Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handouts and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resources for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Docs).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose:

  • Who are the key leaders of the Civil Rights Movement?
  • How many of the individuals you listed are women?

• INTRODUCTION

  Play this introductory video clip [Clip #1] (1:39) for your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer:

  • According to Tomiko Brown-Nagin, what “one word” describes Constance Baker Motley?
  • In what other ways does Brown-Nagin say Motley has been described?
  • What example of Motley’s “sacrifice” does Brown-Nagin discuss?

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms and selected individuals that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words and individuals are also listed to the right on this webpage. We recommend having your students define and present the terms in a jigsaw activity to save time.

  Depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student takes one or two words. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson. Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms and individuals included in each video. We recommend you previewing the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• BACKGROUND

  Direct students to the background section of their graphic organizers. Have students view the clip, take notes, and answer each question in their graphic organizers. Encourage your students to share their responses with a partner or small group when finished.

  Clip #2: An Excerpt of the Book (5:32). Harvard University professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin reads an excerpt of her book, "Civil Rights Queen." This was part of a virtual program hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

  • According to Tomiko Brown-Nagin, what was Constance Baker Motley’s “most famous case?” What was the impetus of the case?
  • Why would a black woman “fair better” than a black man in leading the case?
  • What happened on September 10th, 1962? How was the case going before this date?
  • Describe the relationship between Motley and Medgar Evers.

• ENGAGEMENT

  Next, have your students choose (or assign) one of the four topics listed in the engagement section. Have students watch the clip and answer the accompanying questions. Direct students to prepare to present their findings with the class when finished.

• Clip #3: Early Life (4:31). Harvard University professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discussed Constance Baker Motley's early life and support network of family and friends. This was a virtual program hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

  • Summarize the excerpt of the poem that Constance Baker Motley wrote when she was 15 years old, as read by Tomiko Brown-Nagin.
  • According to Brown-Nagin, what impact and influence did Motley’s parents have during her childhood and early career?
  • Describe the “strong support network” that emerged as Motley’s career progressed.

• Clip #4: Mentors (8:28). Harvard University professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discussed Constance Baker Motley's mentors and supporters. This was a virtual program hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

  • Based on the clip, describe Constance Baker Motley’s relationship with Thurgood Marshall. What was “jarring” about Motley’s interview with Marshall?
  • According to Tomiko Brown-Nagin, what “reputation” did Motley develop?
  • To what role did President Lyndon Johnson appoint Motley? What support and “pushback” did Johnson and Motley receive?
  • According to Brown-Nagin, which women served as “mentors” for Motley? How so? How did Motley compare to these women?

• Clip #5: Civil Rights Era (7:27). Harvard University professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin discussed Constance Baker Motley's connections to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders and the support she received from her husband during this era. This was a virtual program hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

  • Based on the clip, describe Constance Baker Motley’s relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What legal roles did Motley serve for King?
  • What does Tomiko Brown-Nagin mean when she calls Motley a “movement lawyer?”
  • How did the assassinations of Civil Rights era leaders affect Motley? Why, and how so?

• Clip #6: The Cases (8:31). The African American Studies Program held a symposium on black women’s activism in the Civil Rights movement. Ms. Lisa Cooper shared her thoughts about the contributions of Judge Constance Baker Motley.

  • According to Lisa Cooper, what role did Constance Baker Motley play from 1945 to 1964? What was Motley’s first case, and what was the outcome?
  • Based on the clip, what connection did Motley have to the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case? What was the outcome of the case, and what “obstacle” did the ruling create?
  • Motley lived in New York, but where did most of her work occur? Who are some of the people that she represented?
  • According to Cooper, what challenges did Motley experience when she represented her clients?

• APPLICATION

  After students share their findings from the engagement section of the lesson, direct them to conduct their own research and prepare a Google Slides presentation that explores the life and legacy of Motley (selected related articles have already been selected for you below). Encourage your students to use the graphic organizer to help guide their research. Have your students share their presentations with the whole class. Presentations should include slides that study each of the following topics of Constance Baker Motley's life and legacy:

  • Childhood
  • Education
  • Mentors
  • Social Circle
  • Career as a Lawyer
  • A Notable Case
  • Career as a Judge
  • Family
  • Legacy

• CLOSURE

  Allow time for your students to prepare their findings from the application activity with their peers. After your students are finished sharing their findings with the class, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt in their graphic organizers, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now learned about the life and times of Constance Baker Motley, describe her legacy. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.