Let students step into the shoes of a 1960s advice columnist and use historical evidence to advise real people facing civil rights challenges.
 
This activity puts students in the role of a newspaper advice columnist responding to community members impacted by the Civil Rights Movement. Students analyze firsthand accounts, historical context, and relevant primary sources to craft thoughtful, evidence-based responses. Instead of summarizing events, they explain, advise, and justify solutions using historical reasoning.

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What’s Included
Set of historical advice prompts based on real-world situations
Primary source excerpts and context notes
Columnist response worksheet
Claim–Evidence–Reasoning writing scaffold
Scoring rubric
Teacher guide
 
What Students Will Learn
Apply historical context of the civil rights movement to realistic personal dilemmas
Write clear, evidence-supported advice responses
Construct a structured  (CER)
Compare multiple perspectives of the movement

Grade Level: 8–12
Duration: 1 class period
DOK: 1 & 2
Format: Paper