Revised Lesson Plan

Goals/Objectives
Students will engage their prior knowledge of the concept of bravery and build upon it
through observation, discussion and reflection. The goal for students is to:
(1) understand Ruby Bridges as an important historical figure;, and to
(2) understand what characteristics make someone brave. Students will engage their prior
knowledge of the concept of bravery and build upon it through observation, discussion
and reflection. The objective for each student is to achieve
(3) indepth in understanding of why Ruby Bridges is known for her bravery and courage
against adversity.

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0.5", First line:

0"

Standards
Text Types and Purposes:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the
topic, and provide some sense of closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8
With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings
clearly.
Materials and preparation
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Documents:
o Photographs from Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges
o Painting by Normal Rockwell Painting
Chart paper (for 2 charts)
Marker for charts
Paper for writing (individual sheets of ruled paper available in class)
Pencils / erasers (available in class)
Learning environment and management issues
I am going to conduct this lesson with the whole class,all 23 students in the class, and we
will stay in the classroom. While whole group instruction has the potential to be problematic
because of a larger group size, the students are familiar with the norms in this space, which
therefore might serve to minimize possible management concerns. My classroom teacher will
also be present for the lesson.
I will begin the lesson with students seated pretzel-style on the carpet. The discussion of
the key concepts, bravery chart, read aloud, and observation chart will take place on the carpet.
There are four table captains for the four desk grouping, who I will ask to distribute lined paper

Comment [SG1]: I ended up using a single

photo of Ruby being escorted up the
schools steps by Federal Marshalls.
Comment [JN2]: Include how many
students
Comment [SG3]:
Comment [JN4]: I would revisit these
norms before starting the lesson, especially
because its being led by you, and not their
regular teacher. This way, students
understand that the same behavioral
expectations apply for you as well.
Comment [SG5]: That is a good idea.
Comment [JN6]: Is there time for two
short stories from students, about the last
time they thought they did something
brave? If so, I think this might be a good
additional element to the hook.
Comment [SG7]: I agreeI would love to
hear students experiences if time allows.

and pencil boxes. I will call students table by table to transition from the carpet to their seats and
begin their writing activity once they have materials.
While on the carpet, if students bother each other or seem to be not paying attention, I
will remind them to keep their bodies still and to look at me while talking. If a student seems to
be disengaged and not paying attention, I will ask him or her to sit close to me on the carpet.
Plan
I will introduce the lesson to the students by telling them that we will be learning about a
little girl who was similar to them but who encountered a very different experience at school.
This little girl was first grader in 1960, and she showed a lot of courage and bravery. I will them
that her name is Ruby Bridges, and will announce that we will read a book, but that we will first
discuss what it means to be brave. Some questions include:
What does it look like when someone is brave?
Who do you know who is brave?
What does it mean to be brave?
Think of a time when you were brave and keep it in your mind for now.
As students answer, I will record their responses on a web chart with the word brave
written in the center. I will record characteristics, descriptions, and types of individuals who are
brave, such as firemen and policemen.
Next, I will read aloud The Story of Ruby Bridges. Upon reading it, I will ask students
questions including:
Do you think that Ruby was brave?
Why do you think she was brave?
What are some of the things that Ruby did that took a lot of courage?
I will then show two documents that offer additional information about Rubys
experience. One document is a photo that shows U.S. Marshals escorting her up the school
steps, and the other is Norman Rockwells The Problem We All Live With.
As the students discuss their observations about Ruby, I will create another web chart that
has Ruby Bridges in the center, and will add characteristics about her and her experience as the
discussion progresses.
After the Ruby Bridges chart, I will transition to the writing activity by asking students:I will
then connect the lesson to my earlier question and ask:
Do you remember when I asked you to think of a time when you were brave and to store
it in your mind? Well now we are going to write about being brave. You have two
choices. You can write about a time when you were brave, or you can write about
someone you know who is brave.
I will suggest that students think about Ruby and why she was brave while they are
writing. They can also refer to our brave chart and chart about Ruby Bridges in order to
brainstorm ideas. As students are working, I will walk around to all of the tables and check in
with as many students as possible. Once students are finished writing, I will collect their
responses, and they can read from their book boxes.
Anticipating students responses and your possible responses
Students are likely to find coming up with material to write about to be the most difficult
component of the lesson. If I see that a student is struggling, I will guide the student to look at
the observation chart and the brave chart, and might ask if they identify with any of the

