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Monday, March 1, 2010
Civil Rights Books
How could you use the fiction book: "A Thousand Never Evers" or non-fiction book: "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" in your classroom to help students learn more about the Civil Rights Movement?
3 comments:
Mrs. Stephanie Bean
said...
Twice Toward Justice has a lot to offer a middle school social studies classroom! My first thought is that rarely do you see a middle school teacher reading to her class like they do in elementary school. Some of my students struggle reading to themselves so to hear me read aloud in an animated voice helps capture their attention.
I plan on bringing in a carpet and gathering my students on the floor. This strange move from their seats will get their attention right away. Then during my final unit of the year (Civil Rights) I plan on reading a chapter from the book to them. I will show the book's pictures... real photos of the time and pictures of actual newspaper clippings.
Lastly for homework I will have students write me a paragraph on feedback of what they thought. I will have students respond to 2 questions: How does this connect to or contradict what you thought you knew about Civil RIghts? How does what Claudette Colvin experienced connect to your life?
"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" was an awesome addition to my unit on Civil Rights. Middle school students tend to think that Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were the only instrumental players in the Civil Rights Movement. This book helped me to relay to students that the struggle of the movement involved more than just one person. The pictures in the book helped students feel more connected to the time.
I read the introduction of the book to the class. This introduction described segregation and incidents that occurred in theaters, on buses, and many other places. There was a vivid depiction of the discriminatory practices of the times and accounts of racism experienced. This was used as an introduction to the unit on Civil Rights. I showed the pictures to the class and explained to students the severity of the times. I helped students understand that it took the efforts of many people throughout the nation to accomplish change.
Students were then assigned the task of researching those involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Using the internet students researched the roles of the church, the NAACP, colleges, the community, individuals, leaders and many others. Students then referred back to Twice Toward Justice and found an example of those players in the book. Claudette Colvin had a great deal of support and many people helped her get through her tough ordeal and students were to make those connections to the overall movement.
Students completed the lesson understanding that while our studies are focused on the roles of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. there were many instrumental figures involved in the success of the Civil Rights Movement.
After reading Thousand Never Evers and Claudette Colven Twice Toward Justice, I felt an even deeper appreciation for the struggles of black people. I also appreciated the research and depth that the authors experienced to tell the stories of a different ethinic group. Consequently, I pressed my thoughts to think how teachers might use these books to engage students further in the texts.
The following is a list of suggested activities:
- to examine newspaper articles to identify propaganda and to write slanted articles relating elements in the books for biased white readers, biased black readers and neutral readers - debate the issues such as *following your dreams and what you need to do *hard to observe biases and prejudices *overt biases and prejudices *why blacks could not trust their neighbors - discussion groups to reveal *discuss who were the real leaders where at that time *the influence of religion on people during the civil rights era - create predictions on how the main characters might influence an eleven year old and write a testimony that the eleven year old might share - compare the economic impact on blacks and whites in that era according to the content of the stories - perform hymnals, spirituals of the civil rights era - create a diary page for each main character - even though life was hard, identify the humorous, joyful moments or routines in each book. Stretch your imagination!
3 comments:
Twice Toward Justice has a lot to offer a middle school social studies classroom! My first thought is that rarely do you see a middle school teacher reading to her class like they do in elementary school. Some of my students struggle reading to themselves so to hear me read aloud in an animated voice helps capture their attention.
I plan on bringing in a carpet and gathering my students on the floor. This strange move from their seats will get their attention right away. Then during my final unit of the year (Civil Rights) I plan on reading a chapter from the book to them. I will show the book's pictures... real photos of the time and pictures of actual newspaper clippings.
Lastly for homework I will have students write me a paragraph on feedback of what they thought. I will have students respond to 2 questions: How does this connect to or contradict what you thought you knew about Civil RIghts? How does what Claudette Colvin experienced connect to your life?
"Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" was an awesome addition to my unit on Civil Rights. Middle school students tend to think that Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were the only instrumental players in the Civil Rights Movement. This book helped me to relay to students that the struggle of the movement involved more than just one person. The pictures in the book helped students feel more connected to the time.
I read the introduction of the book to the class. This introduction described segregation and incidents that occurred in theaters, on buses, and many other places. There was a vivid depiction of the discriminatory practices of the times and accounts of racism experienced. This was used as an introduction to the unit on Civil Rights. I showed the pictures to the class and explained to students the severity of the times. I helped students understand that it took the efforts of many people throughout the nation to accomplish change.
Students were then assigned the task of researching those involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Using the internet students researched the roles of the church, the NAACP, colleges, the community, individuals, leaders and many others. Students then referred back to Twice Toward Justice and found an example of those players in the book. Claudette Colvin had a great deal of support and many people helped her get through her tough ordeal and students were to make those connections to the overall movement.
Students completed the lesson understanding that while our studies are focused on the roles of Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. there were many instrumental figures involved in the success of the Civil Rights Movement.
After reading Thousand Never Evers and Claudette Colven Twice Toward Justice, I felt an even deeper appreciation for the struggles of black people. I also appreciated the research and depth that the authors experienced to tell the stories of a different ethinic group. Consequently, I pressed my thoughts to think how teachers might use these books to engage students further in the texts.
The following is a list of suggested activities:
- to examine newspaper articles to identify propaganda and to write slanted articles relating elements in the books for biased white readers, biased black readers and neutral readers
- debate the issues such as
*following your dreams and what you need to do
*hard to observe biases and prejudices
*overt biases and prejudices
*why blacks could not trust their neighbors
- discussion groups to reveal
*discuss who were the real leaders where at that time
*the influence of religion on people during the civil rights era
- create predictions on how the main characters might influence an eleven year old and write a testimony that the eleven year old might share
- compare the economic impact on blacks and whites in that era according to the content of the stories
- perform hymnals, spirituals of the civil rights era
- create a diary page for each main character
- even though life was hard, identify the humorous, joyful moments or routines in each book. Stretch your imagination!
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