Subject Area
Class Calendar Length
Year Long
Grade Levels
11, 12
Prerequisites
None
Class Schedule
Mon., Tue., Thu. 10-10:40 am
Dual Enrollment
3 college credits (American International College)
Course Description
This course explores the rise, progression, and efficacy of various social protest movements fighting for civil liberties and civil rights throughout the United States. Beginning with the core ideology and methodologies of protest, students examine the historical underpinnings of specific groups to analyze their triggering circumstances, key leaders and organizations, implemented measures, and overall effectiveness.
By evaluating constitutional and legal decisions at state and national levels, learners investigate the critical gap between the promise and reality of rights, ultimately gaining a deep, comprehensive appreciation for the complex and challenging histories shaping our modern democratic society today.
Key Outcomes
- Trace the evolution of civil liberties through major 20th and 21st-century protests.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of various social movement methodologies.
- Construct persuasive legal and civic arguments regarding modern civil rights.
Mass. State Standards
- HSS.NML.T1.04: Media Literacy (Analyzing government control and censorship)
- HSS.GOV.T1.05: Civic Society (Analyzing the value of voluntary citizen participation)
- HSS.GOV.T1.09: Democratic Realities (Efforts to narrow discrepancies in political life)
About the Instructor
Oris T. Bryant is a veteran educator at the Noble and Greenough School, where he has spent sixteen years teaching social science and humanities to students in grades nine through twelve. Originally from Mattapan, Oris holds a degree in Law and Public Policy from Brown University and earned his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School.
Before entering education long ago, he practiced corporate law, a background that now informs his work advising student groups like the Mock Trial club. Beyond the classroom, Oris is a key member of his school diversity and inclusion department, dedicated to fostering student legal advocacy.