Lesson Plan

How does identity turn into a movement?

Warm-Up

How would you describe yourself to a complete stranger? What sort of words or labels might you use?

Review 

Nationalism

• Characteristics: Unified people with a distinctive language, ethnicity, or culture
• People’s loyalty shifts from their king to their nation. 
• Historical Origins: originates from the French Revolution, and the idea that each nationality should have its own government; Enlightenment ideals – A change in IDENTITY – how they viewed themselves

Ask students “What is nationalism” and create a list of what it is and isn’t. 

• Discuss the critical attributes of nationalism. 
• Valuing a collective identity based on history, language, and/or ethnicity
• Believing that a certain group of people is bonded together by that shared identity
• Placing loyalty to a defined nation above loyalty to other groups or individual interests
• Making political demands, especially for an independent state, for the nation.

Teacher identifies the forms of nationalism – Cultural, Political, Religious

• A cultural nationalist movement is an effort to rediscover, preserve, or reinvigorate the traditions of a nation (i.e., Marcus Garvey and the Pan-Africanism Movement)
• A political nationalist movement is a political struggle by a national group for statehood or autonomy within a larger political group (i.e., Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza)
• A religious nationalist movement associates religion with POLITICS, often POLITICIZING religion (i.e., white Christian nationalists) 

VISUAL DISCOVERY

Students will complete a Visual Discovery to think about RELIGIOUS nationalist movements in the current age by exploring white Christian nationalism using #capitolseigereligion.

• Using any of the popular social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) search the hashtag, #capitolseigereligion.  Identify some of the imagery that is displayed and jot down some recurring themes you observe.
• Share out: What were some recurring themes you noted among the images you found? How do they connect to religious nationalism?

Read Peter Manseau’s column in the Washington Post on #capitolseigereligion. 

White Christian Nationalism: Connecting the Past to the Present 

• Evangelical Christian patriots defending the country’s Christian identity.
• Attack on religion – which they believe is the foundation of the country
• Believes the government should acknowledge and revere Christian, cultural heritage and do everything it can to keep it intact.
• The threat of political power being removed by varying catalysts (i.e., civil rights legislation, immigration policy, etc.)
• Some of their ideology is steeped in conspiracy theories.

GROUP WORK

Place the class in two groups. Both groups should watch/read the assigned text and answer the question: What happens when white Christian dominance feels threatened?

• Group 1: Watch the PBS video “Klansville U.S.A.: The KKK in 1960s NC”
• Group 2: Read the Vox article “What the history of the Ku Klux Klan can teach us about the Capitol riot”

After 12-15 minutes, bring the groups back together to share with full group and discuss. 

CLOSING

Return to the essential question: How does identity turn into a movement?

Ask students to consider where else they see this happening. 

Kenya Beard teaches history at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and was a 2020-21 ICJS Teacher Fellow. She describes herself as “a 45-year-old Black, Christian woman who has overcome numerous obstacles in my short life  to build a pillar of humility, strength, and determination to be better each and every day.”