KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Learning Resource Guide

Overview: Based on the biography by Jim Kershner of the same name, Carl Maxey: A

Fighting Life is the inspiring life story of a man who changed attitudes about civil and gender

rights in Eastern Washington. He was a tireless fighter for racial equality and justice on the

state and national level.

Subjects: History, Pacific Northwest History, Civil Rights, Education, Activism, Geography,

Civics

Grade Levels: 6-9

Materials: Lesson handouts, laptops for research, poster paper for timeline project, images,

website links for reference:

Civil Rights Collection: https://ksps.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/civil/ - .WiGy-hNSzEY

National Archives Docs Teach: https://www.docsteach.org/topics/rights

Documentary Segments: http://www.pbs.org/video/ksps-documentaries-carl-maxey-

fighting-life/extras/

Learning Guide Objectives:

Discover key terms in relation to the themes of Civil rights, Activism, and History using

glossaries, dictionaries, and other resources.

Compare and Contrast major events during Carl Maxey’s lifetime with the national

Civil Rights movement happening during the same time period.

Use critical thinking to reflect on the film by writing in a journal or forming an essay.

Vocabulary terms: under-dog, restrict, segregate, excel, community, challenge, protest,

activism, reputation, justice system, civil rights movement, transition, accomplish Washington State Social Studies Standards

EALR 4: HISTORY: 4.2. Understands and analyzes causal factors that have shaped major events in history. EALR 4: HISTORY: 4.3: Understands that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of historical events. EALR 1: CIVICS: 1.4 Understands civic involvement EALR 5: SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS: 5.1: Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate positions. EALR 5: SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS: 5.2: Uses inquiry-based research. Common Core English Language Arts Anchor Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2: Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally

Cultural Connections Black History Month (February), International Day of Tolerance (November)

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Preview (Before the film)

This section will prepare students for the content and vocabulary they will encounter in

the film.

Prior to viewing the film, show students this visual to spark a discussion that will lead into

breaking down vocabulary they may encounter in the film.

Photo from Black Spokane: The Civil Rights Struggle in the Inland Northwest by Dwayne A. Mack

Sample questions to solicit discussion about the photo

What do you see?

What is happening in the pictures?

Who is in the pictures?

Where do you think these pictures were taken?

When do you think these pictures were taken?

Extension Students turn the discussion into a writing prompt for a journal entry describing

what is happening in the photo.

After viewing the film or segments, return to the photo to see if students have a different

take on what is happening in the photo.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Graphic Organizer/Vocabulary Development

Terms Places

Under-dog Gonzaga University

Restricted (Restrict) Sacred Heart Mission, De Smet, ID

Segregated (Segregate) Spokane Children’s Home

Excelled (Excel) Spokane Club

Community Mississippi

Challenged (Challenge) Seattle

Protest

Activism

Reputation

Justice System

Civil Rights Movement

Transition

Accomplish

Using the Freyer Model, Students will each choose a term or place and dissect it for its

meaning and/or importance creating a

class glossary to refer to for the

documentary.

Students will randomly choose a term

from the list that has been cut up in

squares and shuffled OR they may be

assigned at random by the teacher.

Students will become experts in their

chosen term or place with this

investigation. Students will complete the

fields in the Frayer model by finding the

definition, creating a sentence with the

definition, looking for a synonym, and

illustrating the term.

Extension

Students can pair/group share after completing their models discussing what they

learned about their term.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Name Date

Person

or Place

New

Know

ledge

( someth

ing new I learned

)

Prior Know

ledge

(w

hat I alread

y know)

PIC

TU

RE

F

acts

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

WO

RD

SE

NT

EN

CE

D

EF

IN

IT

IO

N

PIC

TU

RE

S

YN

ON

YM

Name Date

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

During the Film

Prepare students to look for specific content in the film with guiding questions OR an

observation worksheet they can complete while viewing the film.

Ask students to use these questions to help them understand who Carl Maxey is and

how he connects to Spokane and Washington State. Worksheets follow this section

and can be edited to fit needs of the students and classroom.

Guiding Questions

Who is Carl Maxey?

How does Carl feel about his time at the Spokane’s Children’s home?

Was Spokane similar or different in how it treated its citizens who were minorities

compared to other places?

Do you think Fr Byrnes helped Carl by taking him to a place where he was no

longer the only person of color?

Was Fr Byrnes an influence on Carl’s life?

How do sports help Carl as a young man?

Why does Carl study law?

Is there an event or events you think impacted him?

How does Carl use his practice to help people?

Who does he seek out to help?

What places does Carl travel to in his career?

