Famous Americans and the Fight for Human Rights (1930-1970) a Teaching Unit for PK-6 Students

Famous Americans and the Fight for Human Rights (1930-1970) A Teaching Unit for PK-6 students

Prepared By: Joy Daughtry, Gina Keesee, Melissa Bailey and Carolyn DiProspero

Submitted as Partial Requirement for ED E05 Elementary and Middle Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction Professor Gail McEachron, Fall 2010

Wikis: joydaughtry.wmwikis.net cgdiprospero.wmwikis.net mwbailey.wmwikis.net ginakeesee.wmwikis.net

Contents Historical Narrative ………………………………………………………………. 2 Map/Globe Skills Lesson: School Map for Eleanor Roosevelt , J. Daughtry ….. 9 Critical Thinking and the Arts : Art for Change , M. Bailey …………………… 17 Civic Engagement: Rosa Parks , G. Keesee ……………………………………... 25 Global Inquiry: Civil Rights in the 21 st Century , C. DiProspero ……………..... 33 Artifact #1 Separate But Equal (Visual Artifact), Prepared by M.Bailey……… 39 Artifact #2 Famous Americans and the Civil Rights Movement (Unpublished Document), Prepared by C.DiProspero ……………... 42 Artifact#3 An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement (Oral History/Intervew), Prepared by G. Keesee ……………………. 45 Artifact #4 Ruby Bridges (Published Document), Prepared by J. Daughtry………………………………………...….. 49 Assessments: Objective and Essay ………………………………………………. 52 Bibliography ……………………………………………………………………….. 57 Appendix A: National and State Standards ………………………...…………..... 60 Expenses ……………………………………………………………………………. 64

DiProspero 2 Introduction

The civil rights movement offers valuable learning experiences about United States history, famous Americans, and the value of equal rights for elementary students . During the decades spanning 1930-1970, America witnessed great social and political reform as a result of the civil rights movement. Events of this era led to monumental changes in America, which included desegregation of public places and, consequently , integration of public schools.

Today’s students are the future leaders and citizens that will protect the civil rights of the

American people. Students cannot prepare for this responsibility without learning about the controversial events that occurred during the civil rights movement.

Through the study of this important era, multiple National Content Standards,

National Standards of Art, and Virginia Standards of Learning are met (See Appendix A ). For example, numerous key people contributed to the changes that took place during this time period including Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., Ruby Bridges, and Eleanor

Roosevelt. Virginia Standards such as SOL 3.11 and 2.11 require that students understand the contributions that these leaders made to society. Several important court decisions and legislation transformed America; Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 are two of the most important (VUS 14.9).

Students also need knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s (VUS

11.9). Students should learn to identify the locations of key civil rights events such as marches

(VA SOL 3.4). Students also need to develop an understanding of the influence of the civil rights movements on the arts (VUS.1). It is imperative that all students understand the monumental significance of desegregation; equity of education, wages, and opportunities; and how these important changes relate to present day America.

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Key Ideas and Events

An understanding of the key events that fueled the civil rights movement is crucial when discussing the significance of this era. The central idea behind this period was equality for various minority groups, including African Americans and women, particularly through the use of non-violent means. The most recognized civil rights cause of the 1930 – 1970 period was that of African Americans, who remained second-class citizens 100 years after the abolition of slavery. While the civil rights movement inspired other minority groups such as Asian

Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, women, and homosexuals, to fight for civil rights, the focus of this unit will be on African-Americans.

The 1896 Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson established a “separate but equal” view on race relations that was widely accepted within American society up until the 1950s. The initial movement towards equality among whites and blacks came via the 1954 landmark

Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which reversed the “separate but equal” declaration and introduced the concept of integration (Hakim, 2006,). Despite this federal ruling, integration was not widely accepted, especially in the Deep South and civil rights icons Rosa

Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. faced an uphill battle in their search for equality. While spearheaded by several key leaders, the civil rights movement also saw the mass mobilization of everyday citizens who used sit-ins, marches and other forms of nonviolent protest to campaign for freedom, despite the often-violent reaction of their oppressors. This tactic was heavily inspired by Dr. King’s study of peaceful protestors including Henry David Thoreau and

Mohandas Ghandi. Ghandi had used ideas of non-violent protest and civil disobedience to successfully gain independence for India in the 1930s, (Hakim, 2006) and Dr. King hoped that he could apply similar tactics to the struggle for civil rights in America. DiProspero 4 These ideas were evident in the culminating March on Washington when over 200,000 people congregated at the National Mall in 1963 to see Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his iconic

“I Have a Dream” speech. (Hakim, 2006, Gogerly, 2004). The march remains the largest civil rights demonstration ever. Finally in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights

Act of 1964, ending segregation and outlawing racial discrimination in the United States

(Education Broadcasting Corp, 2005). The effects of the African American Civil Rights movement were widespread and international; Thurgood Marshall even counseled Kenyan leaders in their quest for independence from British colonialism in the 1960s (Riches, 2004).

Not only did this time see great change and growth in the rights of African Americans, other minority groups expanded their rights at this time as well. While women were granted the right to vote in 1920, they too remained unequal within the American social hierarchy. This resulted in a second wave of feminist activism, falling within the Civil Rights Era of 1930-1970.

This second movement was mainly concerned with issues of gender inequality (Zinn, 1980).

Encouraged by the progress of the African American Civil Rights Movement, women began to mobilize on behalf of their rights as well (Zinn, 1980). In 1960, President Kennedy established the national Commission on the Status of Women, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, an ardent supporter of universal civil rights. The Commission’s report found widespread discrimination against women in the workplace and suggested a variety of ways for improvement (PBS Online,

1999). Further, the 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed discrimination in employment on the basis of race and sex and established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to regulate and investigate alleged violations (Pearson Education Online, 2010). This foreshadowed a greater push for the expansion of women’s rights during the Women’s Liberation Movement of the

1970s.

The forty years of American history between 1930 and 1970 are remarkable for the great social change they oversaw, particularly the growth of civil rights for minority groups that were DiProspero 5 previously disenfranchised from American society. The gains for these groups, particularly

African Americans and women, make 1930-1970 an important area of study for all students.

Men, Women, Youth, and Children

The civil rights movement never would have succeeded without the strength, courage, and dedication of several key individuals: Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King,

Jr., Ruby Bridges, and Eleanor Roosevelt . In the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ,

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) lawyer Thurgood

Marshall led the case to a unanimous victory before the Supreme Court. A graduate of Howard

University Law School, Marshall focused his career on the African American struggle for civil rights. While in school he met Charles Hamilton Houston, the university’s dean and, consequently, the first African American to argue a case before the Supreme Court. He instilled in Marshall a belief that civil rights could only be achieved by changing the law. By age 53,

Marshall was widely known as “Mr. Civil Rights”; he had won 29 of the 32 cases he had argued before the Supreme Court. In 1967, Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Marshall as the first African

American Supreme Court Justice (Williams, 2002).

While Marshall was focusing on gaining civil rights from the safety of a courtroom, several people were standing up, or rather sitting down, in protest. After hearing of the arrests of teenagers Claudette Colvin and Mary Louise Smith, middle-aged seamstress and NAACP secretary Rosa Parks decided that if she were ever asked to give up her bus seat to a white person she would respond in the same way as the young girls: she would not move. After following through with her plan, quiet, unassuming, and respectable, Parks was the perfect icon to incense and inspire the African American community. When a previously planned boycott of

Montgomery City buses was announced, the community was riled and ready to act. What was originally planned as a one-day boycott lasted an incredible 382 days. On June 5, 1956 the DiProspero 6 Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of Parks, eventually leading to nationwide desegregation of public transportation (Davis, 2005).

