This five-day inquiry-based lesson engages eighth-grade students in exploring Mississippi's central role in the Civil Rights Movement through the story of Medgar Evers and other influential leaders. Using documentary clips from Everlasting: Life and Legacy of Medgar Evers, primary source documents, collaborative discussions, and research activities, students examine the challenges of segregation, the courage of civil rights advocates, and the events that transformed both Mississippi and the nation. Throughout the unit, students analyze historical evidence, develop arguments supported by primary sources, and demonstrate their understanding through an essay or multimedia presentation that answers the compelling question: How did Mississippi become one of the most important battlegrounds of the Civil Rights Movement?

• Civil Rights Movement
• Mississippi History
• Primary Source Analysis
• Historical Inquiry

• MS.8.7 Analyze the impact of the Civil Rights Movement.
• MS.8.7a Examine the role of Medgar Evers.
• MS.8.7b Evaluate Civil Rights strategies.

Lori Replogle

Day 1: Setting the Stage

Students examine segregation in Mississippi through documentary clips and primary sources, including Jim Crow laws, voting literacy tests, and historical photographs.

Day 2: Civil Rights Leaders

Students investigate the lives and contributions of leaders such as Medgar Evers, James Meredith, and Fannie Lou Hamer through research and collaborative presentations.

Day 3: Challenging Segregation

Students explore the organizations and events that challenged segregation, including the NAACP, CORE, Freedom Summer, and the integration of the University of Mississippi.

Day 4: Mississippi's Impact

Students revisit documentary evidence and begin planning their culminating assessment by examining Mississippi's influence on the national Civil Rights Movement.

Day 5: Reflection & Assessment

Students complete their final projects, revisit the compelling question, and reflect on how Mississippi shaped the struggle for civil rights.

📖 Primary Source Analysis

Students examine Jim Crow laws, literacy tests, photographs, speeches, newspaper articles, FBI reports, and interviews to better understand the Civil Rights Movement.

🎥 Documentary Investigation

Students analyze key documentary clips to connect historical events with firsthand accounts and archival footage.

👥 Collaborative Inquiry

Working in groups, students create biography posters, research civil rights organizations, and build historical timelines.

✍️ Historical Argument

Students synthesize evidence from throughout the week to create a persuasive essay or multimedia presentation.