Teacher Resources
Many of my students became interested in this project due to the graphic pictures of Emmett Till found on the PBS website and other sources. After doing this WebQuest with my students I would recommend using something graphic like that as the hook. Another resource that I will use next time is the movie Mississippi Burning, which depicts, with great accuracy, the attitudes of whites in the deep south as well as the living conditions of African Americans. The movie was made in 1988 and is rated 'R' for it's theme and some graphic content and language but is a lot milder than many films rated 'R' today. You could send a permission slip home with students asking parents/guardians to allow their child to watch this film or just know when to skip over the objectionable scenes while still preserving the integrity of the story line. I feel it is a useful tool as it will give students a real sense of what things were really like then (when their grandparents were young) and help them to understand just how brave many Civil Rights Activists were. It will also help all students to understand a little better about why race relations are still so strained today.