“I Wanted the Whole World to See”: The Murder of Emmett Till - Unit plan | Facing History & Ourselves

Search

Give
Sign Up Log In

Search

Give
Sign Up Log In
This six-episode documentary from PBS chronicles the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinx people in the United States.
Unit

“I Wanted the Whole World to See”: The Murder of Emmett Till

This six-lesson unit delves into the history and legacy of the murder of Emmett Till, considering what we can learn from it as we work to achieve racial justice.

Resources

7

Duration

Multiple weeks

Subject

  • History
  • Social Studies

Grade

9–12

Language

English — US

Published

Save
Print

Access all resources for free now.

Your free Facing History account gives you access to all of this Unit’s content and materials in Google Drive.

Log in or Sign Up to Get Access
Get it in Google Drive!

Get everything you need including content from this page.

About This Unit

In this six-lesson unit, students will explore the history and legacy of the murder of Emmett Till. In particular, they will consider how Till’s murder and the courageous choices of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, inspired a generation of activists to work towards racial justice. Students will then reflect on the lessons this history holds as we work to achieve racial justice and how it might inform their civic choices. 

This unit supports Facing History's US History Curriculum Collection: Democracy & Freedom. The flexible units, C3-style inquiries, and case studies in this collection help you explore themes of democracy and freedom throughout your US history course.

Essential Question

  • As we pursue racial justice today, what can be learned from the choices people have made in response to racial violence in the past?

Learning Objectives

  • Students will understand the history and continued legacy of racial violence in the United States.
  • Students will explore how activists have used the media to push for racial justice.
  • Students will develop their capacity for civic engagement.

Materials

View in Google Drive

Teaching Notes

Before teaching this unit, please review the following information to help guide your preparation process.

This unit introduces students to the brutal murder of a teenage boy and also covers the history and legacy of racial violence and injustice in the United States.  It is crucial that students have the opportunity to process individually and together the emotions and questions this history evokes. It is especially important for you to look at students’ work and their participation in class discussions for evidence of how they are processing what they have encountered in this lesson. If necessary, follow up with individual students to offer support, or set aside additional class time for students to talk through and articulate their thoughts and feelings about this challenging history. We also recommend that you do the following:

  • Preview each resource in the unit before you share it with your students. Let students know in advance when they are about to encounter material that some may find upsetting. If necessary, omit resources that you believe will be too explicit for your students.
  • Briefly review the class contract with students before beginning the unit. This will help to reinforce the norms you have established and the idea of the classroom as a safe space for students to voice concerns, questions, or emotions that may arise. If you have not created a class contract, we strongly recommend engaging the class in a contracting activity before beginning the unit.

Related Materials

This unit is focused less on the details of Emmett Till’s murder and more on the impact of the tragedy, which inspired a generation of civil rights activists and continues to reverberate in the present. It is important to emphasize this framing for students and to reflect it in the way you approach teaching the unit. We recommend that you teach all of the lessons in the designated order, if possible. However, if you do not have time to do so, we advise you to focus on lessons that cover the impact of Till’s murder on the civil rights movement and on contemporary movements for racial justice (Lesson 5 and Lesson 6). Regardless of how many lessons you are able to teach, please read the unit in its entirety and review all of the content so that you understand the context and are making informed decisions on which lessons to use.

Throughout the unit, students will consider the impact of trauma on those who witnessed the photographs of Emmett Till in Jet magazine, as well as entire generations of African Americans who could identify with Till. Based on their identities, their experiences, and their exposure to current events and activism, students will enter this classroom discussion with wide-ranging levels of background knowledge about the murder of Emmett Till and contemporary racial justice cases. Some students in recent years may have participated in protests and local activism or followed along with media coverage of such cases, while others may not be aware of these cases.

Therefore, be prepared for your students to have a range of responses to the history and contemporary connections they will discuss in this lesson. Creating and reviewing a class contract is an important tool for helping to ensure that students with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences can learn together in a respectful environment.

 

Lesson Plans

This unit is made up of the following 6 lessons and a summative assessment. Each lesson includes activities and student materials for 1-2 class periods.

Get this unit in Google Drive!

Log in to your Facing History account to access all unit content & materials. If you don't have an account, Sign up today (it's fast, easy, and free!).

Login or Signup for Free

A Free Account allows you to:

  • Access and save all content, such as lesson plans and activities, within Google Drive.
  • Create custom, personalized collections to share with teachers and students.
  • Instant access to over 200+ on-demand and in-person professional development events and workshops

You might also be interested in…

More Like This Teaching Resources Learning & Events

Unlimited Access to Learning. More Added Every Month.

Facing History & Ourselves is designed for educators who want to help students explore identity, think critically, grow emotionally, act ethically, and participate in civic life. It’s hard work, so we’ve developed some go-to professional learning opportunities to help you along the way.

More Like This View Upcoming Events View On-Demand Events
The resources I’m getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.
— Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif
Contact us