March on Frankfort, “Who goes down in history?"

Teacher Notes:

Introduction to Case:

In this case, students explore a series of oral history accounts which discuss the March on Frankfort in 1964. A newspaper account has been included to bring voice to the main speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We were unable to uncover the actual speech but the article published the day after the march, quotes him heavily. As students explore the evidence, they work through the "detective's log" to help them analyze and chart findings from the sources. In the end, they are asked to write a paragraph or two answering the following questions: Who will go down in history for the March on Frankfort? Additionally, the students will be asked to indicate whether they were satisfied with the evidence and to list any additional questions that have been left unanswered through the investigation.

From the trenches...

Case Study video coming soon...

Purpose of this case:

The genesis of this case began as a discussion between the two architects of the exercise. Oral historian, Dr. Doug Boyd, and social studies professor, Kathy Swan, agreed that the Kentucky Civil Rights database was a tremendous resource but when students (in service teachers) at the University of Kentucky were introduced to the site, they thought it was interesting but felt it would take too much time in class and that their students would be confused about how to use the resources. This conversation evolved into an agreement that something needed to be done to scaffold teachers and students use of the site and that several HSI exercises could possibly become a portal or stepping stone to help teachers access such rich historical sources. This case is the product of these efforts and the hope is that student and teacher inquiry would not end after completion of the case. Instead, our hope is that teachers and students would use the exercise as a jumping off point to explore the Kentucky Civil Rights database and share their experiences with the Kentucky Historical Society as well as the creators of the HSI website.

Working With Oral History:

A unique feature of the exercise is the use of oral history accounts as historical documents. Constructing oral history documents involves enlisting people with first-hand knowledge of special historical developments and experiences to share their memoirs. While some historians debate the validity of oral history, arguably, it is not significantly different from other historical sources (diaries, correspondence, official documents, newspapers, photographs, etc.) which are distorted, partial, and viewed through the screen of contemporary experience. When examining historical events though the lens of oral history, sources must be subjected to the same tests of evidence as other sources and examined along with other contemporary sources for corroboration and authentication. As we teach students about doing history, it is important that we consider the unique opportunity we have with oral history as well as the limitations we face when using oral history to construct interpretations of events.

Acknowledgements:

This exercise was funded by the Kentucky Historical Society (http://history.ky.gov/) in an effort to assist teachers in incorporating oral history into the K-12 history classroom. The exercise itself was designed in partnership with Dr. Doug Boyd ( Kentucky’s Oral History Commission and architect of the Civil Movement in Kentucky, an online archive available http://history.ky.gov/civilrights.htm) and by Dr. Kathy Swan ( University of Kentucky, Assistant Professor in Social Studies and co-founder of the Historical Scene Investigation Project).

Standards:

NCSS Theme II: Time, Continuity and Change

Focus on reading and reconstructing the past to:

• include various perspectives on historical events;
• draw upon historical knowledge during the examination of social issues;
• develop the habits of mind that historians and scholars employ.

KERA Standards for Kentucky Schools

For grade 5

Academic Expectations
2 .20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.

Program of Studies
SS -5-H-1 Students will explore the interpretive nature (how perceptions of people and passing of time influence accounts of historical events) of the history of the United States using a variety of tools (e.g., primary and secondary sources, data, artifacts).

Core Content for Assessment
SS-E-5.1.1 Accounts of historical events are influenced by the perceptions of people and passing of time.
SS-E-5.1.2 History can be understood by using a variety of primary and secondary sources and tools (e.g., artifacts, diaries, time lines).

For grade 8

Academic Expectations
2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.

Program of Studies
SS-8-H-1 Students will use a variety of tools (e.g., primary and secondary sources, data, artifacts) to explore the interpretive nature (how perceptions of people and passing of time influence accounts of historical events) of United States history.

Core Content for Assessment
SS-M-5.1.1 Different perspectives (e.g., gender, race, region, ethnic group, nationality, age, economic status, religion, politics) result in different interpretations of historical events.

SS-M-5.1.2 Primary sources, secondary sources, artifacts, and time lines are essential tools in the study and interpretation of history.

For grade 11

Academic Expectations 2.20 Students understand, analyze, and interpret historical events, conditions, trends, and issues to develop historical perspective.

Program of Studies
SS-H-US-H-1 Students will use a variety of tools (e.g., primary and secondary sources, data, artifacts) to explore the interpretive nature of the history of the United States from Reconstruction to the present.

Core Content for Assessment
SS-H-5.1.1 Interpretations of history are subject to change as new information is uncovered.
SS-H-5.1.2 Primary sources allow individuals to experience history from the perspectives of people who lived it.