Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To Book "A Bus of Our Own"

Students Sit for Civil Rights Homepage

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:09:00 GMT

Students Sit for Civil Rights is an OurStory module that includes activities based on reading Freedom on the Menu, a work of children's literature about the Greensboro sit-ins that played an important role during the civil rights movement. OurStory is a series of modules designed to help children and adults enjoy exploring history together through the use of objects from the Museum's vast collections, quality children's literature, and engaging hands-on activities. Ideal for afterschool use, OurStory resources allow students to think critically, to be creative, and to achieve academic standards both in and out of the classroom.

Greensboro Lunch Counter

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:05:02 GMT

On February 1, 1960, four African American college students--Ezell A. Blair, Jr. (now Jibreel Khazan), Franklin E. McCain, Joseph A. McNeil, and David L. Richmond--sat down at this "whites only" lunch counter at the Woolworth's store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and politely asked for service. Their request was refused, and when asked to leave, the students remained in their seats in protest.

For the six months that followed, hundreds of students, civil rights organizations, churches, and members of the community joined the protest and boycotted the store. Their commitment ultimately led to the desegregation of the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter on July 25, 1960. Their peaceful sit-down was a watershed event in the struggle for civil rights and helped ignite a youth-led movement to challenge racial inequality throughout the South.

Use this Investigation Sheet to guide students through describing the object and analyzing its meaning.

Stories of Freedom & Justice: Learning Resources

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 11:07:52 GMT

With the right resources, learners of any age can engage with the topics of nonviolence and civil rights. This webpage is a gateway to lesson plans, videos, family activities, and instructional media related to the nonviolent civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The content within these resources will help students build familiarity with the civil rights movement and encourage them to think critically about civil rights in the past and today.

Featured resources include videos and a teacher guide of the Museum's award-winning Join the Student Sit-Ins program, literacy-based family activities on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the student sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina, and an archived webcast of an oral history of the three surviving members of the Greensboro Four.

Brown v. Board of Education: Achieving Equality

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:49:45 GMT

Students will learn about the equal rights movements that were inspired by the Brown v. Board decision, as well as the continuing struggles to bring equal opportunities to all Americans. Legacy: Achieving Equality is the sixth and final section of the online exhibition entitled Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education.