During this What Can Sources Teach Us? lesson, students will learn about public educator, politician, and California State University, Los Angeles alumnus Mervyn M. Dymally (1926-2012). Students will also learn about Mervyn M. Dymally’s participation in the Selma to Montgomery Marches by analyzing primary and secondary sources, reading, writing, and completing a mapping activity. Students will then create and share their own primary and secondary sources that tell their stories.

Standards 

CA HSS: 3.4; 4.5; 5.9

Lesson and Resources

Lesson - What Can Sources Teach Us? - English

Lesson - What Can Sources Teach Us? - Spanish

Student Response Sheet - What Can Sources Teach Us? - English

Student Response Sheet - What Can Sources Teach Us? - Spanish

Associated Education Resources

• Curriculum: Mervyn M. Dymally Project

• Exhibition: Mervyn M. Dymally: The Bridge-Builder of Los Angeles

• Lesson: Elected Officials: Mervyn M. Dymally & Today

• Lesson: Who was Mervyn M. Dymally?

• Video: Autry Artists Salon on Autry Classroom Curators - Mervyn M. Dymally Archives Project

Teaching Tips for Different Learning Environments 

Whole Class Learning for Grade 3:

• Give copies of the lesson to your students and/or project the lesson on a screen.
• Complete the INTRODUCTION and PARTS 1-7 together with the whole class.

Whole Class Learning for Grades 4-5:

• Give copies of the lesson to your students and/or project the lesson on a screen.
• Read the INTRODUCTION together with the whole class.
• Divide the students into pairs or groups.
• Review PART 1 with the whole class and ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 1.
• Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 1.
• Review PART 2 with the whole class and ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 2.
• Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 2.
• Review PART 3 with the whole class and ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 3.
• Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 3.
• Review PART 4 with the whole class and ask the pairs/groups to complete PART 4.
• Have a whole class discussion about the pairs/groups’ answers to PART 4.
• Review PARTS 5-6 with the whole class and ask individual students to complete PARTS 5-6.
• For PART 7, have students share their primary and secondary sources with the whole class.