Civil Rights Movement – Reading Comprehension Packet

About this resource

What's inside this resource

This resource is a Civil Rights Movement Reading Packet.

This is a great no prep resource that all you have to do is print and go!

Two different versions are included.

Students will love learning history as they read an informative passage and apply vocabulary terms.

Worksheets included such as multiple-choice questions and graphic organizers will allow them to show what they know.

These work well for social studies or reading instruction.

Answer keys included.

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Identify the main idea and three supporting events of the Civil Rights Movement.
Explain the significance of Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the March on Washington.
Define key vocabulary terms such as segregation, discrimination, boycott, and unconstitutional.

Teaching tips

Assign Level A or Level B based on reading ability; both cover the identical timeline and vocabulary.
Use the 'ticket out the door' quizzes as a quick daily formative check after each reading section.
Pair the main-idea organizer with the multiple-choice quiz to check comprehension from two angles before the writing prompt.

Skills covered

Main idea and supporting details — students complete a graphic organizer identifying the movement's main idea and three supporting events.
Text structure analysis — students circle headings and box subheadings across two passage versions.
Vocabulary in context — students match eight Civil Rights-era terms, such as segregation, boycott, and unconstitutional, to their definitions.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How do the two passage levels differ?

Both walk through the same 1863-to-1968 timeline and vocabulary; Level B simplifies sentence structure and wording for an easier read.

What does the writing prompt ask students to do?

Describe two key Civil Rights Movement events — such as Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, or the March on Washington — and explain how each affected life in America.

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

CCSS.RI.5.2 — Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.RI.5.4 — Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
CCSS.W.5.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. c. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially). d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Core concepts

Civil Rights Movement
segregation and desegregation
main idea and supporting details
primary vocabulary in context

Topics

Civil Rights Movement history graphic organizers reading comprehension vocabulary

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Categories this resource belongs to

History Worksheets Social Studies Worksheets Elementary Worksheets 5th Grade Worksheets Worksheets & Printables Worksheets by Subject

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