The site I examined and found the most useful for my unit was Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators.The reason this web site is so helpful both to teachers and to students is that everything you need for both lessons and student extension information is right there.  I am using speeches,as well as books, in my unit.  The speeches I am using are Abraham Lincoln's  The Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream and lastly, Sojourner Truth's speech Ain't I A Woman. All of these speeches and biographical information about all the speakers can be found on this site.

My Generalizations for my unit were as follows:

1)Having the courage to do the right thing does not mean you will be liked (especially important for middle schoolers).

2)You do not need to fight for your own freedoms- you can stand up for others and their rights too.

3)The courage and bravery needed to fight for freedom comes from within.