Authentic Lessons for 21st Century Learning

Lesson 5E Lesson
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Power to the People

The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party

Mariana DeLoera, Teresa Lansford | Published: August 12th, 2025 by K20 Center

  • Grade Level Grade Level 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th
  • Subject Subject Social Studies
  • Course Course U.S. History
  • Time Frame Time Frame 100 minutes
  • Duration More 2 Periods

Summary

This lesson examines the role of organizations such as the Black Panther Party in advocating for social justice during the Civil Rights Movement. Using texts, images, and the Black Panther Party's Ten Point Program, students learn how the Black Panther Party fought against social injustices. By the end of the lesson, students will identify what social justice is and how the Black Panther Party advocated for it.

Essential Question(s)

How can understanding advocacy help create change?

Snapshot

Engage

Students analyze a quote using the Windows and Mirrors instructional strategy.

Explore

Students analyze a set of photos using the Painting a Picture instructional strategy.

Explain

Students read about the rise of the Black Panther Party and complete a 3-2-1.

Extend

Students create a Five Point Program for issues they wish to address in society and participate in a Gallery Walk.

Evaluate

Reflecting on their learning, students complete an Exit Ticket.

Materials

  • Lesson Slides (attached)

  • 3-2-1 handout (attached; one per student)

  • Panther Programs Picture Set (attached;one per group of students)

  • Painting a Picture Notecatcher (attached; one per student)

  • Rise of the Black Panther Party reading (attached; one per student)

  • Sample Five Point Program (attached; optional)

  • Pencils/Pens

  • Sticky notes 

  • Highlighters (two different colors per student)

Engage

5 Minute(s)

Use the attached Lesson Slides to guide the lesson. Display slide 2-4 to introduce the essential question and learning objectives.

Transition to slide 5 and introduce the Windows and Mirrors instructional strategy to students. Share the following definitions to the class:

  • Window: What you observe does not reflect your experiences or identities. It is a "window" into experiences and identities that are different from your own.

  • Mirror: What you observe reflects some of your experiences and identities. It is a "mirror" of some aspects of your own life.

Move to slide 6 and read the quote to the class. Display slide 7 and pose the following questions to students:

  • Window: How could this quote help you understand the perspective of someone who has experienced injustice?

  • Mirror: In what ways does this quote reflect your own beliefs, experiences, or observations about rules or laws in your community or life?

 Tell them to consider the quote in their responses. Students can use their notebooks to write their response or distribute sticky notes to each student. 

Provide time for students to write their responses and then invite a few to share their reflections for both questions.

Once students have shared, explain that the quote is from Huey P. Newton, a member of the Black Panther Party—an organization that called for equal rights for Blacks during the Civil Rights Movement.

Explore

15 Minute(s)

Move students into groups of 2-3 and distribute the Panther Programs Picture Set handout (this can be used as a class set) to each group and the Painting a Picture Chart to each individual. Move to slide 8 and introduce the Painting a Picture instructional strategy.  Explain to students that with their group, they will analyze the images, and for each set they will record their observations and make an inference as to what they believe the Black Panthers were advocating for.

Display slide 9 with the K20 Center 15 minutes timer and allow students to work. 

As students are working in their groups, walk around to each group to answer any questions or help with the discussion.

Explain

25 Minute(s)

Distribute the Rise of the Black Panther Party reading to each student. Transition to slide 14 and explain to students that they will be using a modified version of the Categorical Highlighting instructional strategy. Explain that instead of categories, students will be highlighting parts in the reading that answer the following two questions: 

  •  “What led to the rise of the Black Panther Party?” 

  • “How did the Black Panthers advocate for social justice in their communities?”

Assign a color or symbol to each question. Once students have completed this activity, have a few students share their responses with the whole group. Distribute a copy of the attached 3-2-1 handout to each student. Move to slide 15 and introduce the 3-2-1 instructional strategy.

Have students use the content from the reading to complete the 3-2-1 handout. Allow students a few minutes to complete the 3-2-1 handout and have a few of them share their responses.

Wrap up the conversation by referring back to the reading and stating how some issues like housing, education, and healthcare were important for the Black Panthers. Advocating for things like this led to the creation of the Ten Point Program.

Extend

15 Minute(s)

Move to slide 16 and introduce the One-Pager instructional strategy. Explain to students that they will be creating their own version of the program advocating for local issues in their own community, job, or school. The following should be included in their Program: 

  • 5 points of advocacy/key issues;

  • Explanation as to why each point is important;

  • Images/Words/Phrases related to your points.

Encourage students to be creative with their programs.

Display slide 17. Once students have created their Five Point Programs, have them post them around the classroom. Invite students to participate in a Gallery Walk visiting a minimum of five programs. Have students write down 1-2 points that stand out to them from their classmates’ programs on a sticky note or the back of one of their handouts. Ask students to look for any similarities to their own programs, and have students walk around the room to look at their classmates’ programs.

After students have completed their Gallery Walk, bring the class back together and have students share which points they wrote down that stood out to them.

Evaluate

5 Minute(s)

Display slide 18. Students will reflect on the essential question using the Exit Ticket instructional strategy. 

How can understanding advocacy help create change?

Have students respond on their own paper. Students will turn in the exit ticket and any other handouts you wish in order to demonstrate their understanding of the content.

Resources

Publisher

K20 Center

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Downloads

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Standards

ACT College and Career Readiness Standards (6-12)
IDT: Central Ideas, Themes, and Summaries
IDT701: Identify or infer a central idea or theme in complex passages or their paragraphs
IDT702: Summarize key supporting ideas and details in highly complex passages
Oklahoma Academic Standards (Social Studies: United States History (9th through 12th grade))
USH.7.1C: Compare the viewpoints and the contributions of civil rights leaders and organizations linking them to events of the movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his "I Have a Dream" speech, the leadership of Malcolm X, the role of organizations such as the Black Panthers; describe the tactics used at different times including civil disobedience, non-violent resistance, sit-ins, boycotts, marches,and voter registration drives.

Facilitator Resources

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • Lesson Slides—Power to the People
  • Sample Five-Point Program—Power to the People

Learner Handouts

Click on a file type icon to download an attachment.

  • 3-2-1—Power to the People
  • Painting a Picture Chart—Power to the People
  • Panther Programs Picture Set—Power to the People
  • Rise of the Black Panther Party—Power to the People

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