Lesson 18: March: Book One, Meeting Dr. King

Turn and Talk

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

• Lesson 17 Homework: Students were instructed to read pp. 63–73, annotating for key events, connections, and a central idea.

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

• Ask: “What patterns of injustice and early activism have we already seen in March?”

  • March shows a pattern of segregation enforced through everyday systems and a pattern of early activism growing in response. Lewis notices unequal treatment in public spaces and schools. For example, he is contrasting Black and white buses and schools as he says, “We passed their schoolhouse as well, with nice playground equipment outside.” (pp. 47–48). We also see how Southern racism and injustice escalate into danger and death for Emmett Till, with no accountability for his murderers (p. 57). We have seen early activism in the resistance and collective action of Rosa Parks’s arrest, leading into the Montgomery bus boycott (pp. 58–59). The text also shows activism spreading through community leadership and the “social gospel” (p. 57) as Lewis listens to Dr. King’s message and begins moving from observing events to starting to preach himself (pp. 56, 60–61).

Connection to Today’s Learning:

• Say: We will continue to trace these patterns of injustice and early activism as we read more of March. Today, we will first focus our attention on pp. 63–73, rereading the section before discussing and summarizing it in pairs. Then we will examine how visual choices in the prior text excerpts of March communicate ideas about injustice and early activism.

Fluency Practice

Have students get out their copies of “SNCC Statement of Purpose.” Tell them that they will be practicing fluency by reading part of the document while focusing on accuracy. 

Model Fluent Reading: Model reading aloud the first paragraph with accuracy. 

• Ask: While reading, what did I do to make sure I pronounced the words accurately?

Class Echo-Read: Read the second paragraph aloud. This time, have students read aloud with you. 

• Ask: Did you read the paragraph accurately? Why or why not?

Partner-Read: Place students in pairs to read aloud and practice fluency.

Read these Directions: Read “SNCC Statement of Purpose” aloud with a partner. Have the first partner read aloud the third and fourth paragraphs while the second partner listens. Then switch roles, having the second partner read aloud the same paragraphs while the first partner listens. Focus on reading with accuracy. 

Ask:

• Did you have trouble reading any of the words accurately? If so, which words?

• How can we improve?

Connection to Today’s Learning:

• Say: This fluency practice prepares students to reread March carefully so they can focus on how events unfold and how the text builds ideas about injustice and activism.

Part A: Close Reading: Meeting Dr. King (RI.8.2, RI.8.3) (15 minutes)

Transition students into partnerships. Have partners reread pp. 63–73 of March before engaging in the Think-Pair-Write-Share routine.

Think-Pair-Write-Share

Say these Directions: Reread pages 63–73 of March and then use the think-pair-write-share routine to answer these questions with your partner.

• Ask: Why does John Lewis apply to Troy State University?

  • Lewis applies because he wants to challenge segregation in higher education close to home so that he can do “more” (p. 65). He knows Troy State does not allow Black students, so applying is a first step toward pushing the segregated system to change. (pp. 65–66).

• Ask: Who does Lewis reach out to for help or guidance, and why do those people matter in this moment?

  • Lewis reaches out to Dr. King by writing a letter, and he also connects with leaders and allies like Ralph Abernathy, attorney Fred Gray, and others involved in civil rights work (pp. 66–67). They matter because they understand both the legal strategy and the personal risks of challenging segregation, as Fred Gray “represented Rosa Parks” (p. 66). They helped Lewis see what action would actually require by questioning him to find out if he knew what he “would really face” (pp. 70–71).

• Ask: What role do Lewis’s parents play in this section, and how does their response connect to the challenges Lewis is facing?

  • Lewis’s parents become a key barrier and a reality check for him when making this decision. The civil rights leaders explain that a lawsuit would require his parents’ permission and could put their “jobs,” “home,” and safety at risk (p. 71), and Lewis’s parents ultimately refuse because they are afraid of what could happen to them and their community (p. 72). His parents' refusal shows how dangerous fighting segregation could be as they “were afraid not only for themselves but also for their “‘friends and neighbors’” (p. 72).

• Ask: How does this section show a shift from Lewis wanting change to Lewis taking action toward that change?

  • Lewis moves from thinking about justice to taking concrete steps: applying to Troy State, writing letters to civil rights leaders, waiting for responses, traveling to Montgomery, and directly telling Dr. King he wants to desegregate Troy State (pp. 64–71). The section shows how Lewis wants to stop thinking and reading about justice and take action because he starts “to feel guilty for not doing more” (p. 65)

• Ask: How does the author use a sequence of smaller events (writing, waiting, traveling, meeting) to build tension across the section?

  • The text presents small events like writing a letter, months passing with no answer, traveling in silence with his father, waiting in hallways, and finally engaging in talks with Dr. King and other civil rights leaders (pp. 66–71) to show that this kind of activism work takes time, risk, and organization. Challenging the political system of segregation had to be a serious decision because of the possible consequences of lost “jobs,” “burned” homes, and possible violence (pp. 71–72).

Once students have finished discussing the questions, provide them with the 3-Column Chart graphic organizer.

Say these Directions: With your partner, use the graphic organizer to write a 3–2–1 Summary of pp. 63–73, providing:

• 3 key events

• 2 connections

• 1 central idea

Part B: Examining Injustice and Early Activism (RI.8.5, W.8.4, W.8.9.b) (15 minutes)

Say these Directions: With your partner, select one text excerpt from pp. 1–73 of March and analyze it to answer this question.

• How does the visual narrative convey ideas about injustice or early activism?

Then, annotate the chosen text excerpt to identify:

• Key panels

• Important narration or dialogue

• Sequencing or visual emphasis choices

Potential text excerpts for students to work with:

• Prologue: Edmund Pettus Bridge (pp. 3–9)

• Childhood Segregation and Daily Limits (pp. 12–15)

• Road Trip North (pp. 37–45)

• MLK, Emmitt Till, and Rosa Parks (pp. 57–61)

• Troy State and Family Risk (pp. 68–73)

Say these Directions: After annotating the excerpt, write a brief, three-to-five-sentence explanation answering the following question.

• Ask: How does the visual narrative convey ideas about injustice or early activism?

  • In the Troy State sequence, the memoir shows early activism as a slow buildup of decisions under pressure, not one sudden heroic moment (pp. 66–72). The panels move from Lewis writing letters and waiting to travel and closed-door meetings, so the pacing mirrors how long and uncertain change can feel. Tight close-ups, dark shading, and warning dialogue about jobs, safety, and home make the risks of challenging segregation feel immediate (p. 71). The final shift to Lewis’s parents refusing support shows how activism can put an entire family in danger (p. 72).

Collect students’ explanation paragraphs to assess performance.

Reflection

Provide students with a confidence continuum (i.e., 1–5). As needed, model how to demonstrate a level of confidence using the continuum.

Say these Directions: Reflect on your ability to analyze a text using the Reflection routine.

• Ask: Based on our work today, how confident are you in analyzing events, connections, and visual structure in future readings? What goal would you like to accomplish next?

Refer students to their copy of March. Instruct students to take notes in their Journal on the following prompt:

• Think back on the Essential Question, “How does storytelling become a tool for civic change?” How would you respond to this question now after reading pp. 1–73 of March? Write your initial thoughts in your Journal and review your annotations in preparation for the Academic Discussion in the next lesson.