In full support of Parks, and one of the forces charging the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Unlike Thurgood Marshall, he did not think that the courtroom was the only place to enact change (Gogerly, 2004). King believed in the power of protest, and unlike some of his contemporaries, such as Malcolm X, he pleaded for non-violence. King’s efforts culminated in the historic March on Washington . Attended by members of many different races, the March was an expression of America’s hope for a brighter, racially united future . In October of 1964, King received the Nobel Peace Prize for all of his work. Tragically,

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated 4-years later outside of his Memphis motel room on

April 4, 1968 (Gogerly, 2004).

As Marshall fought and King marched, a 6-year-old African American girl attended her first day at a desegregated New Orleans school in 1961. The only African American, and practically the only student, at William Frantz Elementary, Ruby Bridges had a private first- grade class with a young, white teacher named Barbara Henry. Almost everyday of that school year, Ruby was escorted through an angry mob of protesters and into the school by four U.S. marshals. She was the only student in her class, ate lunch alone, and was not allowed to go outside for recess. Her father lost his job and the strain eventually drove a wedge between her parents. Her plight touched the hearts and minds of people across America; author John

Steinbeck and artist Norman Rockwell both immortalized her in their work (Bridges, 1999) .

Another person who was touched by Ruby’s story was former First Lady Eleanor

Roosevelt; she wrote Ruby a letter encouraging her to persevere and commending her bravery

(Bridges, 1999). In her day, Roosevelt was a “new kind” of First Lady. She was not just a hostess to the White House, but an active member of its political business. Before Roosevelt, the role of the First Lady was that of a typical woman of society: to welcome guests and host parties. DiProspero 7 She volunteered constantly, held press conferences, wrote a newspaper column, and urged her husband to keep in mind the needs of youth, women, and minorities during the Great Depression.

An early supporter of universal civil rights, Roosevelt joined the Board of Directors of the

NAACP after her husband passed away in 1945. That same year, she was appointed by

President Truman as a delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN). In 1946 she was asked to serve on the Human Rights Commission of the General Assembly, and by 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights had been drafted and approved by the UN’s member nations. A direct result of the atrocities of World War II, it is major document, which outlines the rights that all human beings should be entitled to regardless of race, religion, citizenship, gender, age, or class. Roosevelt was an integral part of making this document a reality. She worked tirelessly for the rights of all Americans until her death in 1962 (Feinberg, 2003).

Legacy

The US civil rights movement symbolizes the continued hope for freedom and equality on which America was founded. Today, the civil rights era inspires others to continue the fight for equality around the world. Rights for women, Hispanics, homosexuals, and the elderly have been sought using the arsenal of strategies previously wielded by the iconic leaders of the US civil rights movement (Direnfield, 2008). The legacies of these strong leaders were honored during the 2009 election of the First African American President, Barack Obama.

Still, African Americans continue to struggle for equality in social, political and economic realms Sadly, some sources state that “one in three black men will end up in jail, on parole, or on probation,” perhaps due to continued racial profiling and economic disparity

(Dierenfield, 2008, pp.136-7). Despite improved educational opportunities after 1970, today’s schools are largely re-segregated due to busing schemes and “white flight” across school district lines (Birnbaum & Taylor, 2000; Dierenfield, 2008).In addition, Hispanic students also DiProspero 8 experience the same effects of discrimination created by self-segregation. As a result of the events of September 11 th 2001, Muslim Americans also struggle to protect their religious rights.

As future generations celebrate the achievements of the US civil rights movement, they must also answer modern movements’ call to fight. The continued struggle for equality highlights the need for every generation to rise up and embrace this responsibility.

DiProspero 9 Map/Globe Skills Lesson #1: School Map for Eleanor Roosevelt

Prepared by: Joy Daughtry Audience: Primary (Grades K-2) Specifically 1 st

Standards: 1.5 The student will construct a simple map of a familiar area, using basic map symbols in the map legend.

Objectives: 1) Given book, students will locate the White House on a map of the United States. 2) Given the modeling of the Daughtry map, the students will create a map of Matoaka Elementary that includes symbols, colors, and a legend.

Materials Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride; White House photograph, globe, laminated world map, US Map from Our World Then &Now , White House symbol, computer, projector, white board, markers, document camera, 2 copies of The Daughtry Map, multiple choice question, colored pencils, rulers, Blank Paper for all students and teacher

Time: Approximately 1 hour Space: Whole group (15-25 students)

Lesson Description: Anticipatory Set: Display U.S. map and point out the star that represents Washington DC. Also point out the legend. Explain what legend and symbol mean. Then, show the photograph and symbol of the White House (both attached). Place symbol on US map and tell students the White House is in Washington DC. Tell students that ER lived there and that it is where the read-aloud takes place. Read Eleanor and Amelia Go For A Ride . Afterward, discuss where Eleanor Roosevelt (ER) and Amelia went and how they needed maps to know where they were going in the story. Say ER also used maps to travel around the world. Show a globe and point out Japan. Then, display a map of the world with ER’s path from US to Japan labeled. (10 min)

Objective and purpose: Show the photograph of ER at a school in Japan (attached). Tell them that Eleanor visited schools like theirs and that they are going to make a map for ER. Explain that they will need to learn how to make a map with a legend. (1 min)

Instructional input: Take class on a short tour of the school and tell them to think about what they’d like to include on their maps. Afterward, list their ideas to create a class legend using a different color and symbol for each location. (13 min)

Check for Understanding: Ask students to raise hands to tell you what legend and symbol mean in their own words. Use thumbs up/thumbs down to check that each student a) knows what the legend is b) knows the symbol for each location. (1 min)

Modeling/Guided Practice: Display the outline map of a Daughtry Elementary school. Point out the legend. Use the legend to label the classroom on the map (attached). Then, ask the students to raise hands and help you label the map using the legend. Distribute blank Paper, rulers, and colored pencils. Display a blank piece of paper on the document camera. As you draw on your paper, ask the students to draw an outline of their school and the class legend. (10 min)

Independent practice: Ask students to label the map of the school using the class legend displayed on the white board. (15 min)

DiProspero 10 Closure: Partner students. Let students take turns showing places on their map while the other pretends to be ER. Tell all the students that they did a great job making maps for ER’s visit. Administer multiple choice question. (10 min)

Evaluation:

Formative: Ask students to tell you what a map, symbol and legend are in their own words. Show symbol of White House and ask students to tell what it stands for. Use thumbs up/thumbs down to assess student understanding of new concepts and directions. Watch for application of new knowledge during guided practice.

Summative: Student’s classroom map including legend and inclusion of each location in legend (See Appendix D for sample.) Attached multiple choice question.

Background: Eleanor Roosevelt was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife. She traveled around the world to help make life fair for everyone. She was the 1 st First lady to ride in an airplane. Amelia Earhart visited Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House and gave Eleanor a ride in an airplane. Symbol: “ a picture or thing that stands for something (Masoff, R11).” Map legend: “lists the symbols used on a map and tells what they stand for (Masoff, 57.)”

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Photograph of Eleanor Roosevelt visiting school in Japan, 1953

http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/teach-er-vk/documents/eleanorphotos/eleanor-japan.htm

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DiProspero 13 Map Symbols

Name______

Look at the Daughtry Map.

