Working Toward Justice: Learning about Legal Changemakers
Overview: Students will discuss individuals who have worked to effect legal change, and what those changes mean for their community, and our society. Depending on the age and interests of students, and resources in the community, introductions to changemakers in advance of the discussion could be made via picture book read aloud, independent research, or even personal interviews. Customize the lesson to your needs—the questions are meant to be broad, and work with picture books, research projects, or interviews.
Grade Level: Elementary-Middle grades
Time Needed: 30-90 minutes
Session Objectives:
- Identify, by way of introduction or research, at least one legal changemaker;
- Learn about the changemaker’s life and how they worked to change laws or influence policy;
- Consider how the legal changes shaped our community, society at large;
- Discuss at least one method of legal change from the changemaker’s story that could be applied historically or in students’ own time; and
- Identify practical steps toward achieving legal change in students’ own community.
Identifying Legal Changemakers: 3 Ways
- Picture Book Read Aloud
Younger students might learn from a picture book about a legal changemaker, and it could be read as a storytime, in person or virtual, by a community or school leader, with a discussion of the book to follow. A list of example picture books is provided below to facilitate selection.
- Independent Research
Older students may be able to independently research or otherwise identify legal changemakers. Consider assigning this work in advance of the discussion, or simply building time into the discussion to allow students to generate the changemaker ideas.
- Personal Interviews
Depending on the community where discussion is happening, students might have access to legal changemakers to conduct interviews or group conversations. Consider approaching local or state officials, lawyers, judges, rights advocates, or other individuals in the community who have been influential in effecting legal change locally, or in the state or nation.
Legal Changemaker Discussion Questions
Customize the discussion questions to suit class needs. Students who read picture books might respond to more general questions than students conducting research or interviews
- What (legal) change happened in the story? Who was involved?
- Who were the changemaker(s), or the change seeker(s)? Why were they seeking change?
- What steps did the changemaker(s) take to effect change?
- What challenges did they face? How did they overcome them?
- How did the legal change affect the individual(s)? How do you think they felt at important moments in the story? What clues help you think about this?
- Did the change affect people in a community, state, or the nation?
- Did the change inspire more changes?
- How did the change relate to the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, other constitutional amendments?
- How does the change shape our society? How does the change contribute to the rule of law within our society?
- What methods were used to effect change? Can you see these methods being used at other times in history? To effect more changes today?
- What legal changes would you like to see in your school or community?
- What practical steps could you take toward achieving that change?
Suggested Legal Changemaker Picture Books
All of these picture books are available at local libraries, or for purchase at Amazon or other book retailers. YouTube also offers video read alouds for many picture books, simply search the title and see what appears.
General Nonfiction for Young Children
Beaty, Andrea, Sofia Valdez, Future Prez, Abrams, 2019.
Cronin, Doreen, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, Atheneum, 2012.
Glass, Russell, Voting with a Porpoise, Books with a Porpoise, 2018.
Bharara, Preet, Justice Is…, Crown Books for Young Readers, 2022.
Individuals and Historic Moments
Atkins, Laura, Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, Heyday, 2017.
Becker, Helaine, An Equal Shot: How the Law Title IX Changed America, Henry Holt, 2021.
Brimmer, Larry Dane, Without Separation: Prejudice, Segregation, and the Case of Roberto Alvarez, Calkins Creek, 2021.
Cham, Stephanie, Patsy Mink, Capstone, 2018.
Krull, Kathleen, No Truth Without Ruth: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harper, 2018.
Krull, Kathleen, The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America, Atheneum, 2020.
Kulling, Monica, Susan B. Anthony: Her Fight for Equal Rights, Random House, 2020.
Kurtz, Jane, Martin’s Dream, Simon & Schuster, 2008.
O’Neill, Alexis, Jacob Riis’s Camera: Bringing Light to Tenement Children, Calkins Creek, 2020.
Robbins, Dean, Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote, Alfred Knopf, 2016.