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Books in The Civil Rights Era series

  • Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era

    Diane C. Taylor

    Hardcover (Nomad Press, Nov. 12, 2020)
    A collective biography about five influential leaders of the civil rights era! Part of a new series on the civil rights movement for ages 12 to 15 from Nomad Press. Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era tells the story of one of the most tumultuous and important eras in American history through the lives of five major figures of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Thurgood Marshall, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ella Baker, and John Lewis. The work of these people sparked the passion of a nation and helped change the tide of social injustice in a way that reverberates to this day. Before learning about the changes that characterize the civil rights movement, readers ages 12 to 15 establish foundational knowledge of the very concept of civil rights―why was an entire movement necessary to make the promise of civil rights, contained in the United States Constitution, a reality for African American people? Kids learn about the Bill of Rights, Jim Crow segregation laws, and the civil rights and social justice issues that concern the public today. Armed with this background knowledge, they dive into the stories and deeds of the major leaders of the movement and distinguish the giant steps forward, the frequent backslides, and the ever-present current of determination and passion that drove these people toward the ideal they knew their country could achieve. Hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Readers learn how Thurgood Marshall, a lawyer, used civil law to change the very fabric of society, from the pivotal 1954 Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education Topeka to the dozens of cases he argued and or decided in his roles as an appellate court judge, Solicitor General, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Face down hatred with Fannie Lou Hamer and her heroic efforts to make the right to vote more than an empty promise for black Americans. Learn about endurance with Ella Baker, the behind-the-scenes organizer and grass roots activist whose work in the civil rights movement spanned five decades. Travel the road to nonviolent civil disobedience with Martin Luther King, Jr., the young Baptist minister who became the most recognizable face of the civil rights movement and whose commitment to peaceful forms of protest stood in stark contrast to the violence to which black activists were frequently subjected. His 1968 assassination marked the end of an era and triggered waves of racial unrest. Watch John Lewis rise from the lowest rung of African American society in the sharecropping South to one of the highest elected offices in the land. Plus, explore the anger and hope of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights for blacks in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Reading and responding to primary sources such as the Bill of Rights, Staging a debate on a current civil rights issue, and Researching the history of women’s right to vote. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further reading, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era, Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era, and Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era

    Judy Dodge Cummings

    Hardcover (Nomad Press, Oct. 15, 2020)
    A deep dive into the politics of the civil rights era, including the passing of new laws and the presidential responses to protest. A terrific way for kids ages 12 to 15 to learn about the civil rights movement, both then and now! "We shall overcome" was the refrain of the vivil rights movement, but overcoming centuries of discrimination was not easy. When the activism of civil rights protestors exposed the rampant racism embedded in America’s politics for the world to see, political leaders in the federal government were forced to act. In Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era, students ages 12 to 15 explore the key legislative and judicial victories of the era that spanned from 1954 to the early 1970s. The successes of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 were the results of African-American activism and a growing awareness of social justice and injustice. Marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and lawsuits prodded local and state governments to reveal the bigotry of their laws and the brutality of their oppression of black citizens. As racial tensions ripped the country apart, presidents from Eisenhower through Nixon worked to uphold the U.S. Constitution, sometimes willingly and sometimes reluctantly. As members of Congress debated and negotiated, change came slowly. School doors opened to blacks. Restaurants served blacks. Blacks were allowed to cast their ballots. But victory was incomplete and came at a price. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Incidences of racial discrimination and racial division are in the news frequently, and this book informs readers of how political change during the civil rights movement of 1954 to the early 1970s eliminated some racial discrimination, but was unable to remove all obstacles to equality. Today’s division between political parties impedes legislative progress on many issues, and this book explores how similar political divisions were overcome in the 1960s, resulting in the passage of key civil rights laws. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights for blacks in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Mapping your school’s degree of segregation, Deconstructing the photograph that moved John F. Kennedy to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Research today’s voter suppression. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era; and Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • Boycotts, Marches, and Strikes: Protests of the Civil Rights Era

