Anna+Rothenhoefer

= ** Civil Rights Movement ** = **__ Fiction __** 1. Curtis, Christopher Paul. (1995). **The Watson’s Go to Birmingham.** Delacorte Press. 224 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** In this realistic fiction narrative, it is 1963 and the Watsons are in Flint, Michigan. Kenny, the narrator describes the family in hilarious accounts and takes his readers through the life as a young African American living in the north. When Kenny’s older brother Byron lands himself in too much trouble the family decides to take a trip to visit their grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama. The peak of the story happens when the family experiences the differences between the north and the south at the height of the Civil Rights Era.


 * Integration: ** The possibilities of integration with this book are limitless. One extension activity students can participate in is comparing and contrasting the two main settings of the text. Comparing Flint, Michigan and Birmingham, Alabama geographically, culturally, and economically are ways for the students to integrate this text with science and social studies. Issues addressed through Kenny’s narratives include bullying, people helping others in need, and even facing consequences when breaking the rules. Each of these issues that readers; young and old, face can prompt students to explore resolving conflicts and problem solving. A variety of resources can be used to look into these areas of social curriculum that students can connect with in a more realistic and meaningful version. Students can also practice research efforts taking on the role of reporters, gaining exposure to newspapers, articles, and informational text.

2. Curtis, Gavin. (1998). **The Bat Boy and His Violin**. Aladdin Paperbacks. 32 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** In this realistic fiction children’s booka young boy, Reginald has a passion for playing the violin. His father, the manager of the Dukes baseball team in the Negro National League; however, tries to peak his son’s interest in baseball. Reggie’s father makes him a batboy of the team. This leaves Reginald with little time to practice his violin, so he begins practicing right in the dugout. This story depicts the relationship struggles between a boy and his father in addition to giving subtle perspective on how African-Americans lived during the time of segregation.


 * Integration: ** This book can be used as an introduction into the life and history of Jackie Robinson and the National Negro League. Students can study the history of baseball for African-Americans and even compare and contrast leagues. Students will learn the practice of research and how to find credible information in addition to the variety of resources that can be used during research.

3. Faulkner, Matt. (2008). **A Taste of Colored Water.** Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 48 pages. Tempe Public Library.


 * Annotation: **__ The Taste of Colored Water __ is a realistic fiction children’s book that depicts segregation through the eyes of two young children. Jelly and LuLu hear a story about a colored bubbler (water fountain) and are determined to see and taste it for themselves. They imagine the colored water tastes of cherry, grape, orange, and apple. When they reach town, they realize it might just not be what they imagine. This story is an incredible perspective of the Civil Rights Era through the eyes of young white children.


 * Integration: ** One area of curriculum that students can focus on after reading this text would be geography and community. Students can compare and contrast social elements, economics, politics, education, and much more between rural and urban areas. This can be extended to focus on rural and urban areas during specific time periods as well. It would be interesting for students to identify and look for patterns or surprising observations.

4. Mason, Margaret. (2010). **These Hands**. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 32 pages. Tempe Public Library.


 * Annotation: ** In __These Hands__, a grandfather teaches his grandson, Joseph, what his hands were able to do when he was younger. His grandfather tells him stories of playing baseball and playing the piano. At one point he tells his grandson how as an African-American one thing his hands weren’t able to do were to work with dough at the bread factory he worked at. Those very same hands, “joined with other hands” worked to have petitions signed for justice and the defeat of discrimination. This realistic fiction piece serves as a touching narrative for its readers.


 * Integration: ** This book can be used as an introduction to discuss traditions that students have experienced with their grandparents or stories that their grandparents have told them about the time that they lived in.I think it’s intriguing for students to be able to connect to someone who has experienced a raw and important piece of history.This text can also be paired with a writing activity where students are asked to imagine if they weren’t able to use their hands anymore to do the things they enjoy. How would they feel or adapt?

5. Miller, William. (1998). **The Bus Ride.** Lee & Low Books Inc. 32 pages. Balsz Elementary Library.


 * Annotation: **__ The Bus Ride __ is yet another historical fiction piece portrayed through the eyes of a young girl. Sara, the young African-American girl’s curiosity and misunderstanding notion of the law lands her in trouble. She receives attention from the media when she finds herself in jail for sitting in the front of the bus and refusing to move. Sara learns to stand tall for what she believes is right and soon others are following her lead.


 * Integration: ** Students could use this text to connect to the art of media and the role it plays in society. They can explore cases that have been portrayed in both lights through a variety of media: print, video, photography, etc. The exposure to this text could also lead students to research other (nonfictional) children who have been publicly praised for their courageous acts and bravery. Seeing that people of all ages can play a role in our society can open students’ minds to their futures’ possibilities.