Circle the symbol below that represents the room:

a) B) c) d)

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Symbol of White House

DiProspero 15

White House Photograph

White House Tours, History of the White House, Tour of the White House, White House History

DiProspero 16 Sample Student Map

DiProspero 17 Critical Thinking and Artistic Creation (Lesson 2): Art for Change

Prepared by: Melissa W. Bailey Audience: Primary (Grades K- 2) Time: 1 hour Space: Whole group (15-25 students)

Standards: 1.13 The student will identify and describe works of art that communicate feelings, ideas, and information.

Objectives: 1. Given The Problem We All Live With, the students will discuss and analyze how art can be used to send a message. 2. Given discussion of Rockwell’s technique , students will paint their own pictures from photos.

Materials: The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles (See Figure 1) , The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell, Pictures from Home of Families and Friends, Pencils, Crayons, Watercolor Paints

Lesson Description: Introduction 1. Gather students in meeting area, tell them that today they are going to learn about a famous artist who painting an important event in American History and we are going to get to make a painting using his technique. 2. Display The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell (See Figure 2 & Figure 3) 3. (5 minutes) Without explaining anything, ask students: How many people are in the painting? ( Objective ) Who do you think these people are in the painting? ( Objective) What are the people doing? ( Objective) What other things do you see in the painting? (Objective) Write down predictions/inferences. Content Focus 4. (10 minutes) After developing predictions and inferences based on the painting, read The Story of Ruby Bridges to class. Discuss who Ruby Bridges was, pointing out that she was around the same age the students. 5. (2 min) Return attention to The Problem We All Live With. Review predictions, prompting them to notice that it is a picture of Ruby, guards surround her, and there is a rotten tomato thrown at her. 6. (4 min) Have students “Think, Pair, Share” about these questions: What does this painting make you think of? ( Reflective) , How would you feel if you were in the same situation as Ruby? ( Reflective). With younger students, make explicit that one student should share, and when the teacher says so the other student should share. 7. (5-10 min) All together discuss: Why do you think Norman Rockwell decided to paint this? ( Interpretive) Why do you think this painting is called The Problem We All Live With? (Interpretive) How would you describe what is being shown in this painting? ( Decisional) What was Norman Rockwell trying to tell us with this painting? ( Decisional) 8. (5 min) Explain Rockwell’s technique to students (See Background Information). Show Figure 3 and Figure 4. Also explain that he used to paint pictures of everyday people in everyday situations. Closure 9. Point out that this is the reason they were asked to bring pictures from home today. Just like Rockwell, they are going to paint pictures of everyday people by copying from a photograph. That is the purpose of the lesson to create art using Rockwell’s technique. DiProspero 18 10. (5 min) Explain that the students will make their paintings this way: First look at your picture and think of a name for your painting. Remind students how important the name is for The Problem We All Live With. Take out their picture and copy by looking, not tracing with pencil. Model this quickly. Then copy over lines in crayon (wax prevents watercolor paints from bleeding into each other). Model this. Then paint your picture using realistic colors. 11. (25 min) Give students a piece of thick watercolor paper and their personal set of watercolors, and let them work on their piece, collecting to let them dry when they are done. 12. (5 min) At the end of class distribute evaluative assessment below.

Formative Evaluation : Students are participating in discussion activities (raising hand, both sharing and listening in “Think, Pair, Share”). Students are on task and following directions while working on painting. Summative Evaluation: See attached questions. Student paintings reflect photographs.

Background Ruby Bridges and Segregation: Ruby Bridges was a 6-year-old first grader when she was passed a test allowing her to become the first African American student at William Frantz Elementary School. Before that only white students were allowed to go William Frantz, but when the Supreme Court said that it was not fair for African Americans and Whites to have to go to different schools, or to be segregated, African Americans were allowed to go to previously all- white schools. Segregation was an idea that it was okay for black and white people to have to be separated in public places: schools, restaurants, or buses, for example. While now we may think that sounds silly, lots of people thought that was okay for a very long time; in fact, some people grew very angry when the Supreme Court told them that segregation needed to end. People were very angry and afraid when they found out that Ruby would be going to school at William Frantz, so they made angry protest signs, yelled at her as she walked to school each day, and kept their children home from school. Ruby Bridges had to be escorted into school everyday by four U.S. Marshalls (who are like policemen) for most of first grade (See Figure 6). She was the only person in her class, ate lunch alone, and was not aloud to go outside for recess. These things were done both to keep her safe from the people who were angry and to keep her from interacting with the white children. Norman Rockwell : Norman Rockwell heard of Ruby Bridges, and 2 years later, painted The Problem We All Live With for the cover of Look magazine. Even though U.S. Marshalls were no longer escorting Ruby to school and people were no longer protesting against her, Rockwell used her story to show people how wrong it was to cling to segregation and discrimination. Rockwell used to paint magazine covers. He painted realistic pictures of everyday Americans in everyday situations. Later in his career, he began to take on political issues, like civil rights, in his paintings. To make his paintings he would first pose models, or take pictures of them, and make a charcoal drawing of the picture. Then he would copy his drawing onto a piece of canvas. Occasionally he would use a machine called a balopticon to project the image directly onto the canvas, and copy it from there. After he had a complete charcoal drawing, Rockwell would paint the picture using oil paints, which take a very long time to dry. Rockwell would do a lot of things to help his paintings dry quickly (like adding varnish in between layers of paint); these techniques ultimately shortened the overall life of his paintings. DiProspero 19 Assessment 1. (Read Aloud) Which picture uses Ruby Bridges to send a message about a problem that needed to be fixed?

a. b.

c. d.

2. What message is being sent?

______DiProspero 20

Figure 1. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford DiProspero 21

Figure 2. The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell (1964) Original Published for the cover of Look magazine

Figure 3. Cropped Version of The Problem We All Live With (Racial Slur is less visible, if teacher feels this is necessary) DiProspero 22

Figure 4. Completed Charcoal Drawing by Rockwell

Figure 5. Rockwell using a balopticon to project an image onto a canvas for copying DiProspero 23

Figure 6. Ruby Bridges entering school with U.S. Marshalls

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Example picture from home of everyday people in an everyday situation (actors in a rehearsal)

Example work of art based on picture from home DiProspero 25 Lesson #3: Rosa Parks Topic : Civil Rights, Biography, Civic Engagement Prepared by : Gina Keesee Grade level : 4 th , whole group/small group, 1 hour, 22 students Standards: Virginia Standards of Learning : USII.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to b) make connections between the past and the present; USII.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the key domestic and international issues during the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries by a) examining the Civil Rights Movement and the changing role of women; b) identifying representative citizens from the time period who have influenced America scientifically, culturally, academically , and economically; CE.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of citizenship and the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens by e) evaluating how civic and social duties address community needs and serve the public good National Social Studies Standards K-4: CIVIC IDEALS AND PRACTICES : Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic. National Standards for History K-4: Standard 4B : Demonstrate understanding of ordinary people who have exemplified values and principles of American democracy .

Objectives: 1) Given the biography, the lesson and the video, the students will write about how Rosa Parks’ actions influenced and contributed to the beginning of the Montgomery bus boycott. 2) Given class discussion, students will make linkages between the Civil Rights Movement, and contemporary race relations.

