Worksheets, crossword puzzles, and a "big picture" test covering Episode 5 of The Sixties -- a complete teaching solution to using this wonderful series in your history class!
The Sixties is a ten-part documentary series produced by CNN. Covering the entire decade in detail, the series is highly entertaining as well as informative as it addresses in detail the main elements that made the 1960s such a key decade in modern American history.
Episode 5, "A Long March to Freedom," draws students deep into the modern Civil Rights Movement, detailing the many struggles and accomplishments of the African American community during the 1960s. From training in violence in Nashville, to sit-ins at lunch counters, to the Freedom Riders and the March on Washington, the episode examines how these and other tactics led to the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The episode also details the Selma Voting Rights March, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, James Meredith and the integration of the University of Mississippi, George Wallace and his commitment to segregation in Alabama, Bull Connor and his police dog / fire hose violence against protesters, and the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
What this The Sixties Activity Pack Contains
These Episode 5 The Sixties worksheets contain the following materials:
Viewing Worksheet -- Several variants to meet your needs:
• Fill-in worksheet: large format so students have plenty of room to write
• Fill-in worksheet: condensed format to save on paper & copying time
• Time-stamped versions of both of the above in case teachers want students to use time-stamps to help them as they complete their work
• Answer key for the cloze worksheet
Crossword Puzzle Reviews -- For Differentiated Learning:
• Basic level crossword puzzle
• Advanced level crossword puzzle
• Solution grids for both crossword puzzles
• Vocabulary / study list for both crossword puzzles
Summary Test or Quiz:
• True/False Test on the episode
• Annotated answer key for True/False Test
About these The Sixties Cloze Worksheets
The Sixties fill-in worksheets are designed to encourage students to pay close attention to the video as it plays. The during-viewing worksheets consist of fill-in problems in order to largely eliminate the problem of students guessing. In addition, because the cloze items focus on key ideas and important details, they have the added benefit of helping students to zero in on items that matter – exactly the content they should be mastering as they watch an episode.
Each fill-in worksheet contains enough problems to keep students continuously on task throughout the viewing of an episode, but the cloze items are appropriately spaced out so that the vast majority of students should be able to keep up as they watch. Students with learning challenges, however, may feel that the pace is too brisk. In that case, teachers can simply assign some students to do the odd problems and others the evens, a strategy that can also help to discourage students from copying from classmates instead of paying attention as they should.
About these The Sixties Crossword Puzzle Worksheets
In addition to the cloze activity, this The Sixties worksheet pack contains two different crossword puzzles that can be used as an alternate worksheet, as follow-up homework to the day’s viewing, or even as a quiz or test on the episode. There are two crossword puzzles included so that teachers can easily differentiate for their students, providing more or less challenging work as they see fit.
• Crossword Puzzle A (Advanced Level) presents students with clues and terms that cover all the main ideas in the episode as well as some challenging details about the topic under study.
• Crossword Puzzle B (Basic Level) is a stripped down version of the advanced puzzle, focusing on just the main ideas students should definitely have mastered.
Sample Lesson Plan for The Sixties Worksheets
Since two crossword puzzles are provided, one great option for teachers is to have students complete the advanced puzzle in class as a follow-up to viewing, then use the basic level puzzle as a graded test on the material.
A good way to proceed with this is to go over the advanced puzzle answers in class, urging all students to fill-in/correct the items they missed so they have a complete study sheet. I tell my students to be sure and study because there will be a test on the items the next day. Then I use the basic level crossword as the actual test, since it’s the puzzle that sticks to “need to know” items instead of also including “nice to know” facts.
The above lesson plan could include using the cloze worksheet during viewing, or students could be told to take notes while they watch, and then be permitted to use their notes to help them complete the advanced level puzzle in class prior to tackling the basic level puzzle from memory alone.
Alternately, teachers can use the crosswords for review only and then assess content mastery using the True/False test provided.
About the included The Sixties Test
The True/False test for this episode of The Sixties is designed to help teachers and students determine whether the “big picture” has been mastered. As such, the items on the true/false test consist of basic information that students should definitely know if they have paid attention to the episode.
The true/false test consists of 10 problems.
Teacher Convenience Features in this The Sixties Activity Pack
Some teachers like providing their students with time stamps to go with video questions, so they know when to expect the next problem. Other teachers would rather instruct students to listen carefully to the video so they are ready to tackle the next problem coming up.
These worksheets for The Sixties accommodate both teaching styles, including both a worksheet with a time stamp for each problem and a matching worksheet that leaves the time stamps out.
In addition, I’ve made both “large format” and “condensed” versions of each worksheet – both with and without time stamps. My thinking here is that some teachers want their students to have plenty of room to write in their answers, while others have limited time to make copies, and maybe even strict limits on how much paper they are allowed to consume.
• The “condensed” worksheets give students less space to write down their answers, but they also fit on fewer pages to save paper. Some students may find that the text on the condensed worksheets is too small for them.
• The “large format” worksheets use larger text and give students plenty of room to write, but of course that means they have more pages.
• The best of both worlds?
Teachers that want to cut their copying to an absolute minimum can make a class set of the “condensed” version worksheet and instruct students NOT to write on the worksheet but to use their own paper. This will mean that teachers can use the same copies year after year with multiple classes!
More than Just an Answer Key
The answers to the cloze problems are provided in context so that teachers can easily go over the material with the class. This allows teachers, for example, to read each prompt out loud and let the class or specified students announce the answer. Teachers can even designate a student leader to read the prompts aloud and verify the answer once it’s given, providing that student with the opportunity to augment his or her learning even further!
Similarly, the answer key to the True/False test is annotated with additional information to help teachers discuss the material with the class when going over the correct answers.
However you choose use these The Sixties worksheets, I hope that you find the video series and entertaining and informative addition to your American history teaching materials.
Where to find CNN’s The Sixties
At the time these materials were produced, The Sixties was available for streaming on Netflix. This has been the case for several years, so there is a good chance that Netflix may still have it available at the time you download these The Sixties worksheets. If Netflix is not an option, the next best way to find where it may be currently streaming is to run a simple Google search.
The series also airs from time to time on cable television and can be purchased online from a variety of retailers. Used copies can sometimes be found, which is a great low-cost way to purchase the series!
Looking for more The Sixties Activity Packs?
Each of the worksheet packs listed below contains a detailed viewing The Sixties worksheet in cloze format, a basic-level crossword puzzle, an advanced-level crossword puzzle (for easy differentiated learning!) and a true/false summary test on the "big picture" items in the episode.
Just click on the links below:
The Sixties Episode 1 Worksheets -- Television Comes of Age
The Sixties Episode 2 Worksheets -- The World on the Brink: The Cold War in the 1960s
The Sixties Episode 3 Worksheets -- The JFK Assassination
The Sixties Episode 4 Worksheets -- The Vietnam War
The Sixties Episode 5 Worksheets -- A Long March to Freedom: The Civil Rights Struggle
The Sixties Episode 6 Worksheets -- The British Invasion & Beatlemania
As always, happy teaching,
Great History Teaching