When Morris Dees was a young man in Alabama, the law said that black people couldn't drink from the same water fountain as white people, or sit at the same lunch counter. Back then, the government created and sanctioned divisions between human beings. The Civil Rights Movement changed all of that, of course, and ended state-mandated apartheid in America. But "Prom Night in Mississippi" serves as a powerful reminder that, despite those gains, many Americans live segregated lives. The film tells the story of children at Mississippi's Charleston High School, who receive a challenge from Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman: Are they willing to end the community's longstanding tradition of holding segregated proms? "Prom Night in Mississippi" is at once heart-breaking and inspiring. Harsh lessons of division and racial intolerance infect the lives of Charleston High's students. This teacher's guide is designed to help make the film an even more powerful and transformative experience for students. These lesson plans support the development of higher-order thinking skills and draw upon students' prior knowledge and life experiences. They support the use of small groups, pointing students toward a shared goal and building a sense of community in the classroom. This guide is aligned to core standards and benchmarks and purposefully supports the acquisition of key skills and knowledge in multiple subject areas, from language arts to U.S. history to civics to mathematics. It places particular emphasis on adolescent literacy. (Contains 5 resources.)