Comment [JN8]: Each segment of the

lesson needs to be time stamp. Calculate
how much time you need per segment.
Comment [SG9]: See section below with
timeframe.
Comment [JN10]: Consider: What does it
mean to be brave?
Comment [JN11]: Could they be given
notecards to write their thoughts?
Comment [SG12]: I think notecards are a
great idea, but I worry that a writing task
would take too much time from the lesson
before beginning the read aloud.
Comment [JN13]: How long do you think
this read aloud will take?
Comment [JN14]: Get them to draw
evidence from the reading.
Comment [SG15]: I will ask students to
think about the book we just read in order
to prompt discussion.
Comment [JN16]: Yes!
Comment [JN17]: Is this another segment?
How did you transition here? State how you
moved from read aloud, to whole group
discussion. At the very least, add a heading
that states that youve moved to the
following segment of the lesson.
Comment [JN18]: I see.

characteristics on the chart. I will share a time when I was brave in order to help them think of
something that resonates with them.
Students might find the book particularly engaging because, although it is a little lengthy,
the author conveys Rubys mindset and emotions, highlighting her persistence in her situation.
The discussion about Norman Rockwells painting will also be interesting as this multimodal
source will act as a framework for further developing a sense of Rubys historical importance.
The lesson has many components, and managing the time before and after the read aloud
will be the most challenging managerial aspect. The goal for the timeline is as follows:
Brave chart and discussion of individuals who are brave: 5 minutes
Read aloud: 10 minutes
Showing additional documents and discussion (2photo and painting): 5 minutes
Observation chart (observations of book and documents): 5 minutes
Writing activity (Write about a time when you were brave): 20 minutes
I will keep track of time using the overhead clock on the wall.
Another aspect that students might find difficult is that people were cruel to Ruby solely
because of the color of her skin. I want the focus of the unit to remain mostly on bravery but
want students to also understand why her experience was unique. The book provides strong
background context in which a student with no prior knowledge of the civil rights movement
could understand Rubys experience. I will answer any questions that students have and will
remind students that Rubys bravery was key in helping to change the situation so that, present
day, students of all colors are able to be in class together and are able to be friends.
Assessment of the goals/objectives listed above
The main assessment in students understanding of Rubys historical importance will be
their (1) writing samples. In order to move from comprehension to reflection for the writing
activity, students will have to demonstrate the ability of retention and connecting to a personal
experience, and must be able to clearly articulate their thoughts about the topic. Another
assessment will be their (2) contribution to the discussions and charts before and after the read
aloud. This strategy will require students to create a personal connection to the concept of
bravery as well, and will require the skill of articulation of thoughts verbally.
Accommodations
If students find the topic for the writing activity too challenging, I will encourage them to
talk to me about something they learned in The Story of Ruby Bridges or from the documents,
and to write down any thoughts or observations about the material.
If students finished early, I would also encourage them to add details to the text or to add
an illustration. I would ask them to read me their response, and to also read it to a friend. If
students needed a greater challenge, I would give them the photo of Ruby entering the school
along with a picture of Norman Rockwells painting and would ask the student to write down
their thoughts and observations that come to mind when they look at these documents.

Comment [JN19]: Try to make it personal.

See if they can of a time when they were
brave.
Comment [SG20]: Often, I find that
students can recall a story more easily by
telling it out loud instead of writing. I will
ask students one-on-one to tell me about a
time they were brave, and will ask if they
felt scared. Usually feeling scared is
associated with overcoming an obstacle and
being brave. I will encourage them to write
what they just described to me.
Comment [JN21]: Should you pause along
the way? Ask them comprehension
questions throughout?
Comment [SG22]: Yes; I should ask
questions about the events and illustrations
since the illustrations particularly make
visible the unequal treatment that was
characteristic of the year 1960.
Comment [JN23]: I see.
Comment [JN24]: Strong rationale.
Comment [SG25]: I chose this book for
this specific reason.