Mary C. Turck is the author of The Civil Rights Movement for Kids and Mexico & Central America: A Fiesta of Cultures, Crafts, and Activities. She is the editor of the Twin Cities Daily Planet and former editor of the award-winning Connection to the Americas.
Blending memorable music with a historical context, this exploration provides a fresh perspective on the civil rights movement by showing how certain songs served as its voice. From the Chicago Children’s Choir to the SNCC Freedom Singers, this resource examines the churches and groups that worked to counteract segregation, transforming traditional spirituals to fit the struggle for civil rights. The galvanizing roles of numerous songs are discussed in detail, such as “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” “Wade in the Water,” and “We Shall Overcome.” An accompanying CD, Songs on the Road to Freedom, features the Chicago Children’s Choir performing the songs discussed throughout the book.
This multicultural activity book celebrates the myriad cultures of Mexico and Central America and their shared ancient Aztec and Mayan roots. For each country, a brief introduction is provided that includes illustrated maps and facts about population and geography. More than 40 projects and three dramatic play scripts explore the interconnectedness of these countries and help children experience aspects of daily life throughout the region including school, work, home, art and poetry, food and agriculture, and special holidays. Activities include embroidering Mayan designs, painting in the Salvadoran style, creating an ofrenda for the Day of the Dead, crafting political puppets, cooking chocobananas, and making piñatas. Engaging sidebars throughout the book provide children with an introduction to the Spanish language. Also included are tips for teachers who want to use the activities in the classroom, complete with more specific age ranges and suggested modifications.
Surprisingly, kids were some of the key instigators in the Civil Rights Movement, like Barbara Johns, who held a rally in her elementary school gym that eventually led to the Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court school desegregation decision, and six-year-old Ruby Bridges, who was the first black student to desegregate elementary schools in New Orleans. In The Civil Rights Movement for Kids, children will discover how students and religious leaders worked together to demand the protection of civil rights for black Americans. They will relive the fear and uncertainty of Freedom Summer and learn how northern white college students helped bring national attention to atrocities committed in the name of segregation, and they’ll be inspired by the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, and Malcolm X. Activities include: reenacting a lunch counter sit-in; organizing a workshop on nonviolence; holding a freedom film festival followed by a discussion; and organizing a choral group to sing the songs that motivated the foot soldiers in this war for rights.