6. Ramsey, Calvin Alexander. (2010). **Ruth and the Green Book.** Carolrhoda Books. 32 pages. Tempe Public Library


 * Annotation ** : Ruth and her family are traveling from Chicago south to Alabama to visit her grandma in this historical fiction children’s book. On the way they face the reality of the Jim Crow Laws. AAs African Americans they experience being turned away from restrooms, gas stations, and hotels until Ruth’s father buys a green book. This green book is Ruth’s family’s guide as African American travelers to navigate the discriminative world of the south.


 * Integration ** : __Ruth and the Green Book__ can be used to study travel. Students can study traveling patterns of African Americans during the Civil Rights Era. Students will practice research techniques to identify where African Americans This book can also be used as an introduction to mapping. Students can practice creating their own travel routes as well as reading and creating maps.

7. Reynolds, Aaron. (2010). **Back of the Bus.** Philomel Books. 32 pages. Tempe Public Library.


 * Annotation: ** Through the eyes of a young boy, __Back of the Bus__ tells the story of Rosa Parks’ heroism and courageous act in 1955. As a child, it isn’t always easy to understand the impact of the events we experience. This story’s narrator, a young boy, apprehensively discovers just what the commotion at the front of the bus is all about. This realistic fiction narrative sheds an interesting light on the particular event of the Civil Rights Era.


 * Integration: ** I think that an interesting activity to use with this book is to have the students prepare an interview for Ms. Parks. I would prompt my students to ask questions to gain a better understanding about her decision and what it is like facing consequences for our actions. I think I would be greatly surprised by what they came up with. This text can be used to introduce perspective and to get students to use their knowledge to write about these experiences through their eyes. It can be paired with other historical fiction pieces that are written through the eyes of young children.

8. Swain, Gwenyth. (2008). **Riding to Washington.** Sleeping Bear Press. 40 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** A troublesome girl finds herself in route to Washington, D.C. with her father to hear Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech at the capitol. This text is from the perspective of a young, white girl who does not comprehend much of the situation until personal experience start to bring reality of the situation into focus. As the bus travels from Indianapolis to D.C. Janie begins to see the injustices others have endured. This realistic fiction piece is a powerful depiction of the events of the Civil Rights Era.


 * Integration: ** This text can be used in math. Students can solve how far it would take to travel by car, by bus, or train from Indianapolis to Washington, D.C.Students could also work with conversions and solving how many feet, miles, yards, minutes, seconds, hours, or days the route is.Students can also research the numbers involving how many buses and how many people traveled into D.C. during the events of MLK’s speech and march on the capitol.

9. Wiles, Deborah. (2005). **Freedom Summer.** Aladdin Paperbacks. 32 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** This realistic fiction text is about two young boys, a white boy and his best friend an African-American. Set in the south in 1964, Joe and John Henry do everything together—except for the things that John Henry isn’t allowed to do. Soon, a law is passed that outlaws segregation. Joe and John Henry are ecstatic! Now they can finally go swimming together at the pool. They quickly learn that it takes more than a new law to change the prejudice and hate in society.


 * Integration: ** This text could spark a discussion about the ways that legislature effects even young children. Students can learn about laws that have taken affect on their lives and explore what it takes to create a law, have a law removed, and what are the effects.Students can explore what other laws have been removed and society’s reactions to said events.

10. Woodson, Jacqueline. (2001). **The Other Side.** G.P. Putnam’s Sons. 32 pages. Balsz Elementary Library.


 * Annotation: ** Clover’s mother tells her not to leave the yard and hop the fence in this realistic fiction narrative. Clover’s fence separates her household from a white family’s household. The young girl, Anna, who lives next door; her mother also told her not to cross the fence. The two young girls decide it’s not breaking the rules if they just sit on top of the fence. The fence becomes a common ground from which a blooming friendship is made.


 * Integration: ** This text can be used to discuss inclusion among peers and classmates. Students can write about what it means to include others and ways they can become more inclusive with their peers. This activity could also get students to discuss how it feels to be excluded or how it feels when others are inclusive. This could serve as a community-building activity as students are encouraged to look past each other’s differences and focus on their common ground.

**__ Nonfiction __**

1. Adler, David A. (1989). **A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.** Holiday House. 30 pages. Private Collection.


 * Annotation: ** This brief biography focuses on the childhood and family of Martin Luther King, Jr. This text discusses MLK’s early experiences facing hatred and his lifelong vision for racial equality in addition to the concept of nonviolent rebellion. The picture book format serves as an effective way to reach a younger audience.


 * Integration: ** This text can serve as an introduction to biographies. Students can practice writing about interviewing others to write about them or even try writing about themselves and experience writing an autobiography. Students can discuss their families, neighborhoods and communities, in addition to discussing their hopes and dreams for their futures. An extension could include having the students predict where they see themselves in the next ten years.

