Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Grade: 11
Unit Length (Number of class periods): Flexible
 I envision using this as a two-week culminating unit (after the
Course: US History
Topic: Civic Activism - Civil Rights, Student Protest, Conservationism, and
Preserving Austin's Identity
TAKS test in April) to review material from the 5th and 6th
Six Weeks, and to launch the students into their senior
Government course.
 However, teachers could use parts of this unit during the 5th and 6th Six Weeks, based on the relevancy of the content.
For example, a teacher could choose to use ONLY the civil rights components of this unit.
Required Technology: This unit is designed to accommodate teachers with various technology resources. The materials for each lesson are available either on the Austin Past and Present DVD, or attached with this unit to accommodate teachers without access to computers. Research lessons (Biographical Research and Preserving & Protecting Austin) will work best if students can each be on a computer with the Austin Past and Present information.
Concepts: Citizenship
Ethics, Values, and Beliefs
Equality
Reform
Unit Understandings:

One aspect of good citizenship is enacting change through protest against unfair social and political systems.
 The ethics, values and beliefs of a community can shape government policy.

Individuals have great power in enacting positive changes that promote equality for all citizens.

Political, economic, and social reform is necessary to create a more equitable society.
Overarching question: What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?
Unit Questions(s):




What changes in Austin led to the rise of activism in the 1960s and
1970s?

What current issues continue to trigger civic activism in Austin today?
 Are the issues that prompted the civic activism of the 1960s and 1970s still important today? Why or why not?
Are Austin residents today as engaged in civic activism and local politics? Why or why not?

What new issues and challenges do Austin residents engage in today?

How can citizens enact changes in government policy?
In what areas has civic activism achieved the most success?
In what areas has civic activism had only limited success?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
TEKS/TAKS Questions:
US 7: The student understands the impact of the American civil rights movement. The student is expected to:
7B: identify significant leaders of the Civil Rights movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr.,
7C: evaluate government efforts, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to achieve equality in the United States, and
7D: identify changes in the United States that have resulted from the civil rights movement such as increased participation of minorities in the political process.
US 8: The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data. The student is expected to:
8B: pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases.
US 17: The student understands the impact of constitutional issues on American society in the 20th century. The student is expected to:
17A: analyze the effects of 20th century landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education , Regents of the
University of California v. Bakke , and Reynolds v. Sims ,
17B: analyze reasons for the adoption of 20th century constitutional amendments.
US 18: The student understands efforts to expand the democratic process. The student is expected to:
18A: identify and analyze methods of expanding the right to participate in the democratic process, including lobbying, protesting, court decisions, and amendments to the U.S. Constitution,
18C: explain how participation in the democratic process reflects our national identity.
US 19: The student understands the importance of effective leadership in a democratic society. The student is expected to:
19A: describe qualities of effective leadership, and
19C: identify contributions of Texans who have been President of the United States.
US 21: The student understands how people from various groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious groups, adapt to life in the United States and contribute to our national identity. The student is expected to:
21A: explain actions taken by people from racial, ethnic, and religious groups to expand economic opportunities and political rights in
American society,
21C: analyze how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups have helped to shape the national identity, and
21D: identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women to American society.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Materials:
Austin Past and Present Time Tour " Town in Transition " 1950-1975 Video
Austin Past and Present Time Tour " Town in Transition " 1950-1975 Timeline
Austin Past and Present Time Tour " Town in Transition " 1950-1975 Selected Biographies
Austin Past and Present Geo Tour: Central Austin, Waller Creek, Waller Creek Rebellion (Conservation/Environmentalism)
Austin Past and Present Geo Tour: Downtown, Town Lake, Hike and Bike Trail (Conservation/Environmentalism)
Austin Past and Present Geo Tour: West, Wild Basin (Conservation/Environmentalism)
Austin Past and Present Geo Tour: Downtown, Old Bakery, Paramount Theater, Driskill Hotel, 6th Street, Bremond Block, Old West Downtown
Neighborhood (Preservation of historic homes and buildings)
Austin Past and Present Geo Tour: East, Plaza Saltillo (Mexican American history)
Civic Activism & Civil Rights Case Studies (attached)
Civic Activism & Student Protest: " The Student Movement Thrives " Excerpts from " History of Student Activism: UT Austin, 1960-1968 ", Beverly Burr (attached)
University of Texas online exhibit The Way We Were : The University in the 1960s http://www.cah.utexas.edu/exhibits/SixtiesExhibit/page1.html
Civic Activism: Austin Citizens Biographical Research List and Research Sheet (attached)
Civic Activism: Preserving and Protecting Austin Research Sheet (attached)
Civic Activism: Community Contact Sheet (attached)
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Preview:
In the 1950 to 1975 segment of the Austin Past and Present time tour, students learn about the efforts of several citizen groups to effect life in Austin and the future of this "Town in Transition". These efforts include the desegregation of Austin, the fight for fair wages and housing, student protests against the war in
Vietnam, the rise of conservationism in the face of Austin's unprecedented growth, the effort to save trees on Waller Creek and historical sites throughout the city, the actions of local government to respond to citizens' demands, and the creation of Austin Neighborhood Associations to advance the interests of
Austin's unique population groups.
Students will be asked to place these events within national trends (the African American Civil Rights Movement, the Chicano Movement, Antiwar protests, environmentalism), and to consider what caused these trends to take distinctive forms in Austin (population demographics, economic growth, the growth of the University of Texas at Austin, local leadership, etc.).
Student activities that support the TEKS/TAKS :

