

At a Glance
Language
English — USSubject
- Civics & Citizenship
- History
- Social Studies
Grade
6–12Duration
One week- Democracy & Civic Engagement
Overview
About This Unit
This unit, developed in collaboration with the Democratic Knowledge Project at Harvard University, focuses on two cases of student activism: the 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott and the movement against gun violence launched by Parkland high school students in 2018.
The two cases differ in terms of social and historical context, organization and strategy, and the consequences faced by student participants. Parkland students’ activism greatly benefited from the use of social media, marking a new high point for young people’s civic-political participation in the digital age. The Chicago school boycott, relatively less well known and of a different time, also reveals critical elements of young people’s civic-political participation.
Both cases offer students the opportunity to reflect on and gain insight into their own civic participation in the world today. When examining each, we can ask, for example: What did the students want to achieve? What were the risks? Was it worth it? What counts as success? And what can we learn from their example?
Preparing to Teach
A Note to Teachers
Before teaching this unit, please review the following information to help guide your preparation process.
Lesson Plans
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Tell Us MoreSpecial Thanks
This unit was created in partnership with the Democratic Knowledge Project, a distributed research and action lab based in the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, identifies, strengthens, and disseminates the knowledge and capacities that civic actors need in order to sustain healthy democratic life. The lab currently has three projects underway: the Declaration Resources Project, the Humanities and Liberal Arts Assessment (HULA) Project, and the Ten Questions for Young Changemakers Framework. Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, is the principal investigator of the Democratic Knowledge Project.
Contributor: Chaebong Nam, Ph.D. Action Civics Specialist
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