Young Heroes: Children of the Civil Rights Movement

Summarize how and why Barbara Johns responded to the segregation in her community.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 1
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3

Analyze the experiences of young people to explain how they felt about segregation and the challenges they faced in trying to speak out or take action.

Freedom's Children — pp. 5 (Gwendolyn), pp. 13–14 (Pat), pp. 35–36 (Fred)
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3

Analyze the role that the nation's courts played in the fight for civil rights.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 2
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3

Explain how the author uses evidence and reasons to support the idea that school desegregation required courage.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 3
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.8

Explain how Ernest uses reasons and evidence to support the idea that you can do a lot more than you think you can.

Freedom's Children — pp. 41–46, 48–49
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.8

Language

Use the perfect verb tense to show when events occurred.

Freedom's Children
Editing Checklist 1 (G5, U4)
Caption This! Worksheet (G5, U4, L6)

Standards

L.5.1.bL.5.1.c

Overview

Synthesize and analyze details from multiple texts to deepen understanding of a topic.

Witnesses to Freedom
Freedom's Children
Brainstorming Page 1 (G5, U5, L7)
Brainstorming Page 1 Sample Response (G5, U4, L7)
Two Paragraph Outline 1 (G5, U4)
Two Paragraph Outline Sample Response (G5, U4, L7)

Day 1 - Brainstorming

Use different sentence types to craft engaging topic sentences.

Witnesses to Freedom
Freedom's Children
Brainstorming Page 1 (G5, U5, L7)
Brainstorming Page 1 Sample Response (G5, U4, L7)
Two Paragraph Outline 1 (G5, U4)
Two Paragraph Outline Sample Response (G5, U4, L7)

Standards

RI.5.9SL.5.1W.5.2W.5.2.aW.5.2.bW.5.2.eW.5.5

Day 2 - Drafting

Support main ideas by including relevant direct quotations.

Witnesses to Freedom
Freedom's Children
Brainstorming Page 1 (G5, U5, L7) — Completed on Day 1
Two Paragraph Outline 1 (G5, U4) — Completed on Day 1

Standards

RI.5.9SL.5.1W.5.2W.5.2.aW.5.2.bW.5.2.eW.5.5

Summarize the key events of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by determining a main idea and supporting details in order to summarize a text.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 4
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

L.5.1.bRI.5.2RI.5.3

Identify the central idea the author conveys in this chapter and what the central idea reveals about the author's perspective on Jim Crow laws and Black resistance in Montgomery.

Claudette Colvin pp. 2–9 — Chapter 1
Editing Checklist 1 (G5, U4)
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

L.5.1.bRI.5.2RI.5.6

Compare and contrast Claudette's account with what is documented in the police report, and explain why the author includes both versions.

Claudette Colvin pp. 30–36 — Chapter 4
Editing Checklist 1 (G5, U4)
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

L.5.1.bRI.5.6

Explain the tactics and strategies the Black community used in Montgomery to help change laws.

Claudette Colvin — Chapter 7 (pp. 63–65, 67–69) & Chapter 8 (pp. 73–79, 81–83)
Editing Checklist 1 (G5, U4)
Unit Essential Questions Tracker (G5, U4)

Standards

L.5.1.bRI.5.3RI.5.6

Discussion

Debate whether Claudette Colvin or Rosa Parks should be remembered as the hero of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and how the perspective from which history is told has influenced our point of view.

Claudette Colvin
Discussion Brainstorming Page 1 (G5, U4)

Standards

RI.5.2SL.5.1SL.5.2SL.5.3

Write a poem that honors the life of Claudette Colvin or Rosa Parks by using details from across texts.

All unit texts
“Day 1, Crispus Attacks (from 28 Days)_Licensed 2025 (G4, U5, L13)”
“Ruby Bridges: Brave Step”
Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)
Single Point Narrative Writing Rubric (G5, U4)
Poetry Brainstorming Template (G5, U4, L13)
Poetry Brainstorming Template Sample Response (G5, U4, L13)

Describe the racism and oppression Black people in the South faced on a daily basis.