Watch Austin Past and Present “Town in Transition” 1950-1975, and complete a note/reflection guide.
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Case studies of the African American "filibuster" on City Council and the Hispanic American Economy Furniture Company Strike.
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Biographical studies of Austin area African American and Hispanic American civil rights leaders, conservation activists, and preservationists.
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Examination of student protest at UT using the online exhibit The Way we Were and article The Student Movement Thrives .
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Preserving and protecting Austin's Identity: Research on the Waller Creek Rebellion, the creation of the Hike and Bike Trail, the grass roots efforts to conserve the Wild Basin Wilderness area in West Austin and the preservation of historical sites (all using Austin Past and Present Geo Tour).
 Community contact with the student's Neighborhood Association and/or City Council representative.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Assessment(s): As a culminating project to this unit of study, students will choose ONE of the following based on their interests:
 Research paper analyzing the success and legacy of integration in Austin.

Editorial comparing minority leadership in Austin in the 1960s and 1970s to minority leadership today.
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Comparing and contrasting (visual or written) the Waller Creek Rebellion to the current fight between S.O.S. and AMD.
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Research the recent community activism and police investigations into the Daniel Rocha shooting - PRODUCT??? Focus on the history of the sensitivity surrounding race relations and police conduct.

Connect (visual or written) efforts to preserve historical sites in Austin to the current efforts to preserve the identity of East Austin.

