Listening Comprehension Read Aloud-Who Was Ruby Bridges?

Before:

1. Read Ruby Bridges to your class. Set a purpose for your students to listen to the story: What kind of person was Ruby Bridges?
    
2. Stop and explain words that you feel your students might not know. For example, Federal Marshals are like soldiers or police.
    
3. Wonder aloud, use the voice in your head to speak to your students about your wonders, connections you are making in the story, and emotions you are feeling.
    
4. Define the term equality and ask children if these differences make one person better than another.

During:

1. Provide children with hypothetical situations in which some of the class members were given certain privileges that other students could not participate in because they were different. For example, only girls were allowed to eat their lunch in the cafeteria while the boys had to eat their lunch outside (no matter what the weather was like). Or, children who were left-handed had to attend a different school from those right-handed children. Ask students how they would feel if they couldn't do everything that other children could do just because they were different in some way. Emphasize that although we may be very different from one another, we are all equal and that we each deserve the same opportunities and privileges. Reinforce what the meaning of equality is. Allow your students opportunities to respond by asking for thumbs up if they feel the same way as Ruby Bridges or thumbs down if they feel differently.  When you have a majority of thumbs up or down ask your students to share with a partner their answer.
   • Some examples may be the word equality: Define the term equality and ask children if these differences make one person better than another. Provide children with imaginary situations in which some of the class members were given certain privileges that other students could not take part in because they were different. For example, only girls were allowed to eat their lunch in the lunch room while the boys had to eat their lunch outside (no matter what the weather was like). Or, children who were left-handed had to attend a different school from those right-handed children. Ask students how they would feel if they couldn't do everything that other children could do just because they were different in some way. Give emphasis to the fact that although we may be very different from one another, we are all equal and that we each deserve the same opportunities and privileges. Emphasize what the meaning of equality is.
   • Be sure to restate often what happened in the beginning, then the middle, and lastly the end.
2. Chart the story elements Beginning, Middle, and End on your Anchor Chart.

After:

1. Play Corners: Have the following 4 words taped up in the 4 corners of your classroom:

• • patient courageous/brave
  • hopeful peaceful
  • Corners- Ask your students to pay attention to the following statement: Patient, Courageous, Hopeful, and Peaceful. Have students partner talk about each word. Clarify the meaning if you feel they do not fully understand character trait words. Then ask your students to choose "The word that best describes Ruby Bridges is..." Ask students to decide which word they agree with most and ask them to stand in that corner. Make sure that the children know what each of the words means before you expect them to successfully accomplish this activity. As a group, students should discuss their reasons behind choosing their words and then explain them to the rest of the class.