Materials : Rosa Parks costume, computer with internet access, blue and red stickers, Rosa Parks: Fight For Freedom book, Rosa Parks information: http://www.archives.gov/educational/lessons/rosa-parks/ , Montgomery bus boycott video: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USMontgomery

Lesson Description: Prior to lesson: Ask a fellow teacher to explain to the students that their teacher has stepped out and will return shortly. Enter room dressed as Rosa Parks and randomly hand out blue and red stickers. Briefly explain that students with blue stickers have to take their notebooks and stand in the back of the room. Ask students with red stickers to move to the front of the room. Tell the students in front that they are going to see a great video and view copies of Rosa Parks’ (me) arrest record and finger prints. After fielding questions, have all students return to their own desks, and have them share how they felt having to stand in the back of the room or being allowed to move to the front. Discuss these reflections as a class. Introduction: Introduce self as Rosa Parks, and ask probing questions to activate students’ prior knowledge. Examples: Does anyone know who I am? Does anyone know what I did to contribute to the Civil Rights Movement? Afterwards, indicate that books have been written about Rosa Parks (me), and show front cover, as well as pg. 23 with my hands handcuffed. Content focus: Show a three minute video clip about the Montgomery bus boycott, and the desegregation of buses. Use overhead projector to show the police documents of my arrest, my finger prints and the diagram of the bus where I was seated. Have students write a response to the video, as well as the police documents, and then have them partner up and share their responses and their thoughts. Introduce the concepts of civic duty, and contributing to the public good, and discuss how my civic engagement contributed to the Civil Rights Movement, and the desegregation of buses. Tell students that during this time period, African Americans were also segregated as to where they could eat, grocery shop, use the restroom, go to the movies, and go to church. Ask students to think of instances today where various groups are separated. Prompt them with examples such as the boys/girls bathroom, or the “teacher lounge” being only for teachers; give students a worksheet to complete with their ideas (see appendix A). Closure: Review “Rosa Parks,” and my contribution to the Montgomery bus boycotts, as well as my involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Collect their completed worksheets, and response journals to read at a later time. Exit the room and ask a fellow teacher to come in and explain to the students that their teacher will return in a moment.

DiProspero 26 Assessment: Formative: Note students’ responses during class discussions, as well as their discussion with their partners. Note student participation and contributions about the video and the police documents Summative: Multiple choice questions (please see attached). Read their response journals and worksheets.

Background information: Rosa Parks was born in 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. She was active in the NAACP in her area, and in 1955, she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man and was subsequently arrested and charged with “refusing to obey the orders of bus driver.” She enacted the help of the local preacher, Martin Luther King Jr., and thus began the Montgomery bus boycott, a peaceful demonstration that lasted for 381 day. Because of Rosa Parks’ civic engagement and standing up for herself as well as others, desegregation for buses was achieved. She became known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement,” and there is a street named in her honor in Montgomery, Alabama. She died in 2005.

Key concepts: • Boycott: refuse to have dealings with groups or refuse to buy as a means of protest. • Civic duty: responsibilities of a citizen for the greater common good. • Segregation: separations, exclusion, forbiddance. • Civil rights: absolute rights guaranteed by the constitution to every individual.

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Multiple choice assessment questions.

Circle the correct letter:

1) The reason behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott was: a) to buy newer buses b) no one would have to pay bus fare c) bus drivers wanted a pay raise d) desegregation of buses

2) Rosa Parks asked for Martin Luther King’s help with: a) starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott b) defending her in court c) her arrest and legal troubles d) starting a riot to protest

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Rosa Parks: Fight For Freedom

Rosa Parks having her fingerprints taken after her arrest on 1st December, 1955

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Bus diagram of where Rosa Parks sat.

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Copy of Rosa Parks’ fingerprints in 1955

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copy of police report in 1955

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Appendix B

Please answer the following questions:

1) List what public places were segregated during the Montgomery Bus Boycott time period:

2) Is there still separation among different groups of people today? Is this separation negative? If so, how would you change this, or make it positive?

DiProspero 33 Lesson Plan #4: Civil Rights in the 21 st Century Standards: Era 10 Standard 2C The student understands changing religious diversity and its impact on American institutions and values.

Era 10 Standard 2E The student understands how a democratic polity debates social issues and mediates between individual or group rights and the common good. Intended Audience : Heterogeneous sixth grade classroom. Students will have previous knowledge of the Civil Rights Era in American History, particularly in respect to the political, economic and social aspects of this time period. Behavioral Objectives : 1) Students will watch a video on the Brown v. Board of Education ruling and it’s effects. They will then discuss the video and make connections to modern day civil rights issues. 2) Given research opportunities, students will research a question they have about civil rights in modern America and answer the aforementioned question, citing data from legitimate sources with 100% participation 3) Students will complete a worksheet detailing their research findings and synthesize this information into an essay, connecting their issue to the African American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

Materials : - Computers - Whiteboard/markers - Hard copies of NY Times Magazine article - Worksheet for students to record research on

The Lesson : Day 1 Catalyst : Have students watch the video “Separate is not Equal” (http://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/videos#brown-vs-board-of-education- separate-is-not-equal ) Since students will be familiar with major themes of the Civil Rights Movement, lead them in a discussion of the Separate but Equal theory, the Brown vs. Board of Ed ruling and the way it was received. Ask students the following questions, “What was the basis for this discrimination? Why do you think many people wanted to believe that separate was equal? Why do you think a movement arose to oppose this long-held belief?” Answers will be handled with careful consideration since this is a sensitive issue. They will be recorded either on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper magnified via document camera for the entire classroom to see.

Content focus : After students discuss the separate but equal debate, transition the discussion to a focus on contemporary America. Ask students, “Do you see forms of discrimination in modern day America? What issues do we have in our society today that could resemble the issue African American civil rights posed in the 1950s and 1960s? What questions do you have about contemporary discrimination or civil rights issues in our society?” The ensuing discussion will likely yield a range of opinions and personal preferences. Each suggestion will be handled with careful consideration. All topics and questions will be written down for the students to see, either using a document camera or the whiteboard. After students have generated a list of categories DiProspero 34 they would like to investigate, encourage them to pursue the questions they have. Direct them to preapproved websites, offer primary documents available in hard copy for those without computer access. Students will be allowed to continue their research on day 2 as well.

Predicted Outcomes : Students should be able to make the connection between past struggles for civil rights and those visible in our modern society without much scaffolding. Possible answers to the question, “Where do you see discrimination in our society today?” include: discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion or country of origin. Possible answers to the question, “What issues do we have in our society today that could resemble the issue African American civil rights posed in the 1950s and 1960s?” include a need to further civil rights for those with exceptionalities, for LGBT Americans, for immigrants, for religious minorities and for women. For the sake of this lesson plan, I will assume students choose to research civil rights for those with exceptionalities, civil rights for LGBT Americans or civil rights for religious minorities.

Day 2 Continue research on civil rights questions that students have. Ask students to complete item III on their worksheet, finding answers to their questions and locating new information.

Closure : Have students share what they found. Encourage them to cite specific information to support their findings. Ask them if their perspectives on civil rights issues of the modern day were changed at all by what they read. Encourage debate among students but make sure it remains calm, civil and intelligent (have opinions backed up by evidence). Refer back to earlier discussion of modern day civil rights and ask whether their responses to the discussion questions are the same or have changed at all.