Themes Students will look for specific themes within the film and write where they viewed the

themes in the film. The segments where themes are represented are in the right column

next to the coordinating theme. Segments are listed on the last page of this guide and

are useful if the whole film will not be viewed to focus on certain themes/contexts.

Themes Segments

Civil Rights 2, 7, 9

Overcoming Adversity/ Perseverance 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10

Community 3, 6, 9

Advocacy 3, 5, 7, 8

Activism/Civic Involvement 6, 7, 9

ELL considerations

Instead of watching the whole film, pick 2 segments that best fulfill the objectives of the

unit. Focus on vocabulary building and exploring one overall theme with discussion

which can build into a journal writing assignment.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Your Name:

Documentary Name:

(What’s the title)

List the Activities, Objects, People, and Places you see in the film.

People Places Activities

Write one sentence summarizing the video

Analyzing the Film Worksheet 1

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Your Name:

Documentary Name: (What’s the title)

Think about these questions as you are watching the video.

Who is Carl Maxey?

How does Carl feel about his time at the Spokane’s Children’s home?

Was Spokane similar or different in how it treated its citizens who were minorities

compared to other places?

Do you think Fr Byrnes helped Carl by taking him to a place where he was no longer the

only person of color?

Is Fr Byrnes an influence on Carl’s life?

How do sports help Carl as a young man?

Why does Carl study law?

Is there an event or events you think impacted him?

How does Carl use his practice to help people?

Who does he help?

What places does Carl travel to in his life?

What is one question you would ask Carl?

Analyzing the Film Worksheet 2

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Post-Film Viewing

This section consists of one culminating project and a reflection essay.

Part 1 is a project that will partner students in pairs or groups to make parallel timelines

showing local and national events that compare and contrast key events and places

during Carl Maxey’s lifetime.

Part 2 asks students to reflect on the major themes in the film using a standard 5-

paragraph essay format or a less formal journal entry timed-write using discussion

questions as writing prompts.

Timeline Project Students will create a collaborative parallel timeline with key events that

compare and contrast local and national events to explore the themes

during periods of Carl’s li fe which will include didactics (captions) and

visuals to explain the events.

Students will use notes from watching the fi lm, research images from the

national archives and PBS Learning, the class glossary, maps, drawings,

and/or the library to provide the content they will add to their timeline.

Students will write a 2-4 sentence caption below the images chosen to mark

the spot on the timeline also noting where they sourced the information.

Then, once completed students will present their projects to the class

explaining the comparisons and noting differences between what was

happening in Maxey’s life and events happening nationally.

Note: Before beginning the project, show examples of what a timeline is using

examples from text books and a search engine to give students an idea of what a

timeline looks like. Discuss what students know about timelines and how they can be

useful with the information they show.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Project steps

1. Divide the time from Maxey’s birth to his death or current times into about five

critical periods (think of how many groups you have in the class). Then, assign

each period to a group where they will work on the timeline together.

a. For example: the different periods could be assigned as 1924-1937, 1938-

1948, 1949-1960,1960-1970, etc. Each group would research the period

assigned looking for local and national events to mark as significant to

share on their timeline. Once complete, the students will combine their

posters to make one timeline that juxtaposes the local and national

events.

2. Once groups or pairs are assigned, students will brainstorm the content they think

is most important for the timeline. Timelines should exhibit at least 4-6 events

each locally and nationally.

3. Then students will research images for ideas of what to include for the points on

the timeline they have chosen. Students can either print images or draw what

they would like to represent for that point.

4. After points and images have been chosen. Students will write 2-3 sentences

that describe the point and image on the timeline they have chosen.

5. Timeline points, images, descriptions are ready to be added to the poster for the

finished product.

6. Ask each group to share and explain one point on their timeline identifying what

similarities and differences they noticed for that event and why they think it is

important.

Extension

Students can discuss as a class or in groups where they see influences of national events

affecting Carl’s life.

Students can tie events together with focusing on a specific theme and write a

paragraph as an exit ticket about what they thought was an impactful theme.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Timeline Project Brainstorm

What’s your topic?

Use the spaces in the chart or back of this paper to brain storm the time and events you

think are important and should be on your timeline

Date or Period of Time Local Event National Event

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

What happened and When You will be making a Timeline that shows important events that happened in Carl

Maxey’s life and what was also happening around the United States during the same

time period.

For example, some points for one period may look like this:

1924-1937

Sources: https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/segregation-era.html https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-rights-act/segregation-timeline.html http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/depwwii/race/ Civil Rights Focused National Events from the Library of Congress archives http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/20/us/carl-maxey-73-spokane-civil-rights-lawyer.html NYTimes Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life Documentary

1930 Carl Maxey moves to Spokane

Carl moves from Tacoma after being adopted by a couple in Spokane and later orphaned.

