Lesson 24: March: Book One, Workshop on Nonviolence

Turn and Talk

Have students take out March: Book One with their annotations.

• Lesson 19 Homework: Students were instructed to read pp. 74–82, annotating in response to the question What philosophy (a system of thought or guidance) is John Lewis introduced to, and how does he learn it?

Say these Directions: Turn and talk with a partner to prepare for today’s lesson.

• Ask: What philosophy (a system of thought or guidance) is John Lewis introduced to, and how does he learn it?

  • John Lewis is introduced to the philosophy of nonviolence, the “way of peace” and the “way of love” (p. 73). He learns it by joining Jim Lawson’s workshops, where Lawson teaches the ideas behind nonviolent resistance (including examples like Gandhi) and has students practice through training activities (pp. 75–77). Lewis and other students also learn by role-playing real harassment and intimidation so they can build discipline, protect one another, and respond without retaliation (pp. 79–82).

Connection to Today’s Learning:

• Say: Today, we will reread pp. 74–82 closely to analyze how Lewis is taught this philosophy and why the training matters. As we annotate, we’ll track the sequence of events and key word choices (like eradicate and dehumanize) to explain how this excerpt develops Lewis’s understanding of nonviolence and the risks and responsibilities that come with civic action.

Introduce New Words Using Morphology

Target Words: nonviolence, passive resistance 

Say these Directions: We’re learning about the words nonviolence and passive resistance today.

Introduce the Words: Present the words nonviolence and passive resistance and pronounce them. 

• Ask: Have you seen these words before? Where?

Identify Affixes: Underline non- in nonviolence and -ance in resistance. Explain that the prefix non- means “not,” “lack of,” or “absence of,” while the suffix -ance means “the state, condition, or act of.”

• Ask: Do you know any other words with the prefix non- or the suffix -ance? If so, which words?

  • nonfiction, nonhuman; guidance, assistance

    • Ask: How do non- and -ance affect the meaning of the roots in the words you came up with?

  • Non- negates the root, so nonfiction means “not fiction,” and nonhuman means “not human”; -ance turns a verb/adjective into a noun that names a state, condition, or act, so guidance means “the act of guiding,” and assistance means “the act of assisting.”

Determine Meaning: First, have students determine the meaning of nonviolence.

• Ask: Knowing what the prefix non- means, what does the word nonviolence mean?

  • a lack of violence)

• Ask: When do you resist or take a stand against something in your own lives?

Word Relationships

Then have students determine the meaning of passive resistance.

• Ask: If resist means ‘to stand against or oppose,’ then what does resistance mean?

  • the state of standing against or in opposition to

    • Ask: Active is an antonym of the word passive. Because we know passive is the opposite of active, what does passive mean?

  • ‘not reacting,’ ‘not participating,’ or ‘not engaging

• Ask: If we put these two words together, what does passive resistance mean?

  • “the state of standing against or in opposition to something by not reacting, participating, or engaging”

• Ask: How can resistance be passive and not active?

  • Passive resistance can be resistance without physical force or violence. It can mean refusing to cooperate with unfair rules in calm, controlled ways instead of fighting back physically.

• Ask: What might passive resistance look like?

  • It might look like sitting peacefully, refusing to move, boycotting [not using a service], marching silently, following a plan to stay calm under insults, or accepting consequences [like arrest] without retaliation to expose injustice and pressure change.

Verify Meaning: Use a dictionary, thesaurus, or other reference material to review and verify the meaning of the word constructed using morphemes.

Build Word Relationships:

• Ask: How is passive resistance connected to nonviolence?

  • Passive resistance is connected to nonviolence because it is a way of opposing injustice without using violence.

Connection to Today’s Learning: 

• Say: Today, we will use the ideas of nonviolence and passive resistance to help us understand what John Lewis is learning in pp. 74–82. As we reread and discuss, pay attention to what Lawson teaches, how he teaches it (through examples, workshops, and practice), and how Lewis’s thinking begins to change as he learns a new way to resist injustice.

Part A: Close Reading March, Book 1 (RI.8.3) (10 minutes)

Say these Directions: With your small group, reread pp. 74–82 of March. As you read, annotate for examples of nonviolence and passive resistance based on the dialogue in the text and the visuals (graphics, panels, etc.) Consider the question from the Literacy Lab activity: How is passive resistance connected to the philosophy of nonviolence?

Part B: Discussing the Philosophy of Non-Violence (RI.8.2, RI.8.3) (20 minutes)

Group Accountability Share

Say these Directions: Follow the Group Accountability Share routine, work with your group, and agree on one answer for each question. Cite text evidence to support your answer.

• Ask: What do Lewis's interactions and storytelling with his visitors demonstrate about his continued commitment to the civil rights cause?

  • Lewis is still meeting with people and taking time to explain the movement, which shows he sees education and remembering as part of the continued work (p. 74). Additionally, it shows the care he has for future generations and their understanding of the past. When he receives a message connected to Jim Lawson, the memoir shifts into his memory, showing that Lewis carries the lessons of nonviolence with him and continues to pass them on (p. 75).

• Ask: Why does Jim Lawson want the volunteers to use ‘non-violence’ as the ‘philosophy’ or ‘discipline’ by which they resist?

  • Lawson presents nonviolence as a discipline and “tool” for fight for desegregation (p. 76). He sees the philosophy as a way to “free” the volunteers from “the evil or racism” and “poverty” (p. 77). He talks about Gandhi as an example of how this philosophy has worked before to “free an entire nation of people” (p. 77).

• Ask: Lawson suggests that nonviolence can ‘eradicate some of the evils’ the volunteers faced. What does ‘eradicate’ mean in this context?

  • Here, eradicate means to remove or wipe out. Lawson argues that nonviolent action can work to eliminate major national harms like racism, poverty, and war, even if it takes sustained effort over time (p. 77).

• Ask: How do the visual images in the text (panels, colors, graphics) portray the nonviolence or passive resistance the volunteers must engage in?

  • The memoir uses intense contrast and close-ups to show how calm and disciplined the volunteers must be while being tested (pp. 79–82). For example, the graphics on pp. 80 and 81 show volunteers breathing cigarette smoke into each other’s faces and throwing drinks on each other. The workshop scenes show volunteers being provoked while they practice self-control and group protection. The black background on page 82 shows how violent the protests might get and that the volunteers cannot fight back but must try to “survive” (p. 82).

• Ask: As shown in the text and the graphic panels, what scenarios might the volunteers encounter that will ‘dehumanize’ them? What does ‘dehumanize’ mean in this context?

  • Dehumanize means to treat someone as less than human, as if their dignity does not matter. The workshop role-plays show volunteers being targeted with racial slurs, insults, intimidation, and physical harassment to “break” their spirits, which reflects the kinds of dehumanizing attacks they might face in public protests (pp. 79–81).

• Ask: What is Lewis's purpose in using the narration, dialogue, and graphics to illustrate passive resistance and nonviolence discipline in action?

  • Lewis shows that nonviolence is something people practice and prepare for, not something that happens automatically (pp. 79–82). By combining dialogue, role-play scenes, and high-stress visuals, the memoir helps readers understand the emotional cost of resistance and why discipline, teamwork, and self-control are an integral part of nonviolent philosophy (pp. 81–82).

Lead students in a whole-group discussion of their analysis, calling on random students in each group to explain their group’s answer to each question.

Think-Pair-Share

Say these Directions: In March, Jim Lawson speaks of Gandhi, a famous historical leader from India who used nonviolence to free his people. Read the following quote from Gandhi:

“Non-violence is the summit of bravery.”

Now, with a partner, engage in the Think-Pair-Share routine, discussing the following question.

Ask: How are the volunteers showing their bravery through their nonviolent practice?

• The volunteers show bravery by not retaliating, even when they are insulted, threatened, or physically pushed during the role-play training (pp. 79–82). They practice staying calm, protecting each other, and continuing the work even when it feels scary or painful, which shows courage under pressure (p. 82).

After students have finished discussing the question, guide pairs to share their responses with the whole class.

Read pp. 83–90 of March: Book One and write a two-to-three-sentence summary of what you read. You may use the 3–2–1 Summary strategy to help you construct your summary.