2. Coles, Robert. (1995**). The Story of Ruby Bridges**. Scholastic. 32 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** This text provides its readers with a rich history about a six-year-old girl who made history, as she became one of the first African-Americans sent to an all-white school. Ruby faces the hostile crowds of a prejudiced society as she is escorted to school for months by U.S. Marshals. Ruby learns to read and write in a classroom of her own as her peers have been pulled from school. Ruby’s courageous act tells a story of setting an example by overcoming racial hatred.


 * Integration: ** This powerful text can be used in a variety of ways. First, as I read this book, I noticed it can be used an example to introduce students to character traits and how characters’ actions contribute to the sequence of events. Additionally, this text can spark a conversation about bravery and courageous acts of young children. Students can be encouraged to speak or write about a time when they faced intimidation and acted bravely in the midst of these events. Students can also use this text to explore other young children who have played an important role in our nation’s history. Students can also explore and research current events that involve courageous acts of young children.

3. Farris, Christine King. (2003). **My Brother Martin**. Aladdin Paperback. 40 pages. Balsz Elementary Library.


 * Annotation: ** Christina King Farris describes life growing up with her younger brother, Martin Luther King, Jr. She writes about listening to stories told by their grandmother and participating in neighborhood games like other children. The author also describes the memories of segregation in Atlanta, Georgia throughout their childhoods and the innocence of their understanding. The recounted memories of MLK, Jr. by his older sister portray a lighter side of the character, displaying more intimate details of the figure. This biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. through the eyes of his older sister truly provides the reader with an insight to MLK Jr.’s early life.


 * Integration: ** This book would be a great introduction to discussing family traditions and stories that are shared throughout generations. The text can be used to have children write about a story that their families have passed down to them, or family traditions that they celebrate. This activity would be a great way for the students to learn more about each other and as a teacher to culturally learn more about my students.

4. Herman, Gail. **Who Was Jackie Robinson?** Penguin Group. 112 pages. Balsz Elementary Library.


 * Annotation: ** This biography tells the tale of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball. In 1947 Jackie joined the Brooklyn Dodgers breaking a long time color barrier in athletics. This text recalls accounts of Jackie’s experiences of exclusion among his teammates and an even deeper account of hatred from society.


 * Integration: ** This text could be used to explore other historical gains made by athletes in the United States. Organization of the sports, the relationship between race and athletics, individual athlete impacts, historical championships, etc. can all be researched and compared. It would be interesting for students to choose a sport and one of its’ most famous controversial events or accomplishments and present its content.

5. Marzollo, Jean. (1993). **Happy Birthday Martin Luther King, Jr**. Scholastic. 32 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** This text describes the life of Martin Luther king, Jr. in a simple form for young readers to comprehend. The biography discusses who exactly MLK, Jr. was and why we celebrate his life. His role during our Nation’s history is described in addition to an introduction to the issues of Civil Rights. This text can be used to prompt students why it is important that individuals stand up for what they believe is right and to speak out about injustice.


 * Integration: ** After reading about the reasons we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students can write about other infamous heroes of our nation that are celebrated in our calendar. Students will use effective research techniques to find information about a hero or event (of choice) that we celebrate in our calendar (Christopher Columbus, Veterans of war, Pilgrims and Native Americans, etc.). Students will create and prepare a summary to share with the class.

6. Rappaport, Doreen. **Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin**
 * Luther King, Jr ** . Hyperion Books for Children. 40 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: **__ Martin’s Big Words __ is yet another biography of the legend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.This text is effective in explaining a difficult topic to its younger readers.The way the author describes Martin as a young boy allows readers to connect with the hero.The text describes MLK’s motivation and accomplishments as a witness to injustice and an advocate for equality.


 * Integration: ** In __Martin’s Big Words__, the illustrator uses detailed watercolor paintings and collage. This text could serve as an example of different techniques of art. Students can use the same techniques the illustrator uses and create a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. using watercolor paints or collage techniques. Students can also be introduced to others texts that use the same illustration techniques.

7. Ringgold, Faith. (1995). **My Dream of Martin Luther King.** Crown Publishers Inc. 32 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation ** : In the biography __My Dream of Martin Luther King__, Faith Ringgold describes a dream she has about Martin Luther King. Her dream includes descriptions of Martin’s experiences as a child and scenes from his adult life. She discusses segregation, protests and the march on Washington. Through her perspective, readers gain insight about the fulfillment of King’s dream of nonviolent social change.


 * Integration ** : This text can be used to discuss personal goals and dreams. Students can participate in writing about dreams they have for themselves, dreams they have for their communities, and exploring the opportunities and effort considered following these dreams. This empowering activity can be used to gain insight about students and instill in them a sense of vulnerability.

