Lesson 32: March: Book One, Nashville Student Protestors Face Discrimination

Think-Pair-Share

Have students take out March: Book One with their annotations. Transition students into partnerships. In the Lesson 31 Homework, students were instructed to read pp. 103–110 and annotate in response to the question “What are all the ways in which Lewis and his fellow protestors/community members are trying to ‘change America’ in this section of text?”

Say these Directions: Take out March: Book One with your annotations. Follow the Think-Pair-Share routine and work with your partner to answer the question:

• Ask: What are all the ways in which Lewis and his fellow protestors/community members are trying to “change America” in this section of text?

  • In this section of the text, Lewis and his fellow protestors keep pushing for change even after they are arrested. They do this by continuing the sit-ins and choosing “jail, no bail” instead of paying fines, as they believe that paying the fines would be “contributing to and supporting the injustices” that have been perpetrated against them (pp. 103–105, 108). This evidence shows that Lewis and his protestors want to rise above the “immoral” system and make it “better” (pp. 108 and 103). They also develop wider support by going to court, halting their sit-ins when asked by the mayor, and then starting another boycott campaign to continue to pressure downtown stores to integrate (pp. 106–107, 109–110).

After providing think time, instruct students to share a few responses with a partner and then lead a brief whole-class share out.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, you will analyze the cause-and-effect relationships of the events on pp. 103–110. You will track how discrimination and punishment lead to new actions and deeper commitment to the movement, and you will pay attention to word choice, including idioms and connotation, to understand Lewis’s message.

Understanding Idioms

Target Words: idiom, denotation, connotation, powers-that-be

• Say: Idioms are a type of figurative language. An idiom or idiomatic phrase is a word or phrase that means something different from the actual meaning of the individual words.

Introduce denotation and connotation: Present the words denotation and connotation to students and pronounce them.

• Say: Denotation is the straightforward, dictionary meaning of a word. Connotation is the implied meaning or the feeling, idea, or cultural meaning that the words convey.

Say these Directions: Look at these idioms:

• break a leg

• under the weather

• cost an arm and a leg

Turn and talk to your partner about the differences between the denotation and connotation of the idioms.

Allow students to share what they discussed with their partners and affirm responses as appropriate.

Analyze an Example from March:

• Say: Read this sentence from March: Book One.

"It didn't take Nashville's ‘powers-that-be’ long to realize it was impossible to force us to pay our way out." (p. 105)

• Say: Powers-that-be is an idiom. Turn and talk to your partner about possible meanings of the powers-that-be idiom based on the context of the sentence. Try to replace powers-that-be with synonyms. Share your ideas with the class.

Instruct student pairs to share their ideas about the idiom's meaning. Ensure that students understand that the connotation of powers-that-be refers to the people in charge or those who hold authority or power in specific situations.

Connection to Today’s Learning

• Say: Today, you will look closely at Lewis’s word choices to understand how he communicates power and resistance. When you notice the difference between denotation and connotation in words like powers-that-be, you can better explain who is causing harm, how the protestors respond, and why their choices lead to new effects in the movement.

Part A: Group Accountability Share (RI.8.3) (10 minutes)

Students analyze their reading of March, pages 103-110, in a small group discussion.

Group Accountability Share

Transition students into small groups to engage in the Group Accountability Share routine.

Say these Directions: Work with your group and follow the Group Accountability Share routine. Use your homework reading to participate in a small-group discussion about the following prompt:

• What discrimination do the Nashville student protestors experience in this section of the text?

  • The protestors are treated like criminals for peaceful, nonviolent protest. They are arrested in large numbers and taken away in “paddy” wagons (pp. 103–104). The judge in the court trial treats them unfairly by trying the defendants as a group rather than individually, which denies them a right to a “fair trial” (p. 107). He then continues his hostile treatment by denying motions and turning his back on their lawyer when he is speaking. The judge finds them all guilty and orders fines or time in a workhouse.

Provide 5 minutes for the students to collaborate. Remind students that in a Group Accountability Share, one person from the group will be responsible for sharing, so it's important they all collaborate. Call on one student in each group to share a response. The student groups should build on each other's responses as each group shares out.

Part B: Cause-and-Effect Analysis with Gallery Walk (RI.8.3) (20 minutes)

Transition students back into their small groups as needed. Provide each group with chart paper, markers, and the Cause and Effect graphic organizer.

Say these Directions: Work with your group, and consider the following question. Use the graphic organizer to organize your ideas on your chart paper.

• How do the Nashville student protestors and larger community respond to the discrimination they face, and how do their actions and words reflect their commitment to their cause?

  • The protestors face discrimination through arrests and an unfair court process that threatens fines or time in a workhouse (pp. 103–108). Instead of backing down, they keep returning to the lunch counters even when faced with arrest, refuse to treat the system as legitimate, and chant ideas like “jail, no bail,” showing they are committed even when it costs them freedom and safety (pp. 104, 108). By refusing to pay fines, the protestors are actively showing that they will not support the same system that discriminates against them; as Diane Nash says in court, “We feel that by paying these fines, we would be contributing to and supporting the injustices and immoral practices that have been performed in the arrest” (p. 108). The larger community also responds by offering support, including “telegrams of support” from key figures like “Eleanor Roosevelt” (p. 109).

Encourage students to use the graphic organizer to organize ideas on their chart paper. Explain that there are several acts of discrimination in this section of the text that cause specific responses from the protestors and the larger community. Instruct groups to discuss those acts of discrimination, the protestors’/larger community’s responses, and how those responses show a continued commitment to the cause, using the cause-and-effect chart students write on their chart paper.

Gallery Walk

After 10 minutes, have small groups post their chart papers around the room and engage students in a Gallery Walk of the cause-and-effect charts.

Say these Directions: Share your cause-and-effect charts for a Gallery Walk. Discuss places where your group’s thinking was similar to that of other groups, as well as places where your thinking diverged from other groups.

Transition students into reflecting on their learning from the lesson by completing a Quick Write response.

Quick Write

Say these Directions: Write a 2–3 sentence Quick Write response to the following question.

• What is one way in which the student protestors or larger communities show a strong commitment to their cause in this section of the text?

  • One way the protestors show commitment is by refusing to give in even after the arrests and the guilty ruling in court (pp. 107–108). Instead of trying to “pay their way out,” they keep standing together and return to the movement, which shows they care more about justice and their cause than comfort or safety (pp. 105, 108–110).

Introduce the homework to complete before the next lesson:

Read pp. 111–121 of March. Then write a one-minute essay (two to three sentences) summarizing the events that happen in this concluding section of the text. Be sure to write your summary essay in your Journal.