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 handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

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

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).

  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.

  • List five famous Civil Rights leaders.
  • What are those five leaders best known for?

• INTRODUCTION

  Play this introductory video clip [Clip #1] (3:47) of Emory University English and Creative Writing Professor Hank Klibanoff's overview of Mary Frances Early's life for your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer.

  • How does Hank Klibanoff describe Mary Frances Early?
  • What happened on August 16th, 1962?
  • According to Klibanoff, how and why did southern states rise up against African Americans?

• VOCABULARY

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

  Depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms and individuals in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student takes one or two items. 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.

• ENGAGEMENT

  Direct students to the engagement section of their graphic organizers. Have students students view each clip, take notes, and answer each question. Direct students to prepare to present their findings with the class when finished. Note: Each clip features Mary Frances Early being interviewed by Emory University English and Creative Writing Professor Hank Klibanoff during a virtual program hosted by the Atlanta History Center.

• Clip #2: Early Life (4:39).

  • Based on the clip, what work was Mary Frances Early’s father and mother engaged in?
  • What does Early mean when she says her childhood was in “the center of black life?”
  • According to Early, what were she and her brother taught?
  • How were Early’s “aspirations” influenced during her childhood and early life?

• Clip #3: Family and Education (5:01).

  • Based on the clip, what education did Mary Frances Early’s parents have? Why?
  • In what ways was Early’s dad “an astute man,” and how did this affect Early in her childhood?
  • What career did Early’s mother have? Of what were Early’s parents “determined?”
  • Summarize Early’s journal entry, as read by Hank Klibanoff.

• Clip #4: University of Georgia (7:09).

  • Based on the clip, why did Mary Frances Early decide to apply to attend the University of Georgia?
  • What’s “commonly thought wrong,” according to Hank Klibanoff?
  • What examples does Early share to prove Klibanoff’s point?
  • Based on the clip, why was Early admitted to the University of Georgia?

• Clip #5: "Accepted, But Not Welcomed" (8:53).

  • Why were Mary Frances Early’s days at the University of Georgia “difficult?” What examples of this difficulty does Early provide?
  • What action did Early regret? Who did she confide in, and what was their response?
  • Based on the clip, why did Early graduate more quickly than expected?
  • According to Hank Klibanoff, what opportunities was Early presented with while at the University of Georgia, and why?
  • What other things “tried” Early? How did she cope with these situations?

• Clip #6: Commencement (2:58).

  • Based on the clip, why was Mary Frances Early “invisible” at her graduation from the University of Georgia?
  • Summarize the “funny situation” Early describes.
  • How was Early’s graduation a “watershed moment?” Why was the accomplishment not advertised?

• Clip #7: Outlets (4:02).

  • What “outlet” did Mary Frances Early have while at the University of Georgia?
  • Based on the clip, what role did music play for Early?
  • Which book did Early utilize during her “weak points?”

• Clip #8: Success and a Debate (4:17).

  • What honors and accomplishments have come for Mary Frances Early, according to Hank Klibanoff?
  • Based on the clip, what college is named after Early at the University of Georgia and what building is it located in?
  • According to Early, should Omer Clyde Aderhold’s name be removed from the building? Why or why not?
  • What role do teachers play, according to Early?

• APPLICATION

  As you students have now learned about the life of Mary Frances Early, it is now time for them to compare her actions, roles, and legacy with another Civil Rights-era leader of choice. Direct your students to select one of the leaders they listed in the warm-up brainstorm activity to complete a comparison activity. Have your students use what they learned in this lesson and have them conduct their own research to complete the chart in their graphic organizers. Then, have your students use their graphic organizers to prepare a presentation to share their findings with the class.

• REFLECTION

  Allow time for your students to prepare their presentations from the application section and share with their peers. Then, play this closing video clip [Clip #9] (2:30) of Mary Frances Early discussing a letter she received from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer.

  • Summarize Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter to Mary Frances Early, as read by Hank Klibanoff.
  • Based on the clip, what did the letter mean to Early?

• CLOSURE

  After your students are finished, 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 of Mary Frances Early, describe her impact as a Civil Rights leader. Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.