    Barbara Diggs

    Hardcover (Nomad Press, Oct. 15, 2020)
    An in-depth exploration of five different marches, protests, and boycotts of the civil rights era―actions that made it impossible for the people in power to ignore the social injustices rampant in the United States. Part of a new series on the civil rights era for ages 12 to 15 from Nomad Press. Thousands of protests, marches, and demonstrations of the civil rights era gave a strong voice to people and groups who were traditionally ignored. These protests led to important legal and social changes that continue to impact our nation today. In Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era, readers 12 through 15 explore five ground-breaking events that took place during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Become immersed in the excitement, challenges, and spirit of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Draft Card Burning Protests of the Vietnam War, the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, the first Gay Pride March, and the Women’s Strike for Equality. Kids learn about the conditions that prompted these demonstrations and how protest organizers used critical and creative thinking to surmount the challenges they faced to initiate meaningful change. When these protests began, American society looked vastly different than it does today. African Americans were denied the same rights as whites in many parts of the country. Women couldn’t pursue the same jobs as men. The LGBTQ community was forced to live in secrecy. Farm workers were forbidden to join unions to advocate for fair wages and working conditions. Protests were a tool the people used to express their discontent and start to make essential change in the fabric of both society and politics. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections all help further explain a complicated era and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Readers will learn the different issues involved in coordinating a successful protest as well as the various repercussions that protests can have on society. The book uses an inquiry-based approach that encourages readers to think critically about the value of protests, the different forms of protest, and ways in which they might bring attention to issues important to them. This particular title is unique in that it examines five separate protests, each conducted to bring attention to very different issues and carried out through diverse means. Most books on the market only cover protests designed to bring attention to one particular issue (e.g., civil rights for African-Americans, or women, or LGBTQ, etc.). Readers therefore learn about the history and the actions that helped change multiple social issues, most of which are still relevant today. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Drawing up a boycott plan, Analyzing the power of slogans or chants, and Research the biography of a protester. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Other titles in this set include Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era; and Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • Boycotts, Marches, and Strikes: Protests of the Civil Rights Era

    Barbara Diggs

    Paperback (Nomad Press, Oct. 15, 2020)
    An in-depth exploration of five different marches, protests, and boycotts of the civil rights era―actions that made it impossible for the people in power to ignore the social injustices rampant in the United States. Part of a new series on the civil rights era for ages 12 to 15 from Nomad Press. Thousands of protests, marches, and demonstrations of the civil rights era gave a strong voice to people and groups who were traditionally ignored. These protests led to important legal and social changes that continue to impact our nation today. In Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era, readers 12 through 15 explore five ground-breaking events that took place during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. Become immersed in the excitement, challenges, and spirit of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Draft Card Burning Protests of the Vietnam War, the Delano Grape Strike and Boycott, the first Gay Pride March, and the Women’s Strike for Equality. Kids learn about the conditions that prompted these demonstrations and how protest organizers used critical and creative thinking to surmount the challenges they faced to initiate meaningful change. When these protests began, American society looked vastly different than it does today. African Americans were denied the same rights as whites in many parts of the country. Women couldn’t pursue the same jobs as men. The LGBTQ community was forced to live in secrecy. Farm workers were forbidden to join unions to advocate for fair wages and working conditions. Protests were a tool the people used to express their discontent and start to make essential change in the fabric of both society and politics. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections all help further explain a complicated era and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Readers will learn the different issues involved in coordinating a successful protest as well as the various repercussions that protests can have on society. The book uses an inquiry-based approach that encourages readers to think critically about the value of protests, the different forms of protest, and ways in which they might bring attention to issues important to them. This particular title is unique in that it examines five separate protests, each conducted to bring attention to very different issues and carried out through diverse means. Most books on the market only cover protests designed to bring attention to one particular issue (e.g., civil rights for African-Americans, or women, or LGBTQ, etc.). Readers therefore learn about the history and the actions that helped change multiple social issues, most of which are still relevant today. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Drawing up a boycott plan, Analyzing the power of slogans or chants, and Research the biography of a protester. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Other titles in this set include Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era; and Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • The Trial of the Scottsboro Boys

