is a song which is

associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category
of topical songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or
commercial in genre.
Among social movements that have an associated body of songs are
the abolition movement, women's suffrage, the labor movement, the human rights
movement, civil rights, the anti-war movement and 1960s counterculture,
the feminist movement, the sexual revolution, the gay rights movement, environmentalism
etc."

"We shall overcome...

We shall overcome...
We shall overcome
someday...
Oh, deep in my heart I do
believe that we shall
overcome someday..."

"I have a dream that one

day this nation will rise up
and live out the true
meaning of its creed - we
hold these truths to be
self-evident that all men
are created equal.

I have a dream today!"

Even
today, some basic human rights are being violated throughout the world.
What was the situation in the United States 50 years ago?
You and your partners are invited to search for information about the late 1950s and the
1960s:

What events were important in the fight against segregation in the U.S.?
Who were the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement?
What other events at the time stirred reactions of strong disagreement, controversy,
and protest throughout the country?
What role was played by singers and protest songs in those movements?
You will be asked to process and transform the information you find, and, by playing roles,
you will be asked to use your imagination and be creative!
Have fun!

Your task is to create a

with your team that will inform ,
present and future generations about the people and events of importance in the struggle
for Civil Rights, as well as other social events like the anti-war movement.
Working in a team and playing roles, you will research several websites to collect
information on those people and events and you will select and analyse some of the most
significant protest songs of the time. By doing this Webquest you will acquire a lot more
knowledge about this period of the U.S. history: the struggle, the hope, the courage of so
many people that fought for freedom and for basic human rights. This is still an issue of
great importance to all of us, as citizens of the world.

Divide into groups of five.

In your GROUP , choose one of these roles:

Read the contents that refer to your role.

Follow the instructions and steps indicated.

Conduct an internet search for your role using the Resources provided.

You are an African - American who witnessed some of the most important moments in the fight against
segregation in the fifties and sixties in the U.S. and was actively involved in that fight.
Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

Segregation on buses
Segregation in restaurants

"Whites only" rules at public facilities

The right to vote

Follow these steps:

1. Divide tasks among the members of the group:
2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided.
3. Find out:
o

what segregation on buses consisted of

who Rosa Parks was

how she showed her opposition to segregation on buses

what role she played in the bus boycott

who organized the boycott

what the consequences of the boycott were

which fields segregation was felt in

why so many blacks were disenfranchised

4. Organize that information and write:

o

a short biography of Rosa Parks, explaining why she was arrested

a leaflet for a campaign to end segregation on buses to be delivered to the population of

Montgomery

a list of the most important achievements in the fight for Civil Rights

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate
your texts
7. Organize the final product

You are an American student who witnessed some of the most important moments in the fight against
segregation and in the anti-war movement in the fifties, sixties and early seventies in the U.S.
Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

Segregation in education
Sit-ins

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

Little Rock High School, Arkansas

Follow these steps:

1. Divide tasks among the members of the group:
2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angels
Website.
3. Find out:
o

what segregation in education consisted of

what the purpose of sit-ins was

how the fight against segregation in schools began

what the consequences of the legal action Brown v. Board of Education were

what happened at Little Rock High School, Arkansas

4. Organize that information and write:

o

a report on the Brown v. Board of Education case

a list of the most important achievements in the fight for equality in education

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate

your texts
7. Organize the final product

You are a pacifist and you were actively involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement in the sixties and
early seventies in the U.S.
Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

American involvement in the Vietnam War

anti-war movement

Follow these steps:

1. Divide tasks among the members of the group:
2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angels
website..
3. Find out:
o

how the Americans got involved in the Vietnam War

what the anti-war movement consisted of

what happened at Kent State University on May, 4, 1970

4. Organize that information and write:

o

a report on the involvement (engagement ) of the U.S in the Vietnam War

a list of the major events and the evolution of the war

a pamphlet to be distributed at a university protest against the events of May 4, 1970

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate
your texts
7. Organize the final product

You are an American singer who performed at many concerts and was actively involved in the fight
against segregation and in the anti-war movement in the sixties and early seventies in the U.S.
You were invited to collaborate with a music magazine and tell about your experience in that field and write about
the protest songs of the time.
Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

the role protest songs played in the fight for civil rights and in the anti-war movement
well known protest singers/groups

protest songs

Follow these steps:

1. Divide tasks among the members of the group:
2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angels
Website.
3. Find out:
o

what role protest songs played in the fight for Civil Rights

which groups or singers were actively involved in that fight

what some of the most significant protest songs of the time were

what people were protesting against

4. Organize that information and select:

o

a collection of protest songs

5. then write:
o

the biographies of two protest singers

a list of the different messages the songs conveyed

a description of the atmosphere in a concert where protest songs were sung

6. a suggestion:
o

if a member of your group can play the guitar, it would be a good idea to rehearse one of

the songs and play it during your presentation

o

if you prefer, you may compose your own

7. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

8. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate
your texts
9. Organize the final product

You are an American journalist who witnessed some of the most important events of the Civil Rights
Movement in the fifties and sixties in the U.S.
Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

Civil Rights Leaders

President John Kennedy and the Civil Rights Act

Follow these steps:

1. Divide tasks among the members of the group:
2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angels
website.
3. Find out:
o

who the most important Civil Rights leaders were

what the most important facts about them were

what role John F. Kennedy played in the Civil Rights Act

what the most important facts about John F. Kennedy were

what happened in 1963, in Washington

4. Organize that information and write:

o

a news article for your newspaper on the day John Kennedy was assassinated

a short biography of John Kennedy to go with the article

a report on the peaceful march on Washington, D.C.

a news article for your newspaper on the day Martin Luther King was assassinated

a short biography of Martin Luther King to go with the article

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate
your texts
7. Organize the final product