1930s NAACP launched a legal campaign against de jure (according to law) segregation, focusing on inequalities in public education.

1924

1937

LOCAL EVENTS

NATIONAL EVENTS

1936

Maxey is expelled from the Spokane Children's Home. The board had decided they no longer wanted "colored children". This was recorded in the meeting's minutes.

1929 The Great Depression Starts

This caused great economic strife in the country hitting every race and class but really affecting African Americans especially.

Many people lost their jobs and ways they were used to living. Race violence and discrimination became more common.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Materials: You will need a brainstorm worksheet, poster board, tape or glue, markers or

pens, and images that you have researched. (Use books, notes from watching the

documentary, search engines, articles, etc. to find information to support your captions

and images on your timeline.)

Instructions:

1. Find your group or partner that your teacher assigned with the topic.

2. Brainstorm with your group or partner the most important events and places you

think should be on your timeline. Pick 4-6 events that you think should be on your

timeline. Make sure you note the year next to the event.

3. Next, research images that you think best represent the events you have chosen

for your timeline. Images could be an object, a photo or an image you draw.

4. Use the library, any class resources, or internet searches to help you find images.

5. Once you have your events and images you will write a short description to

caption each event/image, 2-4 sentences explain its importance.

a. Use key vocabulary from the preview activities before the film where it

applies (under-dog, restrict, segregate, excel, community, challenge, protest,

activism, reputation, justice system, civil rights movement, transition,

accomplish)

b. Here are some sample sentence frames to start your captions:

i. ______ is important because ______________.

ii. __________ made an impact when ________________.

iii. ____________ is similar to Carl Maxey’s life event of ______________

because ________________________ .

6. Finally, you are ready to put together your timelines on a poster. Include

a. Year

b. Image

c. Caption

d. Source

7. Present to the class and explain why you chose the events for your timeline.

Pick 2 points to compare (1 local and 1 national), share at least 1 reason they

are similar and at least 1 reason they are different.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

Reflection Journal/Essay This task could form a journal entry or become an essay.

Variations could start this as group discussion focusing on these questions leading to an

essay or journal write.

Discussion questions for writing topics:

What moments stand out most to you that had an impact on Carl’s life?

How do you think his work helped shape Spokane today?

Carl used sports to help himself succeed, do you think you can be successful in

sports and help people at the same time?

Can you relate the events that happened while Carl was alive to current events?

ELL Considerations Focus on vocabulary and key places using discussion, visuals, and opportunities to write.

Encourage journal writing and connection to prior knowledge using personal stories

from students’ cultures to connect themes and events within the documentary.

Use the segments as medium to express specific themes as an alternative to viewing

the entire film.

KSPS Learning Resource Guide | 2017 | Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

DOCUMENTARY Segments

Carl Maxey: A Fighting Life

SEGMENT 1: Carl Maxey “Type A Gandhi”

Despite humble beginnings, Carl Maxey became a key figure in the civil rights

movement in Spokane and the Pacific Northwest.

SEGMENT 2: Spokane’s Own Form of Segregation

Though not as overt as the Jim Crow South, Spokane had its own form of segregation

that affected the African-American community.

SEGMENT 3: The Jesuit Connection

In 1936, Father Burns of the Sacred Heart Mission sent Carl Maxey from Spokane

Children’s Home to the Reservation School in De Smet, ID for a better education.

SEGMENT 4: Power Players in Spokane

Carl Maxey worked at the Spokane Club during his Gonzaga Prep days. The club’s

members were rich, powerful, and white. The workers were African-American and

could not become members.

SEGMENT 5: Fighting for Double Victory

During WWII Carl Maxey served in a segregated military as a medic, fighting for his

country overseas and against racism back home.

SEGMENT 6: Spokane’s First African-American Lawyer

In a significant first, Carl Maxey was the first African-American to pass the bar exam in

Eastern Washington, allowing him to challenge the status quo using the courts.

SEGMENT 7: Voter Rights Freedom Summer

In the summer of 1964 (“Freedom Summer”), Carl Maxey traveled to Mississippi and

worked to release 100 protesters from jail.

SEGMENT 8: Seattle 7 Defense

During the height of the Vietnam War, seven protesters were arrested for damaging

federal property in Seattle. Carl became part of their defense team.

SEGMENT 9: City Leaders Look to Maxey

Established and upcoming leaders looked to Carl Maxey for inspiration and guidance in

race relations in the community of Spokane and Washington State.

SEGMENT 10: A Fighting Legacy

Upon Carl Maxey’s death, Spokane lost a civil rights champion but his legacy of fighting

for those in need and his contributions to civil rights lives on.