Strategy Choices

This worksheet engages students in Grades 6 and 7 as they build analytical writing, historical reasoning, persuasive explanation, and critical comparison skills through an examination of Civil Rights Movement strategies. Students explore two contrasting approaches-nonviolence and self-defense-and write brief, thoughtful explanations explaining which method they believe was more effective, using reasoning grounded in historical context and evidence.

Skills Reinforced

• Analytical & Comparative Writing (Grades 6-7) – Students compare opposing strategies and clearly explain similarities, differences, and effectiveness.
• Historical Interpretation – Learners analyze real debates within the Civil Rights Movement and consider why different approaches emerged.
• Critical Thinking – The activity requires evaluation of moral messaging, public perception, safety, and long-term impact.
• Civic Understanding – Students gain insight into different advocacy methods and how strategy choices influence social change.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with middle school ELA, social studies, and civics standards.
• Encourages Reasoned Argument – Prompts push students beyond opinion toward evidence-based explanation.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Suitable for independent work, discussion-based lessons, small groups, or assessment.
• Supports Developing Writers – Short-response format helps students practice clarity, organization, and justification.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready to use in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This Strategy Choices worksheet helps students think deeply about how change happens and why strategy matters. By comparing nonviolence and self-defense within a historical framework, learners strengthen analytical writing, critical thinking, and historical understanding. It’s a meaningful resource for classrooms and homeschool environments focused on thoughtful discussion and evidence-based reasoning.

This worksheet is part of our Civil Rights Movement Worksheets collection.