Justifying Rebellion: Planning Your Argument

Marsha·

Civil Disobedience

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At a Glance

SubjectCivil Disobedience

Original Prompt

I need a handout on planning an argument using the question "when is it right to rebel against a law?" This should reference "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by King, as well as incorporate a current event.

This learning resource focuses on synthesizing perspectives from Henry David Thoreau and Martin Luther King Jr. regarding the concept of civil disobedience. It sets out to help students evaluate the conditions under which civil disobedience is justified, using Thoreau's emphasis on conscience and King's distinction between just and unjust laws. The resource includes excerpts from their works, a dual-coding comparison, a visual analysis of nonviolent protest, and modern applications related to environmental activism. Students will also engage in argumentation and reasoning about when it is right to rebel against a law, encouraging critical thinking on moral responsibility and social justice in relation to historical and contemporary movements.