Lesson Plan #2

Title:  The Story of Ruby Bridges

Grade Level:  Kindergarten
 
Subject(s):  Reading and Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Technology

Learner Outcomes:  

• The students will be able to understand that African Americans were not allowed to do the same things as Caucasians while reading the story of Ruby Bridges.
• The students will be able to gain a knowledge of Ruby Bridges and her contribution to our society through reading The Story of Ruby Bridges.
• The students will be able to determine how they are alike and different from their classmates as they discuss and graph their traits and characteristics as individuals.   
• The students will be able to locate the city and state of where Ruby Bridges was born and went to school through the visual maps on Powerpoint Presentation.
• The students will compare their lives to that of Ruby Bridges after they listen to her story and draw conclusions from their own experiences.
• The students will contribute to making a class story map for the book The Story of Ruby Bridges using the chart in the Powerpoint Presentation.

Duration of Lesson:  Language Arts 90 minutes.

Materials:  
Language Arts: The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, drawing paper, chart paper, story map chart, pencils, crayons, and multimedia computer

Math:  chart paper or computer/projector, markers, graphs, crayons

Technology Tools/Courseware:  Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Word, Printer, Multimedia computer

Teacher Notes:  

• To play the enrichment internet activity you must have Flash 5 on your computer for the game to run.
• There are tutorials on how to use Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Word.

Procedures:

1. To begin the lesson have the students to brainstorm how they are alike and different from each other (example:  eye color, hair color, boy/ girl, race).  
2. Make a list using the board, chart paper, or computer (Microsoft Word) and projection device of students responses or ideas.  
3. Compile this list of ideas to create several graphs of these characteristics or traits using chart paper to graph them or input the data into Microsoft Powerpoint to create a graph to use with the projector (see examples). 
4.  Have each child tell orally of each characteristic they exhibit as you compile the data for the graph. 
5. Discuss with the students how the graph shows how we are alike and different in many ways, but each individual is unique in their own special way.
6. Have the students to then think about what it means to be treated equally or fairly and to share their ideas with a partner.  Give students several hypothetical situations of allowing some students certain privileges while not letting others because they are different.  For example, only the boys could play on the playground while the girls sat on the bench and watched.   Only the brown eyed children could go on a field trip.  All African American students have to attend a different school from the White students. Again, discuss with the students how they would feel if they couldn't do everything that other children could do just because they were different in some way. 
7. With the students introduce The Story of Ruby Bridges showing the cover and excerpts of the book.  Give a brief overview of how she was the first six year old African American girl  who attended  an all white elementary school in 1960. Share with students the controversy she encountered being an African American.   
8. Use a map or globe to show students where Ruby Bridges was born (Tylerton, Mississippi)  and where her family moved and attended school (New Orleans, Louisiana).
   
9. Have students to listen and pay close attention to the courage and strength Ruby Bridges portrays as you read the story aloud to them.
   
10. After reading the story and discussing it with students have them to draw a picture of how Ruby Bridges might have felt as she went to school each day.  On the other side, have students to draw a picture and write one sentence of how our society is today with all students working together.
    
11. Have the students to share their pictures orally with their classmates.  
12. As a follow-up activity for the whole class create a story map of The Story of Ruby Bridges containing these components:  setting, characters, problem, solution.
    

Modifications:  

• If students are shy or unwilling to discuss their pictures of Ruby Bridges with the whole class have them to pair up with a partner or do in a smaller group setting.
• If the student is having difficulty phonetically spelling out the words for their sentence have them to determine the beginning sounds.  
• Give students having difficulty recalling letters/formation an alphabet strip to use in locating the letters on their own.

Enrichment Activities:

• The students can use the internet site to match famous African American Faces who demonstrate courage, strength, and equality.
• As a class do a Venn Diagram to show the similarities/differences between the students and Ruby Bridges.

Evaluation/Assessment:

The students will be assessed using a checklist for the graphing activity, listening of story, and picture with sentence on Ruby Bridges.

State and National Standards:

West Virginia Content Standards and Objectives:

Reading and Language Arts:  K.1.7, K.1.8, K.1.9, K.1.10, K.1.11, K.1.12, K.1.13, K.2.3, K.2.4, K.2.5, K.2.6, K.2.7, K.3.2


Mathematics:  K.5.1, K.5.2, K.5.3


Social Studies:  K.1.2, K.4.2, K.4.3, K.5.1, K.5.2, K.5.4, K.5.6


Technology:  K.1.1, K.1.2, K.1.3, K.2.1, K.3.1


National Standards:  

Reading and Language Arts:

1.  Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
2.  Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.
3.  Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
5.  Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
6.  Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts.
7.  Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts.
8.  Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.

Mathematics:  

6.  Understands that observations about objects or events can be organized and displayed in simple graphs.

Social Studies:

1.  Understands family life now and in the past, and family life in various places long ago.
2.  Understands the history of a local community and how communities in North America varied long ago.
5.  Understands the causes and nature of movements of large groups of people into and within the United States, now and long ago.
6.  Understands the folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they helped to form a national heritage.

Technology:

1.  Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and operating systems.

References:

Resources cited:  The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, Microsoft Office Tutorials,  African American Faces,  The Ruby Bridges Foundation
Additional resources:  Other books about Ruby Bridges, African Americans or equality.
Student Resources:  Other sites or books which deal with the topic of African Americans, equality, or Ruby Bridges.

            Jennifer Smith
         J.E. Robins Elementary

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