Evaluation : Formative : Did students participate in discussion actively? Did they make connections between civil rights struggles past and present? Did they generate questions? Were they able to work with the open format of the lesson and find results upon researching? Summative : Worksheet charting research and findings, essay question Background information : Resource #1 for students researching civil rights issues for LGBT Americans : Denizet-Lewis, B. “Coming Out in Middle School.” NY Times Magazine 23 September 2009. Web. 10 November 2010. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html This article, originally published in The New York Times Magazine in 2009 spotlights several young gay Americans and their experiences coming out and being gay at such a young age. It also discusses how being gay has become less taboo in our society and thus more and more young adults are coming out at an increasingly younger age. It examines the effect that bullying and taunting can have on young LGBT students and varying responses to this bullying. It is rather lengthy so it could be excerpted for the sake of student research and comprehension. The teacher could also print it out and provide the class copies if computers were not available for every student. Resource #2 for students researching civil rights for people with exceptionalities . The More You Know: Disability Awareness http://www.themoreyouknow.com/disability-awareness/ DiProspero 35 This website highlights several important aspects about civil rights for people with exceptionalities or disabilities. It has sections highlighting disability rights, discrimination, overcoming prejudices and what people can do to help fight discrimination against those with exceptionalities. It also provides a link to the US Department of Labor’s website on disability rights, which student can click if they want to explore further. Resource #3 for students researching civil rights for immigrants/religious minorities Gosh, B. “Islamophobia: Does America Have a Muslim Problem?” Time . 19 Aug 2010. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011798,00.html This article, originally published in Time Magazine in August highlights the controversy over the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City and how the controversy is indicative of Islamophobia in the United States. The online edition of the article includes a video that students can watch which further explains the article’s content. Essay Question Explain the modern civil rights issue you researched (2pts). What are three reasons that this issue is important to American society? (2 pts) Explain the implications of this issue and connect it back to what you have learned about the Civil Rights Era in American history (4 pts). Describe three ways students your age can become involved with this issue if it is one they are passionate about (2 pts).

DiProspero 36 Civil Rights Inquiry Worksheet

1) Given the Separate is not Equal video we watched in class, write down one impression you have of the African American Civil Rights movement, paying particular attention to the impact the Brown v. Board of Ed ruling had on the movement.

2) Keeping in mind what you know about the African American Civil Rights Movement, what parallels can you draw between it and modern day civil rights issues?

3) What questions do you have about civil rights issues in our modern society?

4) Investigate your questions by conducting further research. Record your findings below. a. Question:

b. Resource Consulted:

c. Information discovered relevant to question:

d. Additional information discovered:

e. Additional questions:

f. Time devoted to today’s research:

DiProspero 37 Sample Civil Rights Inquiry Lesson Worksheet

After watching the Separate is not Equal video, I realized that the Supreme Court ruling did not immediately fix the issue of civil rights for African Americans in our society. It took at least another decade of civil rights work (demonstrations, protests, lobbying, etc) for African Americans to gain greater equality in our country.

2) Keeping in mind what you know about the African American Civil Rights Movement, what parallels can you draw between it and modern day civil rights issues?

I can see a lot of parallels between the African American Civil Rights movement and civil rights issues of today. One example that I can think of is equal rights for gay Americans. Gay Americans face a lot of discrimination in our country, even though our society has become more open to homosexuality over the past 20 years.

3) What questions do you have about civil rights issues in our modern society?

What are some groups that are fighting for greater civil rights in our society? What is the reason these groups are discriminated against? What is it like for gay Americans my age? What is it like for disabled students my age? What can I do to help disabled students my age without seeming condescending? How can I help gay Americans my age?

4) Investigate your questions by conducting further research. Record your findings below. a. Question: How are gay Americans my age affected by discrimination in our society? b. Resource Consulted: New York Times Magazine article “Coming Out in Middle School” c. Information discovered relevant to question:

- Gay students are afraid of backlash if they come out to their family and friends, especially if they live in a small town - They can feel like they are in a war zone because sometimes they are bullied by people who dislike them for being gay. - The Gay/Straight Alliance has become a popular club or organization at many schools to provide support. - Bullying can be anything from language (calling things “gay”) to actual violence. DiProspero 38 - There are only 12 states that have laws to protect students from bullying and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

d. Additional information discovered:

- Students are coming out at younger ages now than ever before – used to be afraid to come out, now are more comfortable. - Many schools are afraid to support gay students because of community prejudice.

e. Additional questions:

What can students my age do to help gay students? What sort of rights are gay people seeking to gain? Is there any sort of central organization working for increased gay rights?

f. Time devoted to today’s research: 2:00pm – 2:43 pm

DiProspero 39

ARTIFACT #1: VISUAL DOCUMENT Prepared by Melissa W. Bailey

Segregated Water Fountains, North Carolina (1950) by Elliot Erwin

Background Information In 1896, the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson stated that it was okay to have “separate but equal” facilities for black and white Americans. For decades this ruling was upheld and in certain states, but not all, African Americans were sequestered off from whites. Everything from schools to city buses to restaurants and water fountains were segregated.

Though civil rights leaders had been fighting against this ruling for years, in the 1950s the movement towards desegregation really gained momentum. With the monumental Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education (1954), public schools across the nation were desegregated. With the help of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., sit-ins, and the March on Washington, the Civil Rights Act was finally passed in 1964, officially marking the end of segregation and racial discrimination in the U.S.

Before these monumental achievements took place, photographer Elliot Erwin snapped this photograph of a young man taking a sip of water at a segregated-- supposedly “separate but equal”-- North Carolina water fountain in 1950.

Student Activities Primary Whole Group: Given an introduction to the photograph and the idea of “separate but equal”, the students will be shown two cups, one of which is nice, new, and decorated and the other is grungy and cracked. After watching the teacher fill the cups with the same amount of water, they will then be asked which cup they would rather drink out of, giving reasons why. The teacher will then guide the students to talk about what is the same and what is different with both cups (making a list) and then the class will decide if the cups, like the water fountains were truly “equal”. Small Group: Students will work together to identify aspects that are the same and that are different in the two water fountains (size, shape, color, age, height, etc). They will decide in groups whether they think there are more similarities or differences and whether the fountains are “equal”. DiProspero 40 Independent: Students will write and draw an accompanying picture of what they think it would feel like if they were not allowed to use the same water fountain as everyone else in the class.

Intermediate: Whole Group: Students will be arbitrarily divided in two (probably by table groups) and one of the two groups will be assigned to get water from the nearby water fountain for the first half of the day and the other group will be assigned to get water from a farther fountain and required to sign out (to prevent wandering). Around mid-day the students will switch assignments. At the end of the day they will write a reflection on the “separate but equal” water fountain assignments, which they will then discuss as a class. Small Group: Students will work together to identify whether the water fountains really are “equal”. In their groups they will write down any similarities they can find. They will also record all the differences they see and through discussion will decide whether the two fountains can truly be considered “equal.” (Trying to discuss both sides of the issue). Independent: The students will write a narrative explaining how they would have felt if they were living in North Carolina in 1950 where this kind of segregation was taking place. Students will write this narrative from various points of view: such as a Caucasian or African American supporting separate but equal or one of those races who was against it. They may also write the narrative form the perspective of a race that is not typically associated with the idea of “separate but equal.” Points of view will be a result of random assignment.

Assessment

Primary:

5) Which image shows unequal treatment of African-Americans in the 1950’s in North Carolina?

A) B)

C) D)

DiProspero 41

Intermediate:

The claim that different races must use different water fountains was supported by what idea? A. “separate but equal” B. “different strokes for different folks” C. “racial distance” D. “separate and different”

Segregation was made legal by: A. Emancipation Proclamation B. The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) C. The “Separate but Equal” Act D. The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

DiProspero 42 Artifact #2 : Famous Americans and the Civil Rights Movement (Unpublished Document – Primary Activity)

Before beginning, students would be introduced to Eleanor Roosevelt during a lesson on her work for both women’s rights and African American rights. They would also have been introduced to the African American civil rights movement.