Compare and contrast (written or visual) student protests against the war in Vietnam and against the current military operation in Iraq.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Notes and Reflection: 1950-1975 Time Tour
Social Changes:
Political Changes:
Economic Changes:
Challenges/problems for Austin:
1. What comparisons can you make between the national civil rights movement and the fight for civil rights in Austin?
2. List reasons to explain why the time period 1950-1975 was a period of such dramatic civic activism in the Austin community:
3. Does Austin continue to face the same challenges and problems today that you listed above in your graphic organizer? Why or why not?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Case Studies - The City Council Filibuster and the
Economy Furniture Company Strike
The NAACP Filibuster of the Austin City Council
Toward the end of the December 19, 1963 Austin City Council meeting, Harry Akin rose and made the most courageous declaration of his life. Akin was a local business leader and owner of the Night Hawk
Restaurant, and had recently chosen to integrate his restaurant. Upon standing, he told his fellow businessmen that while he agreed with the sentiment on behalf of voluntary compliance with integration, this would no longer prove sufficient. Too many businesses in Austin still did not freely and openly cater to black and brown customers. Therefore, he argued, legal means must be used. He went on to say he believed that a human relations commission was the perfect solution, and that such a commission would provided an open and fair forum in which complaints about discrimination could be heard and resolved.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Mayor Lester Palmer and the other council members, urged on by
Emma Long, decided to create a temporary human relations commission, with Akin appointed as chairman. The purpose of the commission, according to the council, would be to conduct a survey of
Austin business practices, and of its citizens, in order to determine the extent of segregation. For the next few months, this temporary commission met. On March 12, the commission reconvened, together with the City Council, to report its findings. Only somewhat more than half of the restaurants in Austin were integrated. Hotels and motels also heavily discriminated against blacks and browns. The facts were alarming, and seemed to indicate the need for a civil rights ordinance. But the council members were not convinced. Most, save for Emma Long, rejected the recommendation of Akin; it was a sorry day for civil rights in Austin. Something had to happen. It did.
Volma Overton, the head of the Austin chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP), and a number of other NAACP members appeared before the council at its meeting on March 26th. Overton maintained that no progress could be made unless Austin was able to enforce its demands for integration. Voluntary compliance, by itself, would not work. He hinted that the
NAACP was now prepared to take more radical action if the council failed to enact appropriate legislation. Mayor Palmer argued that the threat of pressure would do no good. He counseled patience, and urged that communications be kept open between the NAACP and the council.
Despite the mayor's appeal, at the council session one week later, Volma Overton, Claude Allen (a white instructor at Huston-Tillotson), the Reverend Wesley Sims, Booker T. Bonner (a veteran of many civil rights demonstrations), and Arthur DeWitty all showed up in the chambers. At 10 o'clock, Volma
Overton launched into a wordy tirade against prejudice and discrimination. He began by reading from the work of John Howard Griffin. Griffin, a white journalist, had purposefully darkened his skin, and then traveled throughout the South, pretending to be a black man. He wrote about his experience in his book,
Black Like Me . Overton used this book to convey the years of mistreatment that black people suffered in the United States. At the afternoon session, and then well into the evening, the filibuster continued.
Claude Allen took the floor and demanded that the council pass an antidiscrimination ordinance. On and on the talking and the reading continued, stretching beyond hours into days. University of Texas students appeared on the steps of City Hall, picketing on behalf of the filibusters. The folksinger Joan Baez, who happened to be in Austin for a concert, even came down to demonstrate her sympathy and alliance with
Overton.
By Thursday, April 9th, the filibuster had gained statewide attention. Mayor Palmer was now in the hospital, and victim of what the papers called extreme exhaustion. For the next week, the demonstration
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District dragged on. By April 16th, two full weeks after it had begun, a spokesman for the NAACP called a halt to the filibuster, but demanded some positive action from the council. Ten days later, the NAACP held a rally in Givens Park in East Austin; all in attendance heard speakers decry prejudice and discrimination in
Austin.
City Council members gave in to the demands of the NAACP, and established an Austin Human
Relations Commission. Its purpose would be to investigate and to settle civil rights problems. But voluntary compliance and negotiation between disputants were all that was required. Overton and the
NAACP quickly claimed that the Austin commission was a watered-down version of what they wanted, and therefore they could not support it. Only days after members the City Council appointed members to the commission, six of the seven appointees had resigned.
An uneasy peace now set in. Overton and the NAACP continued to press for some kind of commission.
Council members hoped for a way to salvage its work. Lyndon Johnson gave them all hope; in July he signed a Civil Rights Act, the first far-reaching legislation on civil rights in more than a century. Palmer and his fellow council members expected this would free them from their dilemma. But the act provided for no specific measures of implementation. The matter in Austin continued at an impasse for the next two years.
The Economy Furniture Company Strike
The Economy Furniture Company strike by a local chapter (Local 456 ) of the Upholsters International
Union started on November 27, 1968, in Austin, six months after company officials refused to recognize the union in May 1968. Mexican Americans comprised 90% of the 400 workers. At the time Economy was the largest company in the furniture-making business in the three-state area of Texas, Arizona, and
New Mexico. Milton T. Smith, the owner and operator of Economy, had been locally admired as a humanitarian for three decades. Yet many workers at his company earned only $1.75 an hour, even after more than fifteen years of service.
