Child of the Civil Rights Movement
Child of the Civil Rights Movement
By Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colon
ISBN #978-0-375-84314-3
Pre-Planning Note: The book is not paged, so to simplify this lesson, I used small sticky note flags to number the pages. I did not include the title page as a numbered page. The illustrated page with a “whites only” sign on the fence and two African American children standing outside with their bikes is what I called page one of the book
Also, any vocabulary words or questions for reflection can be written on sticky notes and attached to the corresponding pages within the book. That way, they are right there as you read each page.
Pre-Lesson Activities
As you introduce the book, Google a current image of the author to show students:
https://www.amazon.com/Paula-Young-Shelton/e/B0038MYMOM
Read aloud the “Author’s Note” inside the book to the class while author’s picture is displayed.
Show the cover of the book and ask students to guess what is written on the flag (Equality) and tell them that the whole civil rights era was about that one word for African Americans and Caucasians. Do a vocabulary check to make sure they know the definition of the word Caucasians. Ask for volunteers to share what they think equality means or share an example of equality. (It does not have to be only black/white race relations; it could include other races, ages, genders, creed, or religions.)
The Lesson
Begin reading the book aloud to students and share the following vocabulary words/terms, ask the following questions, and discuss.
Page 2 – Vocabulary check: What is it called when someone is told that they can’t do something because of the color of their skin?” Explain or revisit the term “Jim Crow laws” and its general definition.
Page 3 - Vocabulary check: Freedom Riders - who they are and what they did
Questions:
How did the author’s parents react to what they saw on television?
What did the mother mean when she declared “we have to go home” while standing in their house?
How do you think you would react if you were in that family’s situation?
Page 5 - Questions:
Where did the author say the heart of the civil rights movement was?
What does the author mean when she writes “where whites could but blacks could not?”
Page 9 - Vocabulary check: brunch and Holiday Inn
Page 11 – Vocabulary check: protest and sit-in
Questions:
Why do you think the author made a point to tell us what color the table cloths were in the restaurant? Do you think that is important to know?
Page 13 – Questions:
Who do you think Uncle Martin is?
Page 15 – Questions:
This is the first time in the story that the author tells us of a happy experience that she had as a little girl. Based on evidence in the text, how do we know it was a happy experience for her?
What factors do you think helped to make this a happy experience for her?
Page 17 – Vocabulary check: Selma and Montgomery
Questions:
Are the people she calls Uncles and Aunts related to her?
How did eating at friends’ houses make her feel like a big family with them?
What were they planning at dinner that evening and specifically, what was the purpose of the march?
Had they been successful at previous marches? Why do you think they had not given up?
Pages 19 and 20 - Vocabulary check: soprano and Vietnam
Questions:
What does the author compare the people’s voices and conversations to? (Ask students if they have ever heard a music concert or orchestra play, then explain what it sounds like when each instrument is tuning before the music begins. You can play this sound clip for them: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/orchestra-tuning/ so they can hear it for themselves.
Why does the author’s mother say that women would be the key to any march’s success?
What do you think Uncle Martin was thinking while “he sat silent and listened”?
Page 22 - Vocabulary check: symphony
Page 23 - Vocabulary check: passionately
Questions:
Ask students to remember that the author’s mother said that “women would be the key to any march’s success” on a previous page. Who is doing the work to set the table, cook the food, and bring it to the table and how does this relate to the mother’s comment about women in the march? Show the illustrations on pages 23 and 24 to demonstrate that the author and her sisters are smiling and happy to help.
Page 25 – Questions:
Based on information in the text, what does the author say the food and company do for them?
Page 28 – Questions:
The author mentions several states that her father visited during his trips for equality for African Americans: Alabama Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia. What region of the US are these states located in?
What does the author say were some of the things her father was doing while away in these states? Do you think this was dangerous?
Page 29 – Questions:
Why do you think it was important to the author’s mother to march with her husband (the author’s father)? In what ways could they place themselves in harm by participating in the march? What would you have done if that was your family and your children?
Pages 31 and 32 – Vocabulary check: leis
Questions:
Who else did the author discover was attending the protest march? Do you think she was surprised by this? Why or why not?
Based on evidence in the text, what was the mood at the march?
Have you ever asked someone to dance? If so, how did you feel? Why do you think the author said Uncle Martin extended a hand to Aunt Coretta “as if to ask her to dance?”
Why do you think the protesters locked their arms together? (You may need to demonstrate what this looks like to your class or you can show this picture from "45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama" www.loc.gov/item/2010637771/
Page 33 – Questions:
What was the father implying when he said he had “marched from Selma to Montgomery ten times that week?”
Page 35 – Vocabulary check: National Guard and President Johnson
Questions:
How long did it take for the protesters to march?
How far was the march between the two cities?
Why was the National Guard there?
This march was broadcast, or shown, on television. Do you think that had any affect on the outcome of the march?
Page 37 – Questions:
What does the author say she remembered from the march?
As result of that march, what happened in the legal system by President Johnson?
What does the author say about how she feels to have been a part of that march? When the author writes that “they have won one battle but there were many more to come,” what does she mean?
Page 39 - Vocabulary check: weary and baton
Questions:
What does the author mean when she says that “one day . . . the baton would pass to us and we would march on – children of the civil rights movement?” In your opinion, do you think the civil rights movement is still happening or is it over?
Upon completing the story, you may wish to point out that all the people mentioned in the story were real. There is a short biography about each person on page 40 that can be shared with students, if you choose.
Post-Lesson Activities: Create a Personal Equality Collage
Materials Needed: assorted magazines, cardstock, glue sticks, and scissors
Gather general household “kid-friendly” magazines that have pictures of varied people, activities, food, places, and advertisements, etc. (Ex. Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, American Girl, Boys Life, current events/news, cooking and decorating magazines)
I recommend previewing (well in advance) your selection of magazines for young adult and adult themed articles and photographs BEFORE offering them to your students. Remove any inappropriate or questionable content (articles and photos) or pre-select a large group of photographs from the magazines that you will allow them to use.
Ask students to reflect back to the cover of the book and what was written on the flag. Ask them to take a few moments to think about what the word equality means and what it personally means to them.
Each student receives a piece of card stock, scissors, and a glue stick. Their activity is to find text, pictures, and/or photographs from the magazines that represent equality to them. They are to cut the objects out and paste them to the card stock to make a personal collage. Encourage them to be creative with the pictures/text they select and how they arrange them in their collage.
NOTE: I will accept almost any picture/text on their collage as long as they can explain to me how it reflects equality in a personal way. You never know how our children will interpret what equality visually means to them. A picture of a hot dog could mean being able to cook out with family and friends, the freedom to attend a sporting event, or just to be able to safely go into a restaurant to buy a hot dog.
Upon completion of their post-lesson activity, ask for student volunteers to share with the class their thought processes while they were creating their collages and explain how their objects symbolize equality to them.
By Paula Young Shelton and Raul Colon
ISBN #978-0-375-84314-3
Pre-Planning Note: The book is not paged, so to simplify this lesson, I used small sticky note flags to number the pages. I did not include the title page as a numbered page. The illustrated page with a “whites only” sign on the fence and two African American children standing outside with their bikes is what I called page one of the book
Also, any vocabulary words or questions for reflection can be written on sticky notes and attached to the corresponding pages within the book. That way, they are right there as you read each page.
Pre-Lesson Activities
As you introduce the book, Google a current image of the author to show students:
https://www.amazon.com/Paula-Young-Shelton/e/B0038MYMOM
Read aloud the “Author’s Note” inside the book to the class while author’s picture is displayed.
Show the cover of the book and ask students to guess what is written on the flag (Equality) and tell them that the whole civil rights era was about that one word for African Americans and Caucasians. Do a vocabulary check to make sure they know the definition of the word Caucasians. Ask for volunteers to share what they think equality means or share an example of equality. (It does not have to be only black/white race relations; it could include other races, ages, genders, creed, or religions.)
The Lesson
Begin reading the book aloud to students and share the following vocabulary words/terms, ask the following questions, and discuss.
Page 2 – Vocabulary check: What is it called when someone is told that they can’t do something because of the color of their skin?” Explain or revisit the term “Jim Crow laws” and its general definition.
Page 3 - Vocabulary check: Freedom Riders - who they are and what they did
Questions:
How did the author’s parents react to what they saw on television?
What did the mother mean when she declared “we have to go home” while standing in their house?
How do you think you would react if you were in that family’s situation?
Page 5 - Questions:
Where did the author say the heart of the civil rights movement was?
What does the author mean when she writes “where whites could but blacks could not?”
Page 9 - Vocabulary check: brunch and Holiday Inn
Page 11 – Vocabulary check: protest and sit-in
Questions:
Why do you think the author made a point to tell us what color the table cloths were in the restaurant? Do you think that is important to know?
Page 13 – Questions:
Who do you think Uncle Martin is?
Page 15 – Questions:
This is the first time in the story that the author tells us of a happy experience that she had as a little girl. Based on evidence in the text, how do we know it was a happy experience for her?
What factors do you think helped to make this a happy experience for her?
Page 17 – Vocabulary check: Selma and Montgomery
Questions:
Are the people she calls Uncles and Aunts related to her?
How did eating at friends’ houses make her feel like a big family with them?
What were they planning at dinner that evening and specifically, what was the purpose of the march?
Had they been successful at previous marches? Why do you think they had not given up?
Pages 19 and 20 - Vocabulary check: soprano and Vietnam
Questions:
What does the author compare the people’s voices and conversations to? (Ask students if they have ever heard a music concert or orchestra play, then explain what it sounds like when each instrument is tuning before the music begins. You can play this sound clip for them: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/orchestra-tuning/ so they can hear it for themselves.
Why does the author’s mother say that women would be the key to any march’s success?
What do you think Uncle Martin was thinking while “he sat silent and listened”?
Page 22 - Vocabulary check: symphony
Page 23 - Vocabulary check: passionately
Questions:
Ask students to remember that the author’s mother said that “women would be the key to any march’s success” on a previous page. Who is doing the work to set the table, cook the food, and bring it to the table and how does this relate to the mother’s comment about women in the march? Show the illustrations on pages 23 and 24 to demonstrate that the author and her sisters are smiling and happy to help.
Page 25 – Questions:
Based on information in the text, what does the author say the food and company do for them?
Page 28 – Questions:
The author mentions several states that her father visited during his trips for equality for African Americans: Alabama Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia. What region of the US are these states located in?
What does the author say were some of the things her father was doing while away in these states? Do you think this was dangerous?
Page 29 – Questions:
Why do you think it was important to the author’s mother to march with her husband (the author’s father)? In what ways could they place themselves in harm by participating in the march? What would you have done if that was your family and your children?
Pages 31 and 32 – Vocabulary check: leis
Questions:
Who else did the author discover was attending the protest march? Do you think she was surprised by this? Why or why not?
Based on evidence in the text, what was the mood at the march?
Have you ever asked someone to dance? If so, how did you feel? Why do you think the author said Uncle Martin extended a hand to Aunt Coretta “as if to ask her to dance?”
Why do you think the protesters locked their arms together? (You may need to demonstrate what this looks like to your class or you can show this picture from "45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery, Alabama" www.loc.gov/item/2010637771/
Page 33 – Questions:
What was the father implying when he said he had “marched from Selma to Montgomery ten times that week?”
Page 35 – Vocabulary check: National Guard and President Johnson
Questions:
How long did it take for the protesters to march?
How far was the march between the two cities?
Why was the National Guard there?
This march was broadcast, or shown, on television. Do you think that had any affect on the outcome of the march?
Page 37 – Questions:
What does the author say she remembered from the march?
As result of that march, what happened in the legal system by President Johnson?
What does the author say about how she feels to have been a part of that march? When the author writes that “they have won one battle but there were many more to come,” what does she mean?
Page 39 - Vocabulary check: weary and baton
Questions:
What does the author mean when she says that “one day . . . the baton would pass to us and we would march on – children of the civil rights movement?” In your opinion, do you think the civil rights movement is still happening or is it over?
Upon completing the story, you may wish to point out that all the people mentioned in the story were real. There is a short biography about each person on page 40 that can be shared with students, if you choose.
Post-Lesson Activities: Create a Personal Equality Collage
Materials Needed: assorted magazines, cardstock, glue sticks, and scissors
Gather general household “kid-friendly” magazines that have pictures of varied people, activities, food, places, and advertisements, etc. (Ex. Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, American Girl, Boys Life, current events/news, cooking and decorating magazines)
I recommend previewing (well in advance) your selection of magazines for young adult and adult themed articles and photographs BEFORE offering them to your students. Remove any inappropriate or questionable content (articles and photos) or pre-select a large group of photographs from the magazines that you will allow them to use.
Ask students to reflect back to the cover of the book and what was written on the flag. Ask them to take a few moments to think about what the word equality means and what it personally means to them.
Each student receives a piece of card stock, scissors, and a glue stick. Their activity is to find text, pictures, and/or photographs from the magazines that represent equality to them. They are to cut the objects out and paste them to the card stock to make a personal collage. Encourage them to be creative with the pictures/text they select and how they arrange them in their collage.
NOTE: I will accept almost any picture/text on their collage as long as they can explain to me how it reflects equality in a personal way. You never know how our children will interpret what equality visually means to them. A picture of a hot dog could mean being able to cook out with family and friends, the freedom to attend a sporting event, or just to be able to safely go into a restaurant to buy a hot dog.
Upon completion of their post-lesson activity, ask for student volunteers to share with the class their thought processes while they were creating their collages and explain how their objects symbolize equality to them.