Freedom's Children pp. 9–16

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.6

Debate if the children in the section would agree or disagree with the statement that “their courage made a difference not only in each of their individual lives, but for all the others who have followed,”.

Freedom's Children pp. 32–40

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.6

Explain what the quote reveals about the author’s point of view of Claudette and how the author supports his point of view.

Claudette Colvin — Chapter 6

Standards

RI.5.6RI.5.8

Explain why Claudette and Rosa Parks were perceived differently by the community and if Claudette could have been the face of the movement.

Claudette Colvin — Chapter 7

Standards

RI.5.6RI.5.8

Explain the tactics and strategies the Black community used to make the bus boycott a success and if all members of the community shared the same perspective.

Claudette Colvin — Chapter 8

Standards

RI.5.6RI.5.8

Defend if Claudette’s actions did or did not prove that she was able to make a larger impact and that she could have been the “right” individual.

Claudette Colvin — Chapter 9

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.3RI.5.8

Explain what happened in Montgomery after the court decision was made and how different groups responded.

Claudette Colvin — chapter 10

Standards

RI.5.3RI.5.8

2 days

Synthesize and analyze details from multiple texts in order to deepen understanding of a topic.

Claudette Colvin

Standards

RI.5.9W.5.2W.5.2.aW.5.2.bW.5.2.e

4 days

Write a poem that honors the life of Claudette Colvin or Rosa Parks by using details from across texts.

All unit texts
“Day 1: March 5, 1770”
“Ruby Bridges' Brave Step”
Poetry Brainstorm Template
Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)

Standards

L.5.2L.5.5L.5.5.aW.5.3W.5.3.aW.5.3.bW.5.3.dW.5.5

Determine the main ideas the author is trying to convey about the Civil Rights Movement in chapters 5 and 6 and describe how the author uses key details to support the main idea.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapters 5 and 6

Standards

RI.5.2

Determine the main ideas the author is trying to convey about the civil rights movement in chapter 7 and describe how the author uses key details to support the main idea.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 7

Standards

RI.5.2

Determine the main ideas the author is trying to convey about the civil rights movement in chapter 8 and describe how the author uses key details to support the main idea.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 8

Standards

RI.5.2

Summarize the key events of the Road to Freedom by determining a main idea and supporting details in order to summarize a text.

Witnesses to Freedom — Chapter 9

Standards

RI.5.2

Analyze why Sheyann ends with the statement “They had beaten us like we were slaves.”

Selma, Lord, Selma pp. 87–98

Standards

RI.5.6RI.5.8

Identify the central idea the author conveys and what the central idea reveals about the author’s perspective on segregation and social injustice.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March pp. 50–65

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.6

Describe the real triumph of the march from Selma to Montgomery.

Selma, Lord, Selma pp. 122–128

Standards

RI.5.2

Identify the central idea the author conveys and what the central idea reveals about the author’s perspective on segregation and social injustice.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March pp. 68–87

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.6

Explain why the author put the word “you” in italics and how it supports the author’s point of view and purpose for telling her story.

Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March — pp. 97–106 and 131–132

Standards

RI.5.2RI.5.6

2 days

Analyze multiple accounts of the same event by noting important similarities and differences among the points of view they represent.

Selma, Lord, Selma
Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March
Witnesses to Freedom

Standards

L.5.2.dRI.5.6W.5.2.aW.5.2.bW.5.2.e

Discussion

Synthesize and analyze details from multiple texts in order to deepen understanding of a topic.

Selma, Lord, Selma

Standards

RI.5.9SL.5.1SL.5.3W.5.2

Assessment

Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.

5 days

Conduct a short research project that uses several sources to build knowledge of different aspects of a topic.

Informational Writing Rubric (G5)

Standards

RI.5.9W.5.2W.5.2.aW.5.2.bW.5.2.eW.5.6W.5.7W.5.8