December 2, 2002

METING JUSTICE
Exploring the Murder of Emmett Till

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  American History, Civics, Language Arts

Related New York Times Article
"A Hate Crime That Refuses to Give Up Its Ghosts, By RICK BRAGG", December 2, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students will learn about the murder case of Emmett Till and identify the missing pieces from the case. Through research, they will then work to fill in the gaps to create a basis for examining how justice might be served anew in this controversial murder.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Examine the meaning of justice by analyzing a quotation from Greek philosopher Plato.
  2. Explore the forty-seven year-old murder case of Emmett Till by reading and discussing the article, "A Hate Crime That Refuses to Give Up Its Ghosts."
  3. Research issues surrounding Emmett Till's murder, including statute of limitations and alternate theories of how the crime was committed.
  4. Reflect upon their personal beliefs about justice and honor as outlined by Emmett Till's case.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Students respond to the following prompt in their journals, written on the board prior to class: "The Greek philosopher Plato said: What I say is that 'just' or 'right' means nothing but what is in the interest of the stronger party. What does this statement mean to you? Give an example to illustrate your reasoning." After a few minutes, allow students to share their responses. Then discuss the following: What does justice mean? What does it mean to be fair? How is justice served in the American criminal court system? How can people influence what is "just" or "right"? Give examples of how groups of people have helped to create an outcome or atmosphere where a certain action or behavior was unfair.
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article, "A Hate Crime That Refuses to Give Up Its Ghosts," focusing on the following questions:
    1. How does the author describe Money,Mississippi?
    2. What happened 47 years ago in the store described in the article?
    3. According to the author, what does the store look like?
    4. What happened to the white men who were accused of killing the boy?
    5. According to legend, why was Emmett Till murdered?
    6. Who is Mamie Till Mobley?
    7. Why does Mrs. Mobley enjoy living?
    8. For what image is this case known?
    9. Why is the case getting new attention?
    10. What discrepancies exist regarding the facts surrounding who killed Emmett Till?
    11. Why does Mrs. Mobley think Emmett was whistling?
    12. According to Keith Beauchamp, how many people were involved in Emmett's murder?
    13. According to Mr. Beauchamp, why did the black men participate in this crime?
  3. Divide the class into groups of four. Explain that each group will be researching the facts of Emmett Till's case by evaluating several different aspects of the case. This information will help the class to create a "master timeline," outlining the facts and theories surrounding Emmett Till's death.
    Each group should begin by completing the following assignment (written on the board or copied in a handout for easier student access):
    "Using the information in the article read in class, create a rough outline of the Emmett Till case, answering the following:After completing a rough outline on a large piece of paper, each group should brainstorm questions that will help them "fill in the blanks" to get a deeper understanding of Emmett Till's murder and a trial that led to no convictions.
    Next, ask students in each group to number off one to four. Ask all "1's" to take "Task 1," all the "2's" to take "Task 2," etc. Students may work on their tasks individually or in new groups. Then, after completing their tasks, students will report back to their original groups to share their findings before the large class discussion at the end of class.
    Task 1: In order to better understand the system that tried Emmett Till's case, look up the definitions for the following vocabulary words: statute of limitations, conviction, appeal, verdict, criminal court, due process, trial by jury, first-degree murder, sentence, plaintiff, defense. Using the information in the article, how do these terms apply to the case? Make as many connections as possible for each definition, and when applicable, list the facts of the case.
    Task 2: Research Mississippi's laws. What is the statute of limitation for murder? What laws could be used to reopen and retry Emmett Till's case? What circumstances determine the length of time for the applicable statute?
    Task 3: Research the trial of J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant. What was the verdict in their case? What were the arguments behind the verdict? Was this decision appealed? Why or why not?
    Task 4: The article mentions theories about other people being involved in Emmett's murder, as well as a reason why Emmett may have been whistling. Hypothesize and try to support through research alternative theories that might further develop the case.
    Once students have completed their task research, allow time for students to report back to their original groups to share their findings.
    Finally, as a class, revisit the rough outline of the case created by each group at the beginning of the lesson. Post the four group outlines on the walls of the classroom, then create a "master timeline" on the blackboard of the events gathered from the article, and allow each group time to "fill in the blanks" for the Emmett Till case. For multiple theories of what happened, include as many different ideas as possible. Use the definitions to help label and explain the different parts of the case. Discuss how the context in which this murder happened may have shaped the investigation, trial, and outcome of this particular case.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Individually, students will write a reflective essay examining their opinions about the Emmett Till case. Ask students to answer one or more of the following questions in their essays (written on the board for students to copy before leaving class): "Do you feel justice was or was not served? Why? What reparations, if any, should be made in memory of Emmett Till and in honor of the work his mother is doing? In this particular case, what would justice look like? What is the value of recognizing past crimes?"

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on thoughtful journal entries, thoughtful participation in class and group discussion, thorough completion of research and thoughtful completion of a reflective essay outlining their opinions about the Emmett Till case.

VOCABULARY:
petering, dapples, elicit, defies, rutabagas, martyr, lynching, abducted, evangelism, quarantine, cresting

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee and write a comparative essay studying the crime described in the article and the crime described in the novel.
  2. According to Chris Benson, a Chicago lawyer and writer cited in the article, "...the one name everyone remembers is Emmett Till ... It burned the race problem into our consciousness, the first international coverage, the fist real media event of the modern civil rights movement. And no one ever had to pay." Write an article exploring whether or not you think there is still a "race problem" today. Based on examples from your own personal experience, are there still problems between people of different ethnicities? Explain what the causes of these problems are, and propose some possible cures. Cite recent media events or court cases to support your argument.
  3. Create a poster illustrating the growth and success of a famous American civil rights organization, such as the NAACP, SNCC, SCLC, or CORE. Who began these organizations? What did they contribute to the civil rights movement? Are they still in existence? If so, how has their mission changed to meet the needs of modern times? If not, why did they fizzle out?
  4. Read "I Dream a World" by Brian Lanker. Choose a quotation stated by one of the African-American women profiled in the book, and write a personal statement based on that quotation. How do you relate to the author of this statement? What do these words mean to you? How can these words inspire or shape your life?
  5. Write a report explaining the purpose for statute of limitations. Why do different crimes have different statutes of limitations? How does each statute compare to murder? (Research crimes such as rape, arson, drugs, etc.) What are the minimum and maximum sentences for these crimes in your state?

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Global History- Write a research paper exploring the civil rights movement in a country different from your own. Who is involved? What are the major issues? How does this issue connect to larger global issues?

Journalism- Write a narrative news piece that illustrates the descriptive language used in the article, "A Hate Crime That Refuses to Give Up Its Ghosts." Submit your piece to your school or local newspaper.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

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