Honorable John Lewis (1940-2020): Civil Rights Leader, Great American
- Balance Learning Resources
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 12 minutes ago
Grade Level: 6-12
Duration of video 1: 5 minutes, 57 seconds
Duration of video 2: 50 seconds
Themes: Leadership / Courage / Nonviolence / Civil Rights / Social Justice / Being an Upstander
Photo: John Lewis, U.S. Representative from Georgia and civil rights leader. Source: Official U.S. Congress portrait (Public Domain).
Description:
Students will learn about the life and legacy of the late U.S. Representative John Lewis, a major leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Through two short videos, discussion, and activities, students will explore leadership, nonviolence, and standing up for justice.
Video 1: Congressman John Lewis: A Civil Rights Hero (5:57)
Video 2: Representative John Lewis: USHMM (0:50)
Lesson Plan:
🎯 OBJECTIVES (SWBAT)
Identify key events in John Lewis’s life and explain their significance.
Describe the role John Lewis played in the Civil Rights Movement.
Explain the importance of nonviolence and “good trouble” in social justice movements.
Analyze examples of civil rights and human rights issues John Lewis spoke out about.
Apply upstander strategies in a group activity to support others who face injustice.
Reflect on John Lewis’s character traits and how they can inspire personal actions for justice.
🧰 MATERIALS:
Student Worksheet 1: Timeline of U.S. Representative John Lewis’s Life (1940-2020). Print a copy for each student.
Paper and pens (for each student)
Projector or Smart Board
Student Worksheet 2: 10 Criteria to Analyze a Social Justice Movement. Print a copy for each student.
Video 2: Representative John Lewis: USHMM
Student Worksheet 3: 10 Upstander Steps. Print a copy for each student.
📋 LESSON FLOW
Introduction/Hook
Teacher asks:
What makes a great American leader? [Write students’ ideas and answers on the board.]
Say:
Today, you will learn about the late John Lewis, a Civil Rights leader and longtime U.S. Representative in Congress.
Connection
Hand out Student Worksheet 1: Timeline of U.S. Representative John Lewis’s Life (1940-2020). Review with students.
Before the Video
Say: You will be watching two short videos about the late John Lewis.
As you watch the first video, take notes on Student Worksheet 1: Timeline of U.S. Representative John Lewis’s Life (1940-2020) and write down the major Civil Rights events John Lewis participated in during his lifetime.
Show Video 1 (5:57)
After the Video: Whole Class Discussion
Ask students:
John Lewis originally wanted to study theology. What does this tell us about his values?
What experiences did John Lewis have that shifted his career path?
Which Civil Rights events did John Lewis participate in? Why is this significant
John Lewis introduced Dr. King at the 1963 March on Washington. What does this tell us about how he was viewed by other leaders?
At the March on Washington, John Lewis said, “We don’t want our freedom gradually - we want our freedom now!” Why was this such a powerful statement
Why was non-violence such an important part of the movement?
10 Criteria to Analyze a Social Justice Movement
Hand out:
Student Worksheet 2: 10 Criteria to Analyze a Social Justice Movement.
Ask:
After reading these 10 criteria, was the Civil Rights Movement that John Lewis helped lead an authentic social justice movement? Explain.
Introduction to Video 2:
Say:
As you watch the next video, take note: Which civil rights and human rights did John Lewis speak about?
Show Video 2 (50 seconds):
Discussion Questions:
Ask students:
What did John Lewis mean when he said, “We may have all come on different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat”?
Was John Lewis’s message about justice only for the Black community? What other injustices did he speak out against? What does this tell us about him?
3. What would John Lewis say about these facts?
In January 2026, someone fire-bombed Mississippi’s Beth Israel Congregation. This is the same synagogue that the KKK bombed in 1967 when the Jewish community stood with the Black community during the civil rights movement.
What might John Lewis have said about protesters, or any Americans, who perpetrate violence?
Role Play Activity:
Hand out Student Worksheet 3: 10 Upstander Steps and review with students.
Divide students into groups of 3–4.
Each group creates a short skit showing someone being mistreated.
Students demonstrate an Upstander action to support the targeted person.
After each skit, ask the audience: Which upstander skill(s) did this group use? How was it effective?
Exit Ticket:
Choose one question and write a two-paragraph response:
What character traits did John Lewis have? Why is he admirable? How can you emulate him in your daily life?
Where were civil rights for Black Americans when John Lewis was a child, and where were they by the time he passed away in 2020? Was progress gradual? Explain.
Extension (Optional):
Divide students into small groups. Each group chooses a different moment from the Civil Rights Movement to research and present using a poster or PowerPoint slide(s) - explaining the event and why it is significant in American history and to the students themselves.
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