Close Reading: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA Grade 4 › ELA G4:M4 › ELA G4:M4:U1 ›

ELA G4:M4:U1:L9

Close Reading: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks"

In this Lesson

You are here:

These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • RI.4.6: Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the differences in focus and the information provided.
  • L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • L.4.5b: Recognize and explain the meaning of common idioms, adages, and proverbs.
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can use the text to answer questions about "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks." (RI.4.1, RI.4.4, L.4.4)
  • I can identify whether a text is a firsthand or secondhand account of an event. (RI.4.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (RI.4.1, RI.4.4, L.4.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 7 (25 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Reading: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Identifying a Secondhand Account (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Opening A, students read Chapter 7 of The Hope Chest in reading triads. They then determine themes that were evident in the chapter (RL.4.1, RL.4.1, L.4.5b). Note that this chapter contains events that students may find upsetting and disturbing. Providing students with time for reflection, as well as time to share and discuss reflections if desired, after reading this chapter is particularly important.
  • In Work Time A, students are guided through a close read of a secondhand account about a girl--who, like Myrtle in Chapter 7 of The Hope Chest, was asked to move on public transportation because of segregation. The real-life event students read about occurred more than 30 years after the time of The Hope Chest, but it is important to explain to students that these kinds of things went on for many years. Again, students may find this upsetting, particularly because it was a real-life event told from the perspective of someone who experienced it firsthand. Continue to be sensitive to the needs of students to reflect silently or discuss how this text makes them feel if they wish. The purpose of the close read is for students to better understand how the event made Claudette Colvin feel, and how we know this from her firsthand account (RL.4.1, RI.4.1, RI.4.4, L.4.4).
  • In the Closing, students analyze the text to determine whether it is a firsthand or secondhand account (RI.4.6).
  • In this lesson, students continue to focus on working to become ethical people by showing respect, compassion, and empathy if their classmates are upset by events in the text.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lessons 1-7, students read the first six chapters of The Hope Chest in reading triads and answered questions. They follow a similar routine in this lesson to read Chapter 7.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may need additional support to read the chapter. Consider grouping students who need additional support for focused teacher guidance.

Assessment guidance:

  • Review the Close Reading note-catchers to determine common issues to use as whole group teaching points.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students will read a firsthand account of the same event they read about in this lesson. They will then compare firsthand and secondhand accounts.

In Advance

  • Consider if any students may be particularly sensitive to the issues that the texts in this lesson raise based on cultural background and family history. Consider explaining to families that students will be reading about and discussing equality, including segregation, so that they can appropriately prepare the students.
  • Preview the Close Reading Guide: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" to identify the key instructional moves in closely reading the text.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.B.6, 4.I.B.7, 4.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to return to familiar routines for reading in triads, and to continue to build on their understanding of the emerging themes in the book. The close reading of the text "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" is particularly supportive of ELLs, because they will refer to this text during the end of unit assessment in order to compare it to a firsthand account of the same event.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to keep pace with the cognitive and linguistic skills required in this lesson for reading two texts, identifying themes in the text, and determining whether a text is a first or secondhand account. Because students will return to "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" during the end of unit assessment, ensure they comprehend the text and understand why it is considered a secondhand rather than a firsthand account before moving on to the next lesson (see Levels of support and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During the Mini Language Dive, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence before asking the prepared questions. (Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together.")
  • During the Closing and Assessment, invite students to imagine they are Claudette Colvin in "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" and challenge them to describe the events in the first section of the text as if the events were happening to them. Encourage students to articulate what they needed to change about the language in this section to make it sound like a firsthand account. (Example: "After school on March 2, 1955, I walked to downtown Montgomery with three of my classmates. We were going to take the city bus home from school that day. When we boarded the bus, we sat behind the first five rows, which were reserved for white passengers. A young white woman boarded the bus after us and found nowhere to sit because the white section was full.")

For heavier support:

  • Consider reading Chapter 7 of The Hope Chest aloud to students before the lesson, and inviting students to practice reading aloud a section of the chapter that they can then be responsible for reading in their triads in Opening A.  
  • During the close read, help students by encouraging them to participate in the parts that require acting out. Invite a more proficient student to dictate lines for them to recite so that they practice using verbal language.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by activating prior knowledge and scaffolding connections for students. Continue to provide visual display of questions and student responses on a chart or the board during discussions.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in building their writing stamina and effort by providing scaffolds that build an environment that is conducive to writing.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Recall that some students may need additional support in linking the information presented back to the learning targets. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of the text to the learning target.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • firsthand and secondhand account (L)
  • woman suffrage, suffragists, picket, envoys, democracy, publicity (T)

Materials

  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • The Hope Chest (from Lesson 1; one per student)
  • Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Theme anchor charts (begun in Lesson 6; added to during Opening A; see supporting materials)
  • Theme Anchor Charts: Chapter 7 (example, for teacher reference)
  • Chart paper (one piece; used by the teacher to add any new themes students suggest)
  • Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6, added to during Opening A; see supporting materials)
  • Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6; example, for teacher reference)
  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (one per student)
  • Close Reading Note-catcher: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (example, for teacher reference)
  • Close Reading Guide: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (for teacher reference)
  • Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts anchor chart (begun in Lesson 7; added to during the Closing; see supporting materials)
  • Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts anchor chart (begun in Lesson 7; example, for teacher reference)