Background Information: The African American civil rights movement was an important time in American history because it offers valuable learning experiences about United States history, famous Americans, and the value of equal rights for elementary students. Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of the 32 nd President of the United States and an extremely active voice in the movement for African American equality. She was an outspoken proponent of racial equality, wrote letters to civil rights leaders encouraging their quest and served on the Board of Directors for the NAACP after her husband died in 1945.

Student Activities: Whole Group: As a group read Eleanor Roosevelt’s letter of resignation to the president of the Daughters of the American Revolution after the DAR refused to let Marian Anderson, a black singer, perform at Constitution Hall in Washington DC. Discuss why Eleanor decided to leave the DAR (because it was not fair to Marian Anderson). Give students scenarios of fairness in every day life and ask them to determine if it is fair or not. Organize fair and not fair scenarios on the board or on a flip chart. Small Group: Pass out index cards labeled with a square or circle to students. Have students separate according to which shape is on their card. Have them play two separate games but make it clear that the square group is playing the “square only” game and the circle group is playing the “circle only” game. After a few minutes of play, ask the students to work to together to respond to the following questions: “How would you feel if you could only play with other people with square/circle cards all the time? How would you feel if you could only play with ‘square only/circle only’ games? Do you think you would miss out by not being able to play with people in the other group?” Independent : Students will write two descriptive sentences or draw a picture of how they can be fair to others in the classroom.

Assessment:

1) Eleanor wrote her letter because: A) She wanted a pen pal B) She felt that the DAR was not being fair to Marian Anderson C) She had a question for the DAR. D) She wanted to see how her friend was doing. 2) What is an example of “fair” behavior? A) Not letting someone play a game with you B) Taking someone’s pencil without asking C) Sharing a crayon with someone who needs one D) Calling a classmate a name.

(Prepared by Carolyn DiProspero)

DiProspero 43

Artifact #2 : Famous Americans and the Civil Rights Movement (Unpublished Document – Intermediate Activity)

Student Activities: Whole Group: As a group, students will read Eleanor Roosevelt’s letter of resignation to the president of the Daughters of the American Revolution after the DAR refused to let Marian Anderson, a black singer, perform at Constitution Hall in Washington DC. After reading the letter as a class, students will brainstorm why Mrs. Roosevelt resigned from such an important organization and how Mrs. Roosevelt must have felt in order to resign from the DAR. Small Group : Students will discuss amongst themselves a time when they have felt so strongly about an issue that it prompted them to take action. They will also brainstorm a current issue in our school or classroom they feel strongly about. Independent : Students will take the current school/classroom issue and write their own letter to the teacher explaining the issue and why they have a problem with it (must remain respectful like Eleanor was). They will also suggest a possible change or remedy.

Intermediate Assessment:

1) Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership to the Daughters of the American Revolution because E) She didn’t want to go to their meetings F) She was too busy to join. G) She disagreed with their refusal to let Marian Anderson perform H) They did not support her husband in his bid for the presidency.

2) A central idea of the civil rights movement and one exemplified by Mrs. Roosevelt’s letter was that of ______protest, or using peaceful demonstration to get the message across. A) rally B) non-violent C) sit-in D) hunger strike

(Prepared by Carolyn DiProspero)

DiProspero 44 Eleanor’s Letter to the President of the DAR

File copy of letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to president general of the DAR, (1939), National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/eleanor.html

DiProspero 45

Artifact # 3: Oral History The Civil Rights Movement Primary Activity

This activity will follow a lesson on the civil rights movement and segregation in the United States. Students will be familiar with the civil rights movement and have a basic understanding of what occurred during this time period.

Background Information: The civil rights movement was at its peak from 1955-1965. Racial segregation occurred daily at restaurants, movie theatres, churches, schools, water fountains, and restrooms. After a decade of non-violent marches, sit-ins, and boycotts, several pieces of important legislation were passed. These included the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing basic civil rights for all Americans regardless of race. The degree of segregation varied from one community to another. For the interviewee, Howard L, Moffitt Jr. (my grandfather), who was born and raised in Oakland, CA, segregation was not initially common. He was shocked by the blatant racial segregation he witnessed when he arrived in 1945 to the Hampton Roads Area as a Merchant Marine. Whole group activity: Explain the background in simple terms and explain to the students that although this gentleman was white, he was angered and upset by racial segregation, and didn’t understand why one human being would treat another so unfairly. Read excerpts from the interview, stopping to explain concepts (bolded words), ask questions, and answer student’s questions. Lead a whole group discussion based on how students would feel if they if they had a certain eye color and because of this eye color, they had to use a separate restroom, eat in a separate restaurant, and use a different water fountain from everyone else. Ask students if they think this treatment is fair and if they think certain groups of people are still treated this way today. Small group activity: Have students break into groups of four. Explain that each person must come up with at least one question they would want to ask a future classroom guest who had lived during this time period. Prompt them with example questions such as: “Did it make you angry that you had to sit at the back of the bus?” “Were you sad when you had to drink out of a separate water fountain from white people?” Independent activity: Instruct students to go home and ask their parents, grandparents, friends or other family what memories they have about the civil rights movement. Tell the students to write these memories in their journals and bring back to class for discussion.

Assessment: 1) What is an example of “racial segregation?” a) sharing your lunch with a friend. b) not letting some one sit with you on the bus because of their skin color. c) talking while someone else is talking. d) holding the door open for someone.

DiProspero 46 Artifact # 3: Oral History The Civil Rights Movement Intermediate Activity

Background Information: The civil rights movement was at its peak from 1955-1965. Racial segregation occurred daily at restaurants, movie theatres, churches, schools, water fountains, and restrooms. After a decade of non-violent marches, sit-ins, and boycotts, several pieces of important legislation were passed. These included the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing basic civil rights for all Americans regardless of race. The degree of segregation varied from one community to another. For the interviewee, Howard L, Moffitt Jr. (my grandfather), who was born and raised in Oakland, CA, segregation was not initially common. The people living in this part of California knew about segregation, and Martin Luther King, but considered this type of behavior to be prevalent in “the south.” Mr. Moffitt was shocked by the blatant racial segregation he witnessed when he arrived in 1945 to the Hampton Roads Area as a Merchant Marine. Whole group activity: Explain to students that the segregated groups varied. In Oakland, CA, for example, Asians Americans all tended to live in “China Town,” and that Hispanics lived in their own part of town too. African Americans were not blatantly segregated in public schools, restaurants and grocery stores etc., but lived together in a poorer area. Pass out copies of excerpts of the interview and read together. Stop to explain concepts (bolded words), ask questions, and answer student’s questions. Lead a whole group discussion based on students’ reactions to the interview. Prompt them with questions about why they think that the Asians, and the Hispanics were separated in different parts of town, and the African Americans lived in the poorer areas. Small group activity: Divide students into groups of four and have them brainstorm ideas for a play based on an event that happened during the civil rights movement, or on a person that contributed positively or negatively to the civil rights movement. These plays will be written and performed for the class during subsequent lessons. Independent activity: Ask students to design an interview schedule. Instruct students to interview a person. This person can be a relative, family friend or a close family member; students must ask this person at least four questions about their memories of the civil rights movement. Students will video tape this interview, type up their responses, and bring excerpts and video clips back to class for discussion.

Assessment: 1) A form of segregation in Oakland, CA during this time period would be: a) White and African American students eating lunch together. b) Whites and Italian Americans living in the same neighborhood. c) Asian Americans living in a different neighborhood from white people. d) Asian Americans, white people, and Italian Americans riding the bus together.