    David Aretha

    Library Binding (Morgan Reynolds Pub, Nov. 15, 2007)
    Details the 1931 trial of nine African American youths who were accused of raping two white women on a train after a dispute with other white riders.
    Y
  • The Murder of Emmett Till

    David Aretha

    Library Binding (Morgan Reynolds Pub, Nov. 15, 2007)
    Discusses the murder of fourteen-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi; the trial, in which the men who later confessed to the murder were acquitted; and the incident's effect on the fledgling civil rights movement.
    Y
  • Selma and the Voting Rights Act

    David Aretha

    Library Binding (Morgan Reynolds Pub, Nov. 15, 2007)
    Describes the voting rights demonstrations held in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, the violence that met the protesters' attempt to march to the state capitol building in Montgomery, and the reforms that occured as a result of their protests.
    Z
  • Freedom Summer

    David Aretha

    Library Binding (Morgan Reynolds Pub, Nov. 15, 2007)
    Discusses the experiences of the volunteers who took part in the voter registration and education campaign in Mississippi in 1964, the murder of three of them, and the formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
    Z
  • Marching in Birmingham

    William J. Boerst

    Library Binding (Morgan Reynolds Pub, Oct. 15, 2007)
    Describes the civil rights demonstrations that took place in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, the violence used against the demonstrators, the arrest of Martin Luther King, Jr., the involvement of students, and the results of these events.
    Z
  • Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era

    Diane C. Taylor

    Hardcover (Nomad Press, Nov. 12, 2020)
    A collective biography about five musicians and groups at the height of their careers, whose passion and talent influenced the civil rights movement. Part of a new series on the civil rights era for ages 12 to 15 from Nomad Press. Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era introduces readers aged 12 to 15 to the history of the civil rights movement and explores the vital role that music played in the tumultuous period of American history of the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. As protests, demonstrations, rallies, and new laws characterized the civil rights movement and brought about change to the socially unjust systems of racial and gender oppression, music provided a soundtrack. The heart of the civil rights movement beats in the music and musicians of the times, whose work was both an inspiration and a reflection of the changes happening in America and to its people. Bob Dylan, Mavis Staples and the Staple Singers, Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and James Brown all epitomized the passion and commitment shown by those involved in the movement, and portrayed the struggles encountered by an entire race of people with gritty beauty and moving calls to action and thought. Their art was not just background music to the civil rights movement. It expressed and recorded for future generations the emotional and political turmoil of the American soul. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Meets multiple standards for the National Music Education Standards. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to think critically about the legacy of slavery in the United States and the civil rights movement that dismantled much of the system of white supremacy that had oppressed black Americans for generations. Introduces young readers to the sounds and the history of several American musical genres, including gospel, folk, jazz, country, and blues. Develops cultural literacy by introducing readers to historically significant people, places, and events of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Deconstructing songs, Writing lyrics, and Comparing music now to music then. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era; and Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era

    Judy Dodge Cummings

    Paperback (Nomad Press, Oct. 15, 2020)
    A deep dive into the politics of the civil rights era, including the passing of new laws and the presidential responses to protest. A terrific way for kids ages 12 to 15 to learn about the civil rights movement, both then and now! "We shall overcome" was the refrain of the vivil rights movement, but overcoming centuries of discrimination was not easy. When the activism of civil rights protestors exposed the rampant racism embedded in America’s politics for the world to see, political leaders in the federal government were forced to act. In Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era, students ages 12 to 15 explore the key legislative and judicial victories of the era that spanned from 1954 to the early 1970s. The successes of Brown v. the Board of Education, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 were the results of African-American activism and a growing awareness of social justice and injustice. Marches, demonstrations, boycotts, and lawsuits prodded local and state governments to reveal the bigotry of their laws and the brutality of their oppression of black citizens. As racial tensions ripped the country apart, presidents from Eisenhower through Nixon worked to uphold the U.S. Constitution, sometimes willingly and sometimes reluctantly. As members of Congress debated and negotiated, change came slowly. School doors opened to blacks. Restaurants served blacks. Blacks were allowed to cast their ballots. But victory was incomplete and came at a price. In this book, hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Incidences of racial discrimination and racial division are in the news frequently, and this book informs readers of how political change during the civil rights movement of 1954 to the early 1970s eliminated some racial discrimination, but was unable to remove all obstacles to equality. Today’s division between political parties impedes legislative progress on many issues, and this book explores how similar political divisions were overcome in the 1960s, resulting in the passage of key civil rights laws. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights for blacks in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Mapping your school’s degree of segregation, Deconstructing the photograph that moved John F. Kennedy to support the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Research today’s voter suppression. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era; Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era; and Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.
  • Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era