8. Ruffin, Frances E. (2001). **Martin Luther King Jr. and the March**
 * on Washington. ** Penguin Group. 48 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** This text describes Martin Luther King’s journey to Washington, D.C. and provides a brief overview of the Civil Rights era. This book captures the infamous day where MLK spoke out among hundreds of thousands Americans sharing his dream for equality and justice. This easy-to-read text is a great independent read for readers who need comprehension scaffolds.


 * Integration: ** This text could serve as a preface to studying other historical national landmarks where hundreds of thousands of people were moved to attend. Students will look for patterns among these instances and discuss and present their findings. Is the pattern economic, political, racial, ethical, or something else? Students will participate in writing a detailed description of a chosen event.

**__ Teacher Resources __**

1. Bader, Bonnie. (2008). **Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?** Penguin Group. 112 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** This book is a comprehensive text for young readers. It is a biography of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Readers gain insight on segregation, nonviolence, equality, protest, and much more pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement. Also in this text, readers learn of the Freedom Riders, lunch counter protests, and of the inspirational individuals who lost their lives in the movement. Not only does this text provide readers with a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. but also it describes the monumental events of and leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.


 * Integration: ** As the text focuses on Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for nonviolence protests and racial justice and equality, students can use this information to compare and contrast MLK’s practices with other Civil Rights leaders. Additionally, students can explore the practice of protests in our nation and their affects or outcomes. Furthermore, students can use inspiration from MLK’s leadership to explore and write about a civil or economic issue that they would advocate and (nonviolently) fight for.

2. Bridges, Ruby. (1999). **Through My Eyes.** Scholastic. 63 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: **__ Through My Eyes __ is Ruby Bridges’ account of her role in history. In this autobiography, she writes about her journey in 1960 as a six-year-old African American girl making her way into an integrated school. She describes being escorted by U.S. Marshals to her first day of first-grade in an all-white school and everyday after that for her protection. Through Ruby’s descriptions paint a vivid picture of her courage and heroism that sparked a transformation in our society.


 * Integration: ** This book can be used to discuss legislation in education. Students are introduced to the role legislature played in Ruby’s life, which ultimately played a role in the Civil Rights Movement.This text can be used to discuss law making and which laws have played a direct role in our own education. Students may also use this text to identify cause and effect in literature.

3. Krull, Kathleen. (2003). **Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar**
 * Chavez ** . Scholastic. 48 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** In this biography, readers meet Cesar Chavez and learn of his childhood in Arizona. When his family was forced to move to California due to financial difficulties, they seek employment laboring in the fields of farms. This book describes the mistreatment and conditions of migrant farm workers between the 1930s and 1960s in California through Cesar Chavez’s personal experiences. The author points out that Chavez and other migrant workers faced and battled through nonviolent acts, such as strikes, protests, and marches to fight for justice, leading to the establishment of the National Farm Workers Association and the first contract for farmworkers in American history by Cesar Chavez.


 * Integration: ** Students can connect to Harvesting Hope by researching the suffrage and hardships families faced from working the land during the Great Depression and the years following.They can then create a “cause and effect” chart about the Great Depression. Additionally, students have the opportunity to connect to math through this reading. Using the description and explanation of the protestors march to the state capitol in Sacramento, students can estimate and calculate how many days it might have taken the marchers to reach their destination. Students also have the opportunity to explore the geography of the areas in California mentioned throughout the text.

4. McDonough, Yona Zeldis. (2010). **Who Was Rosa Parks?** Penguin Group. 112 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** In 1955 Rosa Parks refused to succumb to the injustice laws of segregation. Her act of bravery inspired other African-Americans to join the cause in fighting for justice.This biography discusses the events in Rosa’s life that helped shaped the courageous woman she would become. This understandable and simple text is written perfectly for its audience of younger readers.


 * Integration: ** This would be a great text for students to use as a resource as they must present the events of Rosa Parks’ life and inspirations as if they are her.Students will prepare a verbal autobiography to present to the class and have the opportunity to become Rosa Parks. This text can also be paired with biographies of other Civil Rights leaders to compare and contrast the actions of each individual and how these actions affected the movement.

5. King, Jr. Martin Luther. (1963). **I Have a Dream**. Scwartz & Wade Books. 40 pages. Private collection.


 * Annotation: ** Dr. King’s words, from his historically famous speech in 1963, flow among the beautifully crafted images in this text. Dr. King’s words paired combined with the illustrations capture the eyes of its younger audience. While the text does not display the entire speech, it provides an important introduction of a piece of our nation’s history.


 * Integration: ** I would use this text to introduce the craft of public speaking and speech writing. To this day Dr. King’s speech still provides its readers and listeners with the imagery and inspiration that it did 50 years ago. It is important to teach young writers the power of words and expose them to professional forms of communication and expression. MLK’s speech can also be used to influence students’ to prepare their own speech about their dreams for justice and equality.