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading in Triads: The Hope Chest, Chapter 7 (25 minutes)

  • Invite students to get into their reading triads.
  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and review respect, compassion, and empathy as needed.
  • Invite students to retrieve their copies of The Hope Chest. Tell students that they are going to read Chapter 7 in their reading triads and review this process as needed.
  • Post and review the following directions:
    1. Read Chapter 7 aloud, taking turns with your triad.
    2. Discuss the gist.
    3. Spend the rest of the time reflecting silently and writing, drawing, or thinking, as well as recording unfamiliar vocabulary in your vocabulary logs.
  • Point out that they will not be answering questions about the text with their triads. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Remind students to refer to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.
  • Circulate to support students as they read aloud.
  • When triads have finished reading, invite students to share and discuss their reflections if they choose.
  • Direct students' attention to the Theme anchor charts. Think-Triad-Share:

"Are there any new themes you are noticing now?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Stand up for what is right.)

Conversation Cue: "What, in the text, makes you think so?"

  • Create a new Theme anchor chart using the chart paper for appropriate student suggestions. Ensure "stand up for what is right" is represented.
  • Think-Triad-Share:

"What evidence can you find for any of the themes we have identified so far?"

  • As students share out, capture their responses on the appropriate anchor chart. Refer to Themes Anchor Charts: Chapter 7 (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students that when the conductor told Myrtle she couldn't stay in the carriage with Violet and the women, Mr. Martin argued with the conductor and Violet held Myrtle's hand and glared at the conductor.
  • Direct students' attention to the Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart and remind them of what idioms, adages, and proverbs are.
  • Tell students there is a proverb about how helping out a friend when they really need it shows you are a true friend. "A friend in need is a friend indeed."
  • Record this proverb on the Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart. Refer to Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Summarizing) Before reading, invite students to summarize Chapter 6 of The Hope Chest in 1 minute or less (with feedback) and then again in 30 seconds or less with a partner. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Strategic Grouping) Continue to check in with triads and rearrange them as necessary to ensure the most supportive grouping.
  • For ELLs (Reading Aloud Key Sections) Consider first reading aloud key sections of the text that highlight the emerging themes in the chapter, and then asking students to identify any themes based on what they hear. Encourage students to defend their thinking by citing specific sentences that emphasize the themes they suggest.
  • For ELLs: (Home Languages: Idioms, Adages, and Proverbs) Invite students to continue to share any idioms, adages, or proverbs in their home languages and then add them to the list started in Lesson 6 (see Opening A). 

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:

"I can use the text to answer questions about "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks."

"I can identify whether a text is a firsthand or secondhand account of an event."

  • Remind students they have seen both of these learning targets in previous lessons and review what firsthand and secondhand accounts are.
  • For ELLs: (Working on Same Learning Target) Invite students to discuss how they previously worked toward each learning target.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Reading: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks" (25 minutes)

  • Invite students to turn back to pages 86-88 of The Hope Chest and reread aloud while students read along silently in their heads, from "The conductor came along ..." to the end of page 88, "The conductor stalked close behind her."
  • Tell students that this was something that was terribly wrong, but it really happened in those times and for many years afterward, and in this lesson they are going to read about a similar event that happened to a girl on a public bus. Reassure students that there are laws now to protect people against this racist behavior.
  • Distribute the Close Reading Note-catcher: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks."
  • Use the Close Reading Guide: "The Girl Who Acted Before Rosa Parks" to guide students in a close read of the text and refer to Close Reading Note-catcher: "The Girl Who Acted before Rosa Parks"(example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Remind students to refer to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart where appropriate.
  • After the close read use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the first learning target.
  • For students who may need additional support with recording their ideas in writing: Provide a partially filled-in note-catcher that contains sentence stems or frames as scaffolds. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Sentence Frames: Heavier Support) Consider providing sentence frames for students to use when answering the questions in the right-hand column of the note-catcher.
  • For ELLs: (Mini Language Dive) "She later said, / 'I could not move because / history had me glued to the seat ...'"
    • Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:
      • "What does this chunk tell us? How do you know?" (It tells us why Claudette Colvin felt that she should not move when she was asked to get up from her seat because of the history of racism and the women who had fought for equality before her. We know this because she mentions Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman in the sentence after this one. The chunk is inside the quotation marks, so we know that these are words she actually spoke.)
      • "Was Claudette literally glued to her seat by history? Why do you think that?" (No, she spoke figuratively to emphasize the courage and the power that she felt when she remembered the people who had fought for equality before her. The text doesn't say anything about actual glue being on the seat or what Colvin did to remove it.)
    • Practice: Students can practice using this structure to speak or write about their own work or lives: "_____ had me _____."  (The music had me moving and shaking.)
    • Reconstruct:

"How can you say this sentence in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