Jackie Robinson, Civil
Rights Leader?
A lesson plan to accompany the
Digital History Reader
www.dhr.history.vt.edu
Virginia Tech: School of Education
Composed by
Tommy George
Karen McNamara
Gina Rumbolo
Just Do It Activity (~5 min.)
 Concept
Attainment Model
– Let’s define “Racism” as a class:
 Please
provide a list of examples, nonexamples, essential characteristics, and
non-essential characteristics.
– Example: Black Codes in Virginia
– Non-Example: full suffrage/equal citizenship
– Essential Characteristic: negative feelings towards
a group or minority
– Non-essential Characteristic: limitations of civil
liberties, “separate, but equal” – Plessy v
Fergusson)
“Character Profiling” Activity
(~15 min.)
 Using
the provided handout and
attached information, students will
be able to generate a brief paragraph
describing the character of Jackie
Robinson.
– Goal: a first impression from the
provided information
– Result: completion of brief paragraph
and general discussion to follow.
But first, who was Jackie
Robinson? – a brief lecture of his
life, accomplishments, etc. (~15 min.)

#42 on the Brooklyn Dodgers
– Lifetime .311 batting average,
Hall of Fame inductee, Rookie of
the Year, MVP, stolen-base titles,
etc.


Born in rural Georgia, moved
out West to California with his
mother and four siblings
1st to letter in four sports at
UCLA including football,
basketball, baseball, and
track
Besides Sports…
 Drafted
Harbor
into the Army after Pearl
– Becomes a second lieutenant
– Court-martialed for not moving to the
back of a bus
 Charges
were eventually dropped and he
received an honorable discharge from
service
Jackie’s Role in the
Civil Rights
Movement
"If they can fight and die on Okinawa,
Guadalcanal (and) in the South Pacific,
they can play ball in America." –Happy
Chandler, commissioner of Major League
Baseball and former Senator and Governor
of Kentucky
 “Accomplishment: Was the first AfricanAmerican to play Major League Baseball
(drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers)

“Here’s to you, Mr(s). Robinson”

As Sports Illustrated's
Bill Nack wrote:
"Robinson was the
target of racial
epithets and flying
cleats, of hate letters
and death threats, of
pitchers throwing at
his head and legs, and
catchers spitting on
his shoes."
(espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016431.html)
WebQuest Activity (~30 min.)

Using the provided handout and
instructions, students will independently
or in small groups, research information
from the online module to answer the
attached questionnaire.
– The website for this activity is:
 http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/us/mod08_robinson/in
dex.html.
– If time allows, please complete the selfassessment quiz after answering the
questions.
Jackie Robinson Spectrum (~10 min.)

Students will be provided a series of
statements pertaining to Jackie Robinson.
– The students will personally rate/rank these
statements based on their opinions and
interpretations of the material.
– Spectrum ranges from “strongly agree” to
“strongly disagree”
– A general discussion will be held during the
spectrum activity based on the results and
differing perspectives of the students.
Closure: Personal Perspective Paper
(remaining time/homework)


Goal: allow students to use their prior
knowledge of the content to develop their
own interpretation of the original guiding
question of:
– To what did degree did Jackie Robinson’s
life influence the Civil Rights Movement?
Please read the instructions carefully on the
attached handout.
– Grammar, formatting, AND content will be assessed.
This assignment should be AT LEAST one-page, typed,
single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman Font.