This lesson plans deals with the concept of felony disenfranchisement, specifically how felony disenfranchisement laws in the U.S. have disproportionately affected the African American community. Students will be introduced to the term “felony disenfranchisement”, before moving into a short lecture on the origins and history of these laws in the U.S. after the Civil War and the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Students will use the content they learned from the lecture to complete a Think, Pair, Share activity. After this, students will complete a Big Paper Silent Debate activity, where they will look at different primary sources regarding felony disenfranchisement and its disproportionate effects on African Americans. To wrap up the lesson, students will write an Exit Ticket, answering the question, “How has felony disenfranchisement disproportionately affected minority populations in the United States, specifically African Americans?” Students will use the primary source from the Big Paper Silent Debate to back up their answers.
Instructional Strategies:
- Collaborative Learning
- Primary Source Analysis
- Evidence-Based Argument Building
Lesson Materials:
