Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what about Claudette Colvin, Virginia Durr, Freedom Summer, or the Birmingham Children's Crusade? A five-lesson unit prompts class members...

Have historians use primary sources to learn about the circumstances and implementation of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and think about the issue of boycotts as a means of effecting social change. Wrap it up with a letter to the editor...

Introduce the class to the Civil Rights Movement by taking a critical look at the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. They will pay close attention to the role women played in organizing the boycott and bringing national attention to the...

An engaging and informative video sheds light on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Kid-friendly animated figures visually portray what the narrator says. An end-review...

Participants examine two documents related to Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, sources that challenge some of the commonly held preconceptions about Rosa Parks. They then respond to discussion questions to reinforce understanding and...

It's December 1, 1955, and a tired African American woman refuses to give up her seat for a white man on a bus in Montgomery. This woman is Rosa Parks. While she wasn't the first person to stay seated despite the current laws, her arrest...

Develop editing skills every day with these Every-Day Edits! This bell-ringer focuses on Rosa Parks and the infamous Montgomery Bus Boycott. As they read, learners search for errors in punctuation, grammar, spelling, and capitalization. 

How did Martin Luther King, Jr. sway people with his speeches? Scholars carry out a close reading of the Montgomery Bus Boycott speech and use the Close Reading Guide to help them work through the powerful text. While reading, they...

Scholars analyze the use of active and passive voice in The Montgomery Bus Boycott speech and refer to an Active and Passive Sentences handout while viewing the text. Pairs of learners then work together to identify passive and active...

As part of their study of the US Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery bus boycott, class members read Dr. Martin Luther King's "Integrated Bus Suggestions." They then craft a short story about the first week of Montgomery bus...

Young scholars investigate the Montgomery Bus Boycott. For this American Civil Rights Movement lesson, students determine whether or not they would have taken part in the boycott and write a 5 paragraph essay about the implications of...

Students study the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In this American Civil Rights lesson, students listen to a lecture about segregation, Rosa Parks, and the bus boycott. Students discuss passive resistance and its effectiveness.

Students consider the role of average Americans in the Montgomery Bus Boycott. In this Civil Rights lesson, students listen to a lecture that outlines the details of the boycott. Students conduct further research about the people who led...

Dive deeper into the Montgomery Bus Boycott with this multi-stage lesson, centered on the essential question: Why did the boycott last so long? Historians investigate the Jim Crow south through a video clip (not included), then analyze...

Research the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Rosa Parks. Set up different centers and have learners rotate through the activities aimed at researching Rosa Parks. They read The Bus Ride that Changed History: The Story of Rosa Parks, write a...

Rosa Parks is considered a symbol of the American Civil Rights movement—but what about her story? A series of video clips examines her role in the movement, as well as her legacy. Scholars listen to historian Jeanne Theoharis discuss her...

Now here is a resource you don't see everyday. It's a printable version of a 17-page, full-color comic that describes the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement in 1955 and 1956. It focuses on the actions of Martin Luther...

What led to the success of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and how might historians approach this question differently? This rich series of lessons includes a short introductory video clip, analysis of six primary source documents, and...

Discover the fascinating story of Rosa Parks, including the realities of segregation she was forced to face throughout her life, her monumental role in sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and her continued fight for social justice in...

Students dramatize incident that started the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s: Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama.

Class members listen to a passage on Rosa Parks, examine images of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and respond to questions based on the text. They then craft a free-verse poem that recounts her achievements and reveals why she is considered...

While the 1950s seemed to be a time of peace and prosperity, Sputnik, the Korean War, and the Montgomery bus boycott were symptoms of the turmoil that loomed under the surface. Using documents, class members investigate what these events...

When Rosa Parks took her seat on a public bus to protest segregation, she also took her place in history. Learners examine a clue from this story—a diagram of the bus—to see if they can figure out the pivotal role of  this...