DiProspero 47 Appendix C Interview with Howard Lewis Moffitt Jr. (My grandfather)

Howard Lewis Moffitt Jr. was born April 9, 1926; he was raised in Oakland, CA. When he was in 11 grade quit high school. Since he was only 17 years old, he lied about his age saying that he was 18 so that he could join the Merchant Marines.

While still a Merchant Marine, he ended up in the Hampton Roads Area and saw first hand the segregation that took place in this area.

When you lived in California, what forms of segregation did you observe?

There was a large Asiatic population, a large Mexican population and very few blacks, however most people, if they were Italian, they lived in their area, the Chinese mainly lived in Chinatown, and we didn’t have restrictions on anybody. Blacks tended to live in poorer areas.

What about the schools, where they ever segregated?

No, the schools were not segregate; what I am saying is that there was such a large population of Asiatics and Mexicans, and they all lived in their own areas of town.

Where you friends with everyone?

Yes, everyone was friends with everyone and didn’t know the difference.

There was no violence, or protests or sit-ins?

No, no violence.

Do you remember anything about Martin Luther King, Jr.?

Martin Luther King was not popular. We didn’t know about him in California. Of course this was years and years later. We considered most of that behavior to be more prevalent in the South.

You did not feel like you were affected by the civil rights movement in California?

No, there was no segregation where I lived.

Do you remember names like Rosa Parks?

I remember her, hearing about her, what she did on the bus.

When you came to this area as a Merchant Marine, did you notice anything different?

OH YES!!!

What did you notice?

I saw signs up, “black” and “white”….. “whites only,” segregated water coolers.

Were the Merchants Marines integrated?

DiProspero 48 Oh yes, yes, but during World War II, we slept in separate barracks, but not on the Merchant Marine vessel. There were black and white platoons and the blacks tended to sit with the blacks, and the whites sat with whites when we were eating.

How did you feel here? How did you feel about the difference?

The difference between Virginia and California?

Yes , the difference between here and California.

It was appalling . It was appalling that people were treated in such a manner. A lot of my friends that went to sea with me were black and Asian and Euro, and to me I couldn’t understand why segregation even existed. Because it was so awful for people to treat one another this way. I wasn’t used to this.

So when you had children, what did you tell them?

Segregation was so upsetting to me and I couldn’t understand it so I told my children it was wrong and tried to raise them to be friends with everyone and not ever discriminate against anyone.

I couldn’t get my head around it.

DiProspero 49

Artifact # 4: Published Document The Civil Rights Movement Primary Activity

This activity will follow a lesson on the civil rights movement with emphasis on segregation and integration. Students will have gained prior knowledge about Ruby Bridges through a lesson on civil rights. Prior to each activity, they will first listen to or read the attached excerpt from Through My Eyes.

Background Information: In 1954, Brown vs. Board overturned “separate but equal” education for African American students and introduced integration in American schools. Despite the ruling by the Supreme Court, the state of Louisiana was one of the many states where state government continued to attempt to block integration. Finally, the federal court set November 14 th 1960 as the deadline for the integration of New Orleans schools. On November 14 th , Ruby Bridges integrated the first grade at William Frantz where she was taught privately by the only teacher willing, Barbara Henry, while federal marshals stood guard outside.

Whole group activity: Ask the students to think about how they would feel if they were the only student in the classroom. Make a list of some school activities on the board such as act in a play, writing a story, making a science project, and having a book club. Ask the students to tell which activities can be done in a classroom with just one student versus a group. Ask the students to tell if students can do as many things alone in a classroom as they can in a classroom with other students. Then, ask them to tell you if they think it is fair to have to go to class alone when all the other students in school get to be in a class with other students. Ask the students to think about why Ruby’s mom would want her to have to go to school all day without classmates.

Small group activity: After reading the excerpt aloud, divide the students into groups of 4-5. Distribute one of the following games to each group: checkers, monopoly, jump rope and blocks (with number of players information removed). Ask each group to work together to attempt to play the game and discuss together how many people they need to play the game. Pass each game until all of the groups have examined and discussed each game. Ask them to decide if they think it would be fair for a group of students to be able to play the group games at recess while one student had to play only alone games just because they wore a specific shoe size.

Independent activity: Ask students to draw a picture of how Ruby ate lunch every day at school. Then, ask them to draw a picture of how they eat lunch at school. Ask students to write which picture is fair and which picture is unfair. Then, ask them to write why they labeled each picture.

Assessment: What was fair about Ruby’s new school?

a) She went to the same school as white children b) She had her own teacher in her own classroom c) She didn’t go outside for recess every day d) She ate lunch alone away from the other students

DiProspero 50 Artifact # 4: Published Document

The Civil Rights Movement Intermediate Activity

Whole group activity: Invite a police officer into the classroom. The officer asks students to tell what they think are the most important parts of his/her job. The officer tells what his/her job would be like if he had to guard Ruby. The officer asks the students to share how they would feel if they needed a guard. The officer asks students why the marshals had to meet Ruby at her house and guard her all day (safety, enforce law). The officer asks the students to think and share about what the government sending the marshals tells them about the law to integrate American schools (important law). (Teacher prepares guiding questions for officer and aids discussion)

Small group activity: Ask the students to work in groups to write a short play about the first day of school for Ruby, the teacher, the marshals and Ruby’s mom. Have them include the things that they think they would have done and what it would be like with just one student. (Examples: what Ruby would play, eat, and what they would talk about.) Ask them to write parts in which the adult characters think out loud about why they think it’s important to help Ruby integrate into the school for white students. Also, ask them to write a part in which Ruby thinks out loud about how she feels about the protests and her new school. If time allows, let each group perform their play.

Independent activity: Ask each student to write a letter to Ruby Bridges about how they would feel if they had to go to school all day without peers. Ask each student to tell her why they think she cried when her mom couldn’t go to school with her. Also, ask each student to tell how her first year at William Frantz helped make education better for all students today.

Assessment: Why didn’t the other white students come to Ruby’s class? a) Ruby needed special attention so she got to have her own classroom b) Ruby’s private class was a punishment, like all day detention c) The white students’ parents didn’t want them to go to school with an African American student d) Ruby’s parent did not want her to go to school with white students

DiProspero 51

Excerpt from Through My Eyes

“….When we finally got into the building, my new teacher was there to meet us. Her name was Mrs.

Henry. She was young and white. I had not spent time with a white person before, so I was uneasy at first. Mrs.

Henry led us upstairs to the second floor. As we went up, we hardly saw anyone else in the building. The white students were not coming to class. The halls were so quiet, I could hear the noise the marshals’ shoes made on the shiny hardwood floors.

Mrs. Henry took us into a classroom and said to have a seat. When I looked around, the room was empty.

There were rows of desks, but no children. I thought we were too early, but Mrs. Henry said we were right on time.

My mother sat down at the back of the room. I took a seat up front, and Mrs. Henry began to teach.

I spent the whole first day with Mrs. Henry in the classroom. I wasn’t allowed to have lunch in the cafeteria or go outside for recess, so we just stayed in our room. The marshals sat outside. If I had to go to the bathroom, the marshals walked me down the hall.

My mother sat in the classroom that day, but not the next. When the marshals came to the house on

Wednesday morning, my mother said, “Ruby, I can’t go to school with you today, but don’t be afraid. The marshals will take care of you. Be good now, and don’t cry.”

I started to cry anyway, but before I knew it, I was off to school by myself…”

-Ruby Bridges, Through My Eyes , pp.22

Bridges, Ruby. (1999). Through my eyes. New York, NY: Scholastic.

DiProspero 52 Pre and Post Assessment Questions

Primary Questions

1) Look at the Daughtry Map.

