The Path of Justice: Selma & the Voting Rights Act
Analyzing Documents
About this Activity
- Created by:LBJ Presidential Library
- Historical Era:Postwar United States (1945 to early 1970s)
- Thinking Skill:Historical Analysis & Interpretation
- Bloom's Taxonomy:Analyzing
- Grade Level:High School
Students use the speech from President Johnson to examine the response to the March on Selma. Students will engage in a document analysis of this speech to better understand the struggle for civil rights in the 1960s.
Students complete the document analysis by using the questions provided or through the "Written Document" analysis for intermediate or secondary students sheet (found under the "Resources" menu) provided by National Archives.
Before this activity: Teachers will need have discussed the early events of Civil Rights Movement and addressed the March on Selma.
After this activity: Bring this activity to a class discussion about the events of Selma and the position LBJ found himself in. It is clear that he underlined important words and phrases within the speech. What is a common thread for those underlined words & phrases? What is he trying to get the nation to do after hearing this speech? Are there any sentences that stand out as 1) the current problem within the nation or 2) a call to action?
Estimated time: 45-60 minutes
Grade level: High School
Documents in this activity
To the extent possible under law, LBJ Presidential Library has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to "The Path of Justice: Selma & the Voting Rights Act".
