Youth Movements that Created Real Change

In this activity, you will:

• explore how young people have shaped history by speaking out and taking action
• research and analyze a real-world movement
• explain how youth movements create change

• Multipart Activity

• Youth Movements Research Organizer (Google Slides). Print, download, or type directly into the chart by making a copy.

Learn About a Historic Youth Movement

Start by watching The Lens of Change video above, about a photograph by George Rodriguez that captured youth walking out of their high school in 1968 to protest unfair conditions in their school. They wanted better education, more respect for their culture, and equal opportunities.

Next, read About the East Los Angeles Walkouts to learn more about this movement.

Questions

Discuss or reflect on the following questions about the Walkouts:

• What role did youth play?
• What were students trying to accomplish? What did they want to change?
• What actions did the students take?
• What were some of the outcomes of the Walkouts?

Choose a Youth Movement to Research

Young people are not just part of the future—they are powerful in the present. The students in 1968 proved that their voices mattered. As you learn about other movements, think about your own voice and the impact it can have.

You will be researching and presenting about a youth movement that brought about real change, either from the past or one that’s happening today. It could have happened in your community or somewhere else. Or, you could select one of the movements that Ollie, Sid, and Alex talked about in the video: White Rose Movement or Tinker v. Des Moines. Here are some other examples:

• Student protests during the Civil Rights Movement
• Anti-war student activism
• Climate change school strikes
• Indigenous rights youth movements
• Black Lives Matter youth activism
• LGBTQ+ student advocacy
• Chicago School Boycott of 1968

Make sure the movement you select to research has the following characteristics:

• Youth play an important role in originating and organizing the movement.
• The movement has a clear and focused purpose or specific goals that revolve around a social, political, or cultural issue.
• The youth are pushing boundaries or resisting against the way “things have always been.”
• The movement includes visible, collective actions that put pressure on decision-makers. Examples could include campaigns, protests, or strikes.

Research Your Selected Youth Movement

Use a library and/or online research to answer the following questions about the youth movement you chose. Use the Youth Movements Research Organizer (Google Slides) to take notes. Print, download, or type directly into the chart by making a copy.

• What issue did the movement focus on?
• Who were the young people involved?
• What actions did they take (walkouts, protests, social media campaigns)?
• Were the students successful in making their voices heard, and if so, how did they do it?
• To what extent did building solidarity (unity and mutual support around a common cause) matter?
• What challenges or risks did they face?
• What changes did they achieve? What kind of impact did they have for future generations (if any)?
• How did they build solidarity across different people/groups?

Be sure to gather specific details, examples, and (if possible) images or quotes.

Present On Your Selected Youth Movement

Create a presentation that compares what you learned about the youth movement you researched with the East LA Walkouts. Choose one of the following formats for your presentation:

• Slide presentation
• Photo essay
• Poster or infographic
• Short video or mini-documentary
• Podcast or audio recording
• Social media post

Make sure your presentation includes the following information:

• A clear explanation of the movement you researched
• Key facts and important details
• An analysis of how the movement created change
• Visual elements (images, video, drawings, etc.) that illustrate the movement
• Optional: If you can find an interview or another primary source from the movement, include a quote in your presentation that helps to tell the story of what happened.
• A comparative analysis of the movement you researched with the East LA Walkouts. For each case, consider the following questions: What actions and strategies help a movement grow and succeed? What actions help student voices be heard? How important is it for students to work together?
• Conclude with your answer to the question: “Why are young people powerful in creating change?”

A cultural and political identity that emerged from the Mexican American civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Some Mexican Americans use this term to describe themselves, but not all.

A network or group of people, sometimes living in a particular place, who share interests, values, characteristics, responsibilities, or physical spaces.

Actions stemming from conscious or unconscious prejudice, which favor and empower one group over others based on differences of race, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, language, age, national identity, and other categories.

Unity, mutual support, and shared responsibility among individuals or groups around a common cause.