mississippi
- What does the author mean when he says on page 14, “one stock theme in stories of Emmett
Till is that being from the North, he died in Mississippi because he just didn’t know any
better?” What argument is the author trying to make in that paragraph and the following
paragraphs?
- Was there racism in Chicago? Was it similar or different than what we know about life in the
South at that time? What do you think about some examples that the author shares?
- At the bottom of page 17, you see “the New Negro” is in quotes and starts with
capital letters. This means it is a proper noun and is a thing. What is it? Use the context
clues in the paragraph to make an inference, then take a moment to do a Google search and add to
you inference.
- How was/is racism evident in real estate? How did it work in Chicago?
- How did politicians reinforce segregation in Chicago?
- By focusing so heavily on racism in Chicago that happened right before Till left for
Mississippi, what is the author trying to show?
Pages 144-top of 148-recap of Moses Wright speaking at the trial
- Go back and reread page 144. The author does a good job using language describing the setting to
create a mood for the reader. Based on the description that the author uses, what mood is
created for you as a reader?
- Who is Moses Wright? What did he do during the trial that was so important? What impact did it
have for the trial? What impact did it have on his personal life after the trial?
- What did the lawyers for the murders try to do to make Moses Wright seem less credible?
Pages 160-top of 161; 165-168-Carolyn Bryant’s testimony w/ author’s context
- What was Carolyn thinking during the trial?
- Look at the bottom of 160 and top of 161. What plans did African Americans who were going to
testify must make to ensure they were safe?
- Looking at the top of page 165, how was justice different in the South in 1955 than justice
today?
- What do you think of the testimony that Carolyn provided? What does it show about the South at
that time?
|
|
Let the People See by Eliot Gorn
Pages 162-170, 269-273, 290-295 (last)
|
Documentary Eyes on the Prize-Emmett Till
website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie5Jnt_QWVs
|
|
Pages 162-170-Recap of the closing arguments of the murder case
- Chatham is the lawyer that is representing Till’s family seeking the murderers to be
charged guilty for murder. Look at page 164-165. What does he argue? How does he try to relate
to the jurors?
- On pages 165-66, what argument does Chatham make about the doctor and identifying the body?
- Carlton was the lawyer the murderers had. Look at the middle of page 167. What arguments does he
make to defend the murderers?
- At the top of page 168, the lawyer for the murderers reminded the jury that they don’t
have to prove that it was Till’s body in the river, but that if they had a reasonable
doubt it was not Till’s body that they could not convict the two men for murder. What do
you think about the legal standard? Was it fair? Does it make sense in this case?
- Based on the description of the concluding arguments on page 169, who do you think a more
convincing closing argument? Why?
- Based on what you read about in this excerpt, how do you feel about the decision that was
reached in finding the murderers not guilty?
Pages 269-273-What was Till’s legacy after his death
- What impact did Till’s death have on Black Americans born during the “Emmett Till
generation?” (1930’s and 1940’s)
- How did Till’s story come back into broader historical awareness?
- Why was the documentary Eyes on the Prize important?
Pages 290-295-Connections between Till and modern-day Black Lives Matter and continuing civil rights
movement
- Why is it important that “somehow the Chicago kid’s murder broke the silence?”
(Gorn 290). Look at the bottom paragraph on page 291 before you share your thoughts.
- Oprah said, “when you look at the story of Emmett Till...and you think about what’s
happening in our community today with black men unarmed being shot, it’s like a new Emmett
Till every week.” What do you think about what she had to say?
- Why does Emmett Till’s story still important today? Look at the bottom of page 292 and 293
as you formulate your thoughts. There are many potential points to make here.
- What do you think about Carolyn Bryant as we finish our study? Would it have been better for her
to not say anything all these years?
|
- Why were tensions high in the South before Till headed to Mississippi?
- What group worked to maintain white supremacy according to the documentary?
- What did groups like the KKK do to cause Blacks to live in fear?
- What was Money, Mississippi like based on the video and description?
- What did Till’s cousin say that happened in the store?
- Who is Mose Wright?
- What did Wright share happened to Emmett Till?
- How was Wright able to identify Till’s body?
- Why did Till’s mother insist on an open casket to display the body?
- How did people react to seeing Till’s body?
- Sumner, the place that the murder trial was held, was called “A Good Place to Raise a
Boy.” Why is this ironic?
- How was the courtroom segregated? Who sat where?
- What argument did the lawyers make who were defending the murderers?
- Why was Mose Wright brace according to his nephew?
- How much did the murderers get paid for selling their story to the press?
- What did Till’s mom hope would happen from his death?
|
Enrichment Activity: https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1329/1388299617_ab84704bc9_b.jpg
This is a link to a magazine article that tries to smear Till-Mobley’s actions as a mother. It would be a
worthwhile activity to have students evaluate it for bias using the Source Evaluation Sheet below.
Name: _____________________________
Room:______
Source Investigation Sheet
Title of Text and Page # :____________________________
Topic Addressed: ____________________
Directions: Once we have finished reading and discussing an excerpt, we will dive deeper into the text to think
about the author’s tone, purpose, and potential bias. Copy two statements from the reading that you think
are important and show the author’s thinking.
|
Important
Statement
|
Copy important sentences from the text; be sure to include a citation after the direct quote.
|
|
#1
|
|
|
#2
|
|
- Highlight any words that carry a strong connotation (feeling). You need to highlight at least one word from
each statement.
- Based on the words that you highlighted, what do you think the author’s tone (what he/she thinks and
feels) about the topic addressed in this section? Explain your thinking in a couple of sentences.
- Based on what you have read and what we discussed, what do you think the author’s point of view in
this section? By including this information about Emmett Till, what is the author trying to show?
- Finally, is this an author or source that demonstrates reliability and credibility? Think about the
following as you circle and explain your rating:
- What makes the author an authority/expert on this issue? Is the author a historian or a primary
source like a person or newspaper from that time?
- Does the text cite other authors or key people with citations in the book?
- Is the author trying to tell a complete story or is only telling one side of the story?
- Does the authors language seem fair and balanced, or does it seem like the author feels so strongly
about something that he is ignoring part of the story?
Based on the criteria listed above, rate how much you trust this author on the following scale:
I completely trust this text
Somewhat trust this text Don’t trust this text
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Explain your rating in at least four detailed sentences that give two examples from the text to back up your
thinking. You can use the sentences from above that you copied in your explanation.
Comments: