A Child of the Civil Rights Movement: What Was it Like?

AHTC Civil Rights Summer Institute – 2010

Michael Burrus

To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.

Abstract:

This lesson is geared towards 2^nd graders and is built around the book, Child of the Civil Rights Movement, by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colón (illustrator). Young Shelton is the daughter of Civil Rights leader Andrew Young. The text, along with the illustrations, tells a wonderful story of the author’s experience of being a child during the height of the civil rights movement. The book provides numerous opportunities for questions and discussion. A reflection/writing component has been included in the lesson as well. Students will come away from this lesson with a better understanding of what it was like for both children and adults in the Deep South during the Jim Crow Era.

Essential Questions/Enduring Understandings:

*What was it like for whites?/What was it like for African Americans?

*What was life like for adults at this time?/What was life like for a child at this time?

*Who participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery?

*How did Young Shelton feel when her family was not allowed to eat at the restaurant?

*What did she do? What do you think that you would’ve done and why?

*Why do you think the author wanted to continue marching when her mother asked her if she wanted to ride in a car? What would you have done and why?

*Why was the Voting Rights Act of 1965 important?

Assessment:

The students will be assessed through a variety of methods including interacting with the text (discussion – asking and answering questions), sharing their ideas, thoughts, feelings, as well as their work on the graphic organizer.

Setting the Purpose:

Prior to listening to the story, the students will be given the assignment to listen for what life was like for kids at this time, what life was like for adults at this time, and to also listen for any parts of the story that they have “big, strong feelings” about. The teacher will want to display these headings prominently during the reading (board, screen, etc.) The students will listen to the story, Child of the Civil Rights Movement, by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colón. After a few minutes for the students to reflect on the text (reflection could be a quiet time, partner-talk, or a combination of both), the students will complete the assignment. I envisioned the graphic organizer as a T-chart with some additional space at the bottom of the page. However, I want to stress the writing activity portion with my students, so I created the pages so that it would be more practical for the students to write. The first two sections of the graphic organizer are a comparison/contrast connection (adult/child), whereas the last part is a space for students to write about any “big, strong feelings” they had when they listened to the story. After at least 15-20 minutes, the students will be able to share their work in a whole-class discussion format. Any essential questions not specifically dealt with will be asked by the teacher towards the end of the discussion. As a possible connection for the students, I believe that it is important for the students to have a chance to look at photographs of the people mentioned in the book, so I have listed some websites in the Resources section to assist in finding the photos online. The people mentioned in the text include Andrew Young, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Randolph Blackwell, Dorothy Cotton, James Orange, and Hosea Williams.

Analysis of Local Primary Sources/Ties to National:

The class will be able to place their learning in greater context by listening to newspaper articles or article excerpts (as read by the teacher), about the barbershop boycotts here in Champaign, or about the boycott of Penney’s.

List of Materials/Resources:

Academy of Achievement, biography of Coretta Scott King, copyright 1996-2009, American Academy of Achievement: www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/kin1bio-1

Comparison/Strong Feelings Graphic Organizer

Dorothy Cotton Web site: www.dorothycotton.com/index.html

New Georgia Encyclopedia, History & Archaeology, article on Ralph Abernathy, copyright 2004-2009 by the Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press:

www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2736&hl=y

New Georgia Encyclopedia, History & Archaeology, article on Hosea Williams, copyright 2004-2009 by the Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press:

www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2721&hl=y

New Georgia Encyclopedia, History & Archaeology, article on Andrew Young, copyright 2004-2009 by the Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press:

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1395

Young Shelton, Paula & Colón, Raul. (2010). Child of the civil rights movement. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

2010 AHTC Summer Institute Civil Rights cd.