    Diane C. Taylor

    Paperback (Nomad Press, Nov. 12, 2020)
    A collective biography about five influential leaders of the civil rights era! Part of a new series on the civil rights movement for ages 12 to 15 from Nomad Press. Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era tells the story of one of the most tumultuous and important eras in American history through the lives of five major figures of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Thurgood Marshall, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ella Baker, and John Lewis. The work of these people sparked the passion of a nation and helped change the tide of social injustice in a way that reverberates to this day. Before learning about the changes that characterize the civil rights movement, readers ages 12 to 15 establish foundational knowledge of the very concept of civil rights―why was an entire movement necessary to make the promise of civil rights, contained in the United States Constitution, a reality for African American people? Kids learn about the Bill of Rights, Jim Crow segregation laws, and the civil rights and social justice issues that concern the public today. Armed with this background knowledge, they dive into the stories and deeds of the major leaders of the movement and distinguish the giant steps forward, the frequent backslides, and the ever-present current of determination and passion that drove these people toward the ideal they knew their country could achieve. Hands-on projects and research activities alongside essential questions, links to online resources, and text-to-world connections promote a profound understanding of history and offer opportunities for social-emotional learning. Readers learn how Thurgood Marshall, a lawyer, used civil law to change the very fabric of society, from the pivotal 1954 Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education Topeka to the dozens of cases he argued and or decided in his roles as an appellate court judge, Solicitor General, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Face down hatred with Fannie Lou Hamer and her heroic efforts to make the right to vote more than an empty promise for black Americans. Learn about endurance with Ella Baker, the behind-the-scenes organizer and grass roots activist whose work in the civil rights movement spanned five decades. Travel the road to nonviolent civil disobedience with Martin Luther King, Jr., the young Baptist minister who became the most recognizable face of the civil rights movement and whose commitment to peaceful forms of protest stood in stark contrast to the violence to which black activists were frequently subjected. His 1968 assassination marked the end of an era and triggered waves of racial unrest. Watch John Lewis rise from the lowest rung of African American society in the sharecropping South to one of the highest elected offices in the land. Plus, explore the anger and hope of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. Meets multiple standards for the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Uses an inquiry-based approach to encourage readers to explore the present status of civil rights for blacks in the United States. Aligns with Common Core State Standards. Projects include Reading and responding to primary sources such as the Bill of Rights, Staging a debate on a current civil rights issue, and Researching the history of women’s right to vote. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further reading, a selected bibliography, and index. About the Civil Rights Movement series and Nomad Press Sitting In, Standing Up: Leaders of the Civil Rights Era is part of a new series from Nomad Press, The Civil Rights Era, that captures the passion and conviction of the 1950s and ‘60s. Other titles in this set include Boycotts, Strikes, and Marches: Protests of the Civil Rights Era, Singing for Equality: Musicians of the Civil Rights Era, and Changing Laws: Politics of the Civil Rights Era. Nomad Press books in The Civil Rights Era series integrate content with participation. Combining engaging narrative with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad’s unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, and critical thinkers. All books are leveled for Guided Reading level and Lexile and align with Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. All titles are available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook formats.