Marchers of many races, genders, and ages with signs at the March on Washington.

Lesson Plan

Why We March: The March on Washington and the March for Our Lives

In this lesson, students will take a deep dive into the motivations of Americans who participate in non-violent protests throughout history.

About this lesson

As residents of a democratic nation, all Americans have the right to make their voices heard. It can be difficult, however, to ensure your voice is heard if you are speaking alone. Collective action – action taken together by a group of people with a common objective, is one way to amplify your voice. The First Amendment protects American’s right to assemble with other people and express their views together. The 1963 March on Washington and the 2018 March for Our Lives are two examples we can examine to better understand what collective action is and why people choose to act.

Grade Level

  • Grade Level

    Ninth, Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth

  • Subject

    Civics, Social Studies, US History

  • Duration

    120 minutes

  • Class Period Structure

    Two 60-minute class periods

  • Activities, Background Essay, Biographies, Glossary, Primary Sources, Rubric, Secondary Sources, Timeline

  • At the end of this lesson students will be able to:

    • Define collective action.
    • Describe what motivates people to take collective action.
    • Provide examples of people or groups from American history who took collective action.

  • It will be helpful for students to be familiar with:

    • The Civil Rights Movement
    • Non-Violent Protest

  • Georgia

    SSCG7: Demonstrate knowledge of civil liberties and civil rights.

    SSCG16: Analyze the difference between involuntary and voluntary participation in civic life.

    L9-10RHSS1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

    L11-12RH1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysi8s of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

Supporting Materials

Primary Source

Glossary

  • Civil Rights –

    The nonpolitical rights of a citizen, especially the rights of personal liberty guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution and by acts of Congress.

  • Collective Action –

    Action taken together by a group of people whose goal is to enhance their condition and achieve a common objective.

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