Circle the symbol below that represents the room:

A) B) C) D)

2) Eleanor wrote her letter because:

A) She wanted a pen pal

B) She felt that the DAR was not being fair to Marian Anderson

C) She had a question for the DAR.

D) She wanted to see how her friend was doing.

3) What is an example of “fair” behavior?

A) Not letting someone play a game with you

B) Taking someone’s pencil without asking

C) Giving everyone in the class (not just your friends) a piece of candy on your

birthday.

D) Calling a classmate a name.

DiProspero 53

4) Which picture uses Ruby Bridges to send a message about a problem that needed to be fixed?

A) B)

C) D)

DiProspero 54

5) Which image shows unequal treatment of African-Americans in the 1950’s in North Carolina?

A) B)

C) D)

Intermediate

1) Eleanor Roosevelt resigned her membership to the Daughters of the American

Revolution because

A) She didn’t want to go to their meetings

B) She was too busy to join.

C) She disagreed with their refusal to let Marian Anderson perform

D) They did not support her husband in his bid for the presidency.

DiProspero 55

2) A central idea of the civil rights movement and one exemplified by Mrs. Roosevelt’s letter was that of ______protest, or using peaceful demonstration to get the message across.

A) rally

B) non-violent

C) sit-in

D) hunger strike

3) The reason behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott was:

a. to buy newer buses

b. no one would have to pay bus fare

c. bus drivers wanted a pay raise

d. desegregation of buses

4) Rosa Parks asked for Martin Luther King’s help with:

a) starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott

b) defending her in court

c) her arrest and legal troubles

d) starting a riot to protest

5) A form of segregation in Oakland, CA during this time period would be:

a) White and African American students eating lunch together.

b) Whites and Italian Americans living in the same neighborhood.

c) Asian Americans living in a different neighborhood from white people. DiProspero 56 d) Asian Americans, white people, and Italian Americans riding the bus together.

6) Why didn’t the other white students come to Ruby’s class?

a) Ruby needed special attention so she got to have her own classroom

b) Ruby’s private class was a punishment, like all day detention

c) The white students’ parents didn’t want them to go to school with an African

American student

d) Ruby’s parent did not want her to go to school with white students

7) The claim that different races must use different water fountains was supported by what idea?

E. “separate but equal”

F. “different strokes for different folks”

G. “racial distance”

H. “separate and different”

8) Segregation was made legal by:

a) The Emancipation Proclamation

b) The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

c) The “Separate but Equal” Act

d) The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

9) Explain the modern civil rights issue you researched (2pts). What are three reasons that this issue is important to American society? (2 pts) Explain the implications of this issue and connect it back to what you have learned about the Civil Rights Era in American history (4 pts). Describe three ways students your age can become involved with this issue if it is one they are passionate about (2 pts).

DiProspero 57

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struggle. New York, NY: New York University Press.

Brandt, K. (1993). Rosa Parks: Fight For Freedom . Gershom, IL: Troll.

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Davis, K. C. (2005). Don’t know much about Rosa Parks. New York: Harper Collins Publishers.

Denizet-Lewis, B. (2009, September 23). Coming out in middle school. New York Times

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t.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1291784897-OvP5AQaB0sjncuJGpiRjHA

Dierenfield, B.J. (2008). The civil rights movement . United Kingdom: Pearson

Education Limited.

Feinberg, B. S. (2003). Eleanor roosevelt: A very special first lady . Brookefield, CT: The

Millbrook Press.

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Publishers.

Hakim, J. (2006). A history of the u.s.: All the people since 1945 . New York: Oxford

University Press.

DiProspero 58

Innis, M. D. (2009). Color Palettes: Norman Rockwell (1894 – 1978). Underpaintings (blog).

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rockwell-1894.html

Masoff, J. (2010). Our world: Then & now, pp 57, 61, R11. Weston, CT: Five Ponds Press

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DiProspero 60 Appendix A: State and National Standards

Virginia Standards of Learning: Social Studies Standards

Kindergarten:

K.2 The student will describe everyday life in the present and in the past and begin to

recognize that things change over time.

K.4 The student will use simple maps and globes to

b) describe places referenced in stories and real-life situations.

Grade 1:

1.2 The student will describe the stories of American leaders and their contributions to our

country, with emphasis … Eleanor Roosevelt.

1.12 The student will recognize that communities in Virginia

c) include people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make

contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common

principles.

Grade 2:

2.6 The student will demonstrate map skills by constructing simple maps, using title, map

legend, and compass rose.

2.10 The student will explain the responsibilities of a good citizen, with emphasis on a) respecting and protecting the rights and property of others.

2.11 The student will identify … Martin Luther King, Jr., as [an] American whose

contributions improved the lives of other Americans.

Grade 3: DiProspero 61 3.4 The student will develop map skills by

e) locating specific places, using a simple letter-number grid system.

3.11 The student will explain the importance of the basic principles that form the foundation

of a republican form of government by

a) describing the individual rights to … equality under the law;

b) identifying the contributions of … Rosa Parks; Thurgood Marshall; Martin Luther

King, Jr ….

U.S. History 1865 to Present:

USII.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to

a) analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase

understanding of events and life in United States history from 1865 to the present;

b) make connections between the past and the present;

i) identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made, including the

consequences, both intended and unintended, of the decisions and how people and

nations responded to positive and negative incentives.

USII.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the key domestic and international issues

during the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries by

a) examining the Civil Rights Movement and the changing role of women;

b) identifying representative citizens from the time period who have influenced

America scientifically, culturally, academically, and economically.

DiProspero 62

Civics and Economics:

CE.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of citizenship and the rights, duties, and

responsibilities of citizens by

e) evaluating how civic and social duties address community needs and serve the

public good.

CE.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the judicial systems established by the

Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States by

c) comparing and contrasting civil and criminal cases;

d) explaining how due process protections seek to ensure justice.

Virginia and U.S. History:

VUS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to

a) identify, analyze, and interpret primary and secondary source documents,records,

and data, including artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, jobs, newspapers,

historical accounts, and art, to increase understanding of events and life in the

United States;

d) develop perspectives of time and place, including the construction of mapsand

various timelines of events, periods, and personalities in American history; h) interpret

the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and other documents.

VUS.14 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil Rights movement the

1950s and 1960s by a)identifying the importance of the Brown v. Board of

Education decision, the roles of Thurgood Marshall and Oliver Hill, and how

Virginia responded. DiProspero 63

VUS.15 The student will demonstrate knowledge of economic, social, cultural, and political

developments in recent decades and today by

a) examining the role the United States Supreme Court has played in

defining a constitutional right to privacy, affirming equal rights, and

upholding the rule of law.

Virginia and U.S. Government:

GOVT.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the concepts of democracy by

b) recognizing the equality of all citizens under the law;

c) recognizing majority rule and minority rights.

GOVT.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the organization and powers of the state

and local governments described in the Constitution of Virginia by

d) evaluating the effectiveness of citizen efforts to influence decisions of

state and local governments by examining historical or contemporary

events.

GOVT.11 The student will demonstrate knowledge of civil liberties and civil rights by

e) explaining every citizen’s right to be treated equally under the law.

DiProspero 64 Expenses In creating our unit, we did not accrue any expenses. All of our lessons used materials that would be readily available to teachers in the classroom setting. Supplementary books were borrowed from school or public libraries. Supplementary pictures and primary documents were found online and could be printed from a teacher’s computer. This unit not only follows the best practices in Social Studies, it also provides teachers with the realistic possibility of carrying out the unit since it is cost effective.