Summary: This lesson focuses on the constitutional arguments for and against the enactment of federal anti-lynching legislation in the early 1920s. Students will participate in a simulation game that enacts a fictitious Senate debate of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill. As a result of completing this activity, students will gain a better understanding of the federal system, the legislative process, and the difficulties social justice advocates encountered.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: Have the concepts of liberty, justice and/or equality changed during the time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
- CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.CivicsDP.4.a: Compare and contrast historians’ interpretations of the impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments on African Americans’ ability to participate in influencing governmental policies.
- 6.1.12.CivicsHR.8.a: Analyze primary and secondary sources to explain how social intolerance, xenophobia, and fear of anarchism led to restrictive immigration and refugee laws, and the violation of the human rights of individuals and groups
Link to Lesson: Lesson 1: NAACP’s Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1920s | NEH-Edsitement