Following the vote to unionize, Smith refused to bargain with the union, so union officials asked the
National Labor Relations Board to intervene. The NLRB ruled that Economy Furniture must negotiate with the union, but Smith rejected the board's order. The local chapter therefore called a strike against
Economy Furniture. Smith appealed the NLRB decision to the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth
Circuit. In his court brief the Economy owner characterized the strikers as misinformed and referred to them as "thugs."
The strike lasted twenty-eight months, during which workers set up daily pickets outside the company headquarters, garnered the support of United Farm Workers Union president César Chávez, and carried out boycotts against Economy Furniture products sold by local shops and Montgomery Ward, which was the largest chain store that carried a considerable amount of the company's furniture.
In January 1971 the appeals court handed down a ruling upholding the NLRB's certification of Local 456 as a legitimate union. It further ordered that the NLRB's judgment requiring Economy Furniture to enter into collective bargaining with the union be enforced. In March of that year workers responded to the court's decision favorably by voting to end the strike. The following June, collective bargaining began on a new contract for workers. Six members of the union's negotiating team were Mexican American. The agreement reached provided for wage increases each year, seniority, overtime, additional vacation, as well as other benefits.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Case Studies – Civil Rights in Austin, Texas
The City Council Filibuster
Describe the conflict:
Create a visual to represent this conflict:
What strategies were used to address the problem?
Whose interests are pitted against each other?
VS.
Was the filibuster successful? Why or why not?
How did this event improve the Austin community?
The Economy Furniture Company Strike
Describe the conflict:
Create a visual to represent this conflict:
What strategies were used to address the problem?
Whose interests are pitted against each other?
VS.
Was the strike successful? Why or why not?
How did this event improve the Austin community?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Excerpted from "History of Student Activism: UT Austin, 1960-1968" by Beverly Burr
COUNTER-CULTURE IN AUSTIN
Folk, jazz and blues music became popular among students, as did sex, marijuana and LSD. The underground newspaper The Rag increased its circulation and popularity; it provided news coverage of student protests around the world, U.S. intervention and domestic issues, UT issues, and the counter culture. It deplored racism and imperialism and advocated student power and revolution. The counter culture flourished on the UT campus. Along with the rise of the counter culture, opposition to the war in Vietnam and especially the draft also became evident among UT students. Students sought to prevent the university from providing class rankings to the
Selective Service. They refused to have their academic performances pitted against those of their fellow students in decisions over who would be drafted sooner.
UT STUDENT MOVEMENT INCLUDES THOUSANDS
In mid-October 1969, a march against the war in Vietnam attracted over 10,000 participants. It began with pickets at the entrances to the campus, followed by teach-in discussion groups throughout the grounds. By noon, a monstrous crowd had assembled in front of the tower…. The largest march in Austin history proceeded down Congress Avenue to the rear entrance of the
Capitol building. During this protest, students boycotted classes and speakers talked about atrocities in Vietnam, the history and nature of the war, and UT's support for the "war machine".
Why do you think that students became involved in the antiwar movement as they also became involved in the "counter culture"?
What strategies were students at the University of Texas using to convey their criticism of the war in Vietnam?
NATIONAL ANTI-WAR STUDENT STRIKE
On April 30, 1970 the Nixon administration announced its invasion of Cambodia. On Sunday,
Yale students called for a nation-wide student strike starting Tuesday. The demands of the national strike issued by the Yale students were:
1) that the United States government cease its escalation of the Vietnam War into Laos and
Cambodia; that it unilaterally and immediately withdraw all forces from Southeast Asia.
2) that the United States government end its systematic oppression of political dissidents and release all political prisoners, particularly Bobby Seale and other members of the Black Panther
Party.
3) that the universities end their complicity with the United States war machine by the immediate
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District end to defense research, the ROTC, counterinsurgency research, and all other such programs.
MAY 1970 STUDENT STRIKE AT UT
Over the weekend, 20-30 of the Austin anti-war leaders met at the YMCA to make plans. They decided to do something that they had never dared before: to march in the streets. Because the
City Council had always refused parade permits, student demonstrators had previously marched on the sidewalks to avoid arrests and repression.
They planned a march route around the campus to end at the West Mall for a rally. Then they began to publicize the event; of course, there was no mention of the plan to march in the streets.
On Sunday, students gathered on the Union patio to burn Nixon in effigy. On Monday, four students at Kent State University in Ohio were killed by the National Guard.
On Tuesday, March 5 pickets went up on campus. At a noon rally on the main mall 8,000 gathered. The march began to take its course around the inner-campus drive, passing the dormitories and class buildings. The marchers were in the streets, running and yelling; many people joined. On the north side of campus, the front line went north of campus and then onto the
Drag. By this time about 5,000 people were militantly marching down the Drag. At 24th street, there was one police officer who got out of the way as the crowd approached. As they passed the
Rag office (in the 2300 block), the marchers applauded and saluted in response to the Black
Power salute given by some Black Panthers from a window in the building. They passed by the
West Mall; it was obvious that people were headed downtown.
Based on what you've learned about the Vietnam War, why do you think the announcement of the
U.S. invasion of Cambodia sparked more student protests?
What do you think the reactions to the news of the Kent State shootings were for the following groups:

UT students already planning to participate in the protests?
 UT students not sure whether or not to participate in the protests?
 UT students opposed to the protests?
Why was it such a big deal that the March 5th protest was "headed downtown"?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
At 19th Street, about 10 police stood in the road. As a diversionary tactic, the front line of the demonstrators headed straight toward the police while the mass of followers veered off and went around the corner. This tactic was used again successfully when the students reached 15th street, where they passed a cordon of about 20 police. Jeff Jones, president of the Students’
Association, was one of the leaders of the march. He remembered:
"By this point, the planners of the march were no longer in control. We had never left campus like that before; we all knew that we wanted to go downtown. When we got to the Capitol, most of us went around. There were probably 30 armed police in riot gear and holding tear gas cannisters awaiting us at
11th Street. The police were blocking us from downtown. I had been gassed before, so I knew to tell people to take off their shirts and wet them in the sprinklers on the lawn. Some of the more militant people headed straight at the police. Fist fights broke out between police and students; some rocks were thrown. Four people were arrested. Then the police began firing tear gas. They went absolutely nuts, even shooting off tear gas inside the Capitol as the students retreated toward campus. The state workers who got gassed were outraged. A lot of people were blinded, being led by those who could still see. We were very inexperienced…."
What do you think Jones meant when he ended his statement with "We were very inexperienced"?
The students retreated to the campus; that evening about 10,000 gathered and discussed building an effective strike for the next day. Jones was elected chair and microphones and a sound system were set up. People began discussing a march for Friday. Groups went to the dorms to talk to students about Kent State and the strike planned for the next day.
On Wednesday, an all-day rally brought about 10,000 to demand that the university be shut down Thursday and Friday and in support of other demands. As helicopters circled overhead, there were speeches on race consciousness and poetry readings. Students discussed storming the
Federal Building but decided against it. Protesters had come prepared for violence and more tear gas, wearing long pants in the May heat, and carrying wet rags or gas masks. Jones said:
"The word came from the administration that they wanted to negotiate. Hackerman [UT President] knew he had to negotiate, that he had no alternatives; we were going to shut the university down. I refused to negotiate unless they broadcast the negotiations to the crowd on the mall. The University would offer concessions or make proposals and I would take a vote - 'all those in favor' and there'd be nothing, 'all those opposed' and the [administration] building would shake. This happened again and again, I'd say 'let the students decide.' We wanted to close the university down; it was practically unanimous."
That night was an incredible party, people brought sleeping bags and slept out on the mall, local musicians played, Mickey Leland read poetry, even the fraternity people were out there. The FBI was on top of the Tower and snipers were on top of buildings between the campus and downtown; that night about 200 riot-equipped police lined up along 21 st Street. Demonstrators shouted 'Pigs Off Campus' and pushed the police back to 19 th
Street. According to Jeff Friedman, who accompanied police patrols on Wednesday and Thursday nights:
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
"I was told they were under orders to shoot and kill anybody who came off campus. I believed it then and
I believe it now…. The word was 'You stop these people. They do not get on the Austin streets period.' "
In what ways had participants in the Tuesday protests come better prepared on Wednesday? How had they learned from their experiences?
What was the mood of student protesters on Wednesday, March 6th? Cite the text to support your answer.
What actions were law enforcement agencies taking?
What were the fears of the police patrols?
On Thursday morning striking students went into classrooms asking for strike votes. Pickets were set up all around the campus. Teach-ins were held. The faculty called an emergency meeting, and after two hours of discussion voted 573-243 to shut down the school and asked the
City Council to grant the students a parade permit. Efforts to get the permit from the City
Council for Friday failed. Students gathered again for meetings and discussed primarily whether or not to march illegally in the streets or on the sidewalks. Governor Preston Smith called out the National Guard. "Rednecks" opposed to the student protest cruised the Drag menacingly with their shotguns.
Students and many professors decided to shut the university down. By Friday, nobody was going to class. The students decided (in a mass vote) that on Friday morning they would strike and picket, then march on the sidewalks with strict non-violence and, in the afternoon, leaflet the community to seek its support. In fact, support from others sectors of society for the anti-war movement in 1970, constituted a majority. In a late 1970 Gallup poll, 65% of Americans responded that "Yes, the United States should withdraw all troops from Vietnam by the end of next year," Another sign that the American people supported the anti-war effort was the reluctance of juries and local judges to convict demonstrators and the lighter sentences for those convicted after 1971. Soldiers and veterans of the Vietnam War were organizing against the war effort. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War was involved in bitter protests, often throwing back their medals in the nation's capital.
Why do you think the University of Texas faculty decided to shut down the school on Thursday?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Why do you think students were committed to "strict nonviolence" for the Friday protest?
List evidence from the text that the antiwar movement was gaining support:
Support from UT students for the Friday march was stupendous. Over 25,000 took to the streets in a legal march through downtown in protest of the Cambodian invasion and the Kent State murders. Before the march, there had been rumors that the National Guard was told to use necessary force and that the police officer's guns were loaded with bird shot. According to a May
9 Houston Chronicle article, the majority of the marchers had voted not to pit themselves against such force and to march on the sidewalks. Law students stayed up all night working on legal briefs to sue the City of Austin for the right to peaceful assembly. They won their case just after the march began and spread the word that the march would be legal as the front of the march reached 16th Street. The march was led by a girl dressed in black, flags and coffins were carried.
It was about 13 blocks long and lasted over three hours. The Friday march was the largest student protest activity to occur in Austin history, and has yet to be rivaled. The gathering lasted into the twilight. That evening a memorial service for the four who were killed at Kent State was held on the main mall.
How were the tactics of the anti-Vietnam protesters similar to those used in the movement for
African-American civil rights? How were they different?
How were the responses of authorities similar? How were they different?
Think about the policies that were the targets of the antiwar demonstrators and those that were challenged in the civil rights movement. Which were more susceptible to pressure created by demonstrations and civil disobedience? Which depended more on public opinion? Which branches of government could play the biggest role in changing the policies? Explain your answers in each case.
On a separate sheet of paper, write a journal entry for Friday, March 7 th from the perspective of
EITHER: an Austin Police officer, a UT professor, or a UT student protester. Be sure to describe your feelings, fears, and hopes, as well as your opinion about the protest happening at UT.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
The following is a list of individuals that students may research on the DVD Austin Past and
Present . All of these biographies are available in the Time Tour Town in Transition, 1950 to
1975 . Students should not be expected to research the entire list, but should be encouraged to browse the Austin Past and Present DVD and choose the individuals they are most interested in researching. A teacher may also choose to assign the list to students and have students present research to the class.
(community leader)
(radio personality)
(east Austin community activist)
(community leader – Hike & Bike Trail)
(NAACP activist)
(community leader)
(radio personality)
(community advocate)
(civil rights leader – desegregation)
(Austin Parks & Recreation)
(preservationist)
(founder Anderson High Board)
(teacher, Mexican American civil rights leader)
(NAACP leader)
(folkorist)
(Mexican American civic leader)
(environmentalist)
(community leader)
(educator, historian)
(judge – poll tax)
(taxi company owner, community leader)
(baseball player)
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Name:
Occupation/Significance to Community:
Major Accomplishments:
Illustration or Symbol to represent this individual's contribution to Austin:
In what way(s) did this individual improve, define, preserve, or protect the Austin community?
Name:
Occupation/Significance to Community:
Major Accomplishments:
Illustration or Symbol to represent this individual's contribution to Austin:
In what way(s) did this individual improve, define, preserve, or protect the Austin community?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Directions: Using the Austin Past & Present GEO TOUR, research the following efforts to preserve and protect Austin’s natural beauty and unique history.
Waller Creek Rebellion – CENTRAL

