The month of February was very exciting in the North Belmont Library! All month long we celebrated Black History Month.
Research, Research, Research
My 3-5 grades worked with a partner to choose one event leading to the end of segregation to research. I introduced this unit using a video from Discovery Education, Standing Up for Freedom: The Story of Rosa Parks
http://app.discoveryeducation.com/player/view/assetGuid/75281F64-0734-435D-8FE1-C5A003945FBE. This gave the students some background knowledge of segregation. Next, the students choose one event to research from the following list:
- Voting Rights Act of 1965
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (De-Segregation in Education)
- Montgomery Bus Boycotts
- Greensboro, NC Lunch Counter Sit-Ins
- Bailey v. Patterson (De-Segregation in Transportation)
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream"
With a partner and a graphic organizer, the students began their research either on a desktop, laptop, or iPad. The students had a total of 45 minutes stretched between a few weeks to complete their research. I found that most students expected to find the information without having to read. That was very frustrating for me! This week students will begin using their research to create a voicethread about their event. I will be posting that link when it's complete.
Now for the younger ones....
I had a lot of good conversation with my kindergarten through second grades. I focused on books with segregation as the main theme and how the characters overcame inequality. We read the following books:
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Toni Ann Johnson
Back of the Bus by Aaron Reynolds
Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rapaport
Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Gwen Strauss
It amazed me at how involved the students were in the books. They had several questions which led to some awesome conversation! After our conversations we didn't have time for anything additional which proves that you don't always need technology or projects to make a lesson great!
