Eyes on the Prize offers important lessons about the power of ordinary citizens to shape democracy. This study guide provides teachers with an invaluable resource that brings this landmark television documentary into the classroom and insures its legacy in the education of our students. The guide provides a framework for using the series in classrooms, important primary sources, and guiding questions to help teachers bring the history of the civil rights movement alive.
Using the guide, students will engage with the stories of everyday Americans who challenged their government and communities to live up to its promises of equality and justice. By examining such issues as the power of civic participation in a democratic society, the role of non-violence in social movements, the importance of voting rights, the tensions between state and local control, and the role of the courts in addressing injustice, students will explore the fundamental tenets of our democracy and think about their power to make a difference today.
Additional Information
Eyes on the Prize Initiative - Learn about upcoming events and stay up to date on other related material
Eyes on the Prize lesson plans - This series of looks at one particular approach to responding to injustice, that of nonviolence
PBS Video - Purchase a copy of the Educator's Edition of the series.
Borrow the video from our lending library.
PBS American Experience: Eyes on the Prize - Visit the official Eyes on the Prize website for access to additional classroom resources, interesting primary source materials, biographies of people and groups from the civil rights era, and personal essays from a variety of people connected with the movement