Reason for the conflict:
 Opposing Sides? _______________________ VS. _____________________
 Tactics of the student protesters:
 Outcome?
Creation of the Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail
– DOWNTOWN

History and Geography:
 Why did the Colorado River need to be “tamed”?

What was the purpose of the LCRA? Why do you think the LCRA was created in the 1930s?

How was Town Lake created?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
 Describe the conflict over boat races and the use of motorized boats on Town Lake:
 Why was the Hike & Bike Trail created?

Who were some notable individuals involved in the creation of the Hike & Bike Trail?
Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve – WEST
 Significance of Wild Basin:
 Reason for the area’s endangerment?
 Group involved in preservation efforts?
 Tactics used?
 Outcome?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Historic Austin: Buildings and Homes
(Complete both columns below)
– DOWNTOWN
Choose ONE of the following historic buildings to research: the Old
Bakery, the Paramount Theater, or the Driskill Hotel.
 Building’s Origins
(include history, notable individuals, etc.) :

Interesting Facts:

Time of decline/change and reasons:

Preservation (include reasons and groups involved if available) :
Choose ONE of the following historic districts to research: Bremond Block,
Old West Downtown Neighborhood, or 6 th Street.

History of the area:

Interesting Facts:

Time of decline/change and reasons:

Preservation (include reasons, groups involved, & notable individuals if available) :
Questions to Consider
1.
List examples of civic activism from your research on efforts to preserve and protect Austin:
2.
In what ways did individuals improve the Austin community?
3.
In what area did the efforts to preserve and protect Austin achieve the most success? Explain.
4.
In what area did these efforts bring about only limited success? Explain.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
5.
Can you think of any current efforts in or around Austin in which citizens are fighting to preserve or protect their communities? List as many as you can think of from current events in Austin:
Using the internet, go to the Austin City Connection Community Registry at: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/neighbor/search.htm
On this site you can enter your ZIP CODE and find your Neighborhood Association or Home Owners’ Association. Click on the name of your neighborhood to find the contact information for your local association. There should be a contact member with an address and telephone number. There MAY be an email contact or even a web address.
Using this contact information, you will need to find the following information:

How often does the group meet?

Where?

When was the last meeting?

What issues were discussed at the last meeting?

What are the current goals and/or projects of the group?
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
For extra credit, you may attend a Neighborhood Association meeting. I would expect you to:

Introduce yourself to the group,

Bring back the program or schedule from the meeting (something to prove you were actually there),

Take notes on the meeting, and

Write a brief summary of your experience: how you felt, what you agreed with at the meeting, any issues you think your
Neighborhood Association should be dealing with (but that they are not currently dealing with), etc...
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Culminating Projects (NOTE: Suggested Rubrics follow)
1.
Research paper analyzing the success and legacy of integration in Austin.
What is the legacy of integration in Austin, Texas?
The research essay should answer this question by:

Identifying the roles played by key individuals involved in the integration of the Austin community,

Analyzing the successes and failures of integration in Austin, and

Deciding how and/or if the effort to integrate Austin improved, defined, preserved, or protected the Austin community.
Suggested resources: Austin Past and Present DVD, school demographics, population maps, editorials, etc…
2.
Editorial comparing minority leadership in Austin in the 1960s and 1970s to minority leadership today.
The editorial should include:

Background information on minority leadership in Austin in the 1960-
1970s and today (individuals, goals, accomplishments, setbacks),

A clearly stated opinion comparing minority leadership in Austin then and now,

At least THREE reasons for the opinion (Be sure to address the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”) , and

A specific recommendation for action on the part of the reader.
3.
Compare and contrast the Waller Creek Rebellion to more current conflicts over the
Edwards Aquifer (suggested topic – the AMD development).
Choose one:
Compare/Contrast Paper
The written paper:


Has a clear and well developed thesis statement.
Analyzes both similarities and differences between the two conflicts over development and natural resources in Austin.

Provides supporting details to support the thesis statement

Is well organized

Addresses the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”
Compare/Contrast Visual
The visual product:

Is arranged to display similarities and differences clearly

Contains at least FIVE graphics or photographs that enhance the comparison

Analyzes both similarities and differences between the two conflicts over development and natural resources in Austin.

Addresses the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”

Conveys information with the appropriate use of text within the visual

Is well designed
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
4.
Editorial on the recent community activism and police investigations into the Daniel
Rocha shooting.
The editorial should include:

Background information on the history of the sensitivity surrounding race relations and police conduct (individuals, goals, accomplishments, setbacks), an explanation of the community activism surrounding the investigation, and an explanation of the outcome

A clearly stated opinion on the outcome of the investigation

At least THREE reasons for the opinion (Be sure to address the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”)
, and

A specific recommendation for action on the part of the reader.
5.
An annotated and illustrated timeline of the efforts of individuals in the community to preserve historical sites and neighborhoods in Austin.
The timeline should include:

The 1950-1975 period of the Austin Past and Present DVD up through the current year

At least TEN key events in the preservation of the Austin community

Appropriate use of text to explain key events

At least SIX graphics to illustrate key events.
6.
Compare and contrast (written or visual) student protests against the war in Vietnam and against the current military operation in Iraq.
Choose one:
Compare/Contrast Paper
The written paper:

Has a clear and well developed thesis statement

Analyzes both similarities and differences between the two periods of student protests on the University of Texas campus

Provides supporting details to support the thesis statement

Is well organized

Addresses the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”
Compare/Contrast Visual
The visual product:

Is arranged to display similarities and differences clearly

Contains at least FIVE graphics or photographs that enhance the comparison

Analyzes both similarities and differences between the two periods of student protests on the University of Texas campus

Addresses the unit question: “What is the role of citizenship in improving, defining, preserving, and protecting a community?”

Conveys information with the appropriate use of text within the visual

Is well designed
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Points Earned
Factual Information
Argument
Variety of Sources
Supporting Details
Depth of Analysis
Introduction
Conclusion
Organization
Spelling and Grammar
References in Footnotes and/or Bibliography
Exceeds Expectations
8 to 10
All information correct
Clear argument
Excellent variety of sources; excellent use of relevant materials
Excellent supporting details
Impressive depth of analysis
Effective introduction
Effective conclusion
Clear organization
Meets Expectations
4 to 7
Most information correct
Adequate argument
Adequate number of sources; adequate use of relevant materials
Adequate supporting details
Adequate depth of analysis
Adequate introduction
Adequate conclusion
Adequate organization
Correct grammar; no spelling mistakes
Consistently correct grammar; few spelling mistakes
Correctly credits references
Does Not Meet Expectations
0 to 3
Little or no information correct
Inadequate or missing argument
Inadequate number of sources; inadequate use of relevant materials
Shallow supporting details
Unexceptional analysis
Weak or missing introduction
Weak or missing conclusion
Confusing or weak organization
Incorrect grammar; many spelling mistakes
Incorrectly credits references or credits missing
TOTAL SCORE
Score
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
90 to 100









This editorial is written with an interesting lead to bring the reader into the story.
This story contains an abundant amount of background information about the issue.
This article has a clearly stated opinion toward the beginning of the article.
This article contains at least 3 different, logical reasons for the stated opinion.
All of the reasons are written to convince the appropriate audience.
Each reason is written in a topic sentence of separate paragraphs.
The writer uses effective words throughout the article to make transitions between ideas.
The writer ends the article giving a specific recommendation for the reader to take action.
The writer uses all correct grammar and spelling.
76 to 89









This editorial is written with an interesting lead to bring the reader into the story.
This story contains some background information about the issue being debated.
This article has an opinion that could be stated more clearly using better wording.
This article contains at least 3 reasons for the stated opinion with 2 being very distinct from each other and logical for the argument.
Two of the reasons would concern the intended audience.
Each reason is written in separate paragraphs, but not necessarily in the topic sentence.
The writer uses some transitions between each idea.
The writer ends the article giving a specific recommendation for the reader to take action.
The article contains mostly correct grammar and spelling.
75 and below


This editorial is written with a lead but it needs to be more interesting.
This story contains very little background information about the issue at hand.


This article has an opinion which is somewhat confusing.
This article contains only one really valid reason for the opinion given, and 2 debatable reasons.


One of the reasons would concern the intended audience.
The reasons are not necessarily written in distinct paragraphs.


The writer uses only a couple transitions between ideas.

The ending of the story does not give any clear recommendations for the reader to take action.
The article contains several grammar and spelling mistakes.
69 and below

This editorial is written with a boring lead which does not encourage the reader to continue.

This story contains no background information about the issue being discussed.

The writer is very confusing about his/her opinion on the issue.

This article does not contain any valid reasons for the given opinion.

None of the reasons address the intended audience.

The reasons are not written in good paragraphs and have no logical order.

The writer does not use any transitions between ideas.

The ending of the story does not give any clear recommendations for the reader to take action.

The article contains many grammar and spelling mistakes.
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department
June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Factual
Information
Exceeds Expectations
All information correct
Thesis
Meets Expectations
Most information correct
Clear argument, well articulated thesis statement
Adequate argument, contains a thesis statement
Analysis
Excellent comparison, points to specific similarities and differences, reveals a complex comprehension of the topic of study, fully answers the unit question
Comparisons point out obvious similarities and differences, reveals an adequate understanding of the topic of study, addresses the unit question
Supporting Details
Organization
Spelling and
Grammar
Excellent supporting details Adequate supporting details
Clear organization helps reader to draw Adequate organization shows some connections across time periods connections across time periods
Correct grammar; no spelling mistakes
Consistently correct grammar; few spelling mistakes
Does Not Meet Expectations
Little or no information correct
Inadequate or missing argument, inadequate or missing thesis statement
Comparisons point out only superficial similarities or differences, paper may deal only with similarities or only with differences, lacks understanding of topic of study, does not address the unit question
Shallow supporting details
Confusing or weak organization
Incorrect grammar; many spelling mistakes
TOTAL SCORE
Score
20
10
30
20
10
10
100
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Rubric for Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer
Arrangement of Concepts
Exceeds Expectations
Main concept easily identified;
Similarities and differences are appropriately labeled.
Graphics
Content
Text
Meets Expectations
Visual arrangement is clear, concepts are labeled.
Does Not Meet Expectations Pts. Available Pts. Earned
Visual arrangement is jumbled, concepts are not clearly labeled.
Graphics used appropriately; greatly enhance the topic and aid in comparison; are clear, crisp and well situated on the page.
Graphics used appropriately most of the time; most graphics selected enhance the topic, are of good quality, and are situated in logical places on the page.
Graphics used inappropriately and excessively; graphics poorly selected and don’t enhance the topic; some graphics are blurry and ill-placed.
Reflects essential information, connects information across time periods, reveals complex understanding of the topic of study, fully answers the unit question.
Reflects most of the essential information, makes some connections across time periods, reveals an adequate understanding of topic, addresses the unit question.
Content does not reflect essential information, points out superficial similarities and differences, does not reveal an understanding of the topic, does not address unit question.
Easy to read and appropriately sized; no more than three different fonts; amount of text enhances the visual comparison.
Most text is easy to read; uses no more than four different fonts; amount of text
Font too small to read easily; more than four different fonts used; text is appropriate for the visual comparison. amount is excessive for the visual comparison.
Design Clean design; high visual appeal; color used effectively for emphasis.
Design is fairly clean, with a few exceptions; diagram has visual appeal; uses color effectively most of time.
Cluttered design; low in visual appeal; choice of colors lacks visual appeal and impedes comprehension.
TOTAL POINTS:
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Category Exceeds Expectations Meets Expectations Does Not Meet Expecations
Timeline Title
The timeline has a creative title that accurately describes the material and
The timeline has a title that is easy to locate. is easy to locate
The title is missing or difficult to locate.
Content
Facts
Facts were accurate for all events reported on the timeline. The timeline contained at least 9-10 events related to the topic being studied
Facts were accurate for almost all events reported on the timeline. The timeline contained at least 6-8 events related to the topic being studied
Facts were often inaccurate for events reported on the timeline. The timeline covered 5 or fewer events
Graphics and
Illustrations
All graphics are effective and balanced with text use.
All graphics are effective, but there appear
Several graphics are not effective. to be too few or too many.
An accurate, complete date has been included for each event.
An accurate date has been included for almost every event.
Dates are inaccurate or missing for several events.
Dates
Style &
Organization
Fonts &
Colors
Thesis
The timeline was set up to cover the relevant time period. It contains appropriate yearly gradations.
The timeline was set up to cover most of the relevant time period. It contains appropriate yearly gradations.
The use of font styles and colors is consistent and shows a logical pattern. It helps organize the material.
The use of font styles and colors is consistent but is not used effectively to organize the material.
The time period covered was inappropriate. Yearly divisions were not uniform.
The use of font styles and colors is not consistent or detracts from the organization.
Clearly stated and appropriately focused.
Thesis stated not appropriately focused.
No statement of thesis or objective for research.
TOTAL:
Pts.
Available
Pts. Earned
5
40
20
10
10
5
10
100
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006

Social Studies – Unit Activity Planner: Austin Past and Present
Austin Independent School District
Austin Independent School District Social Studies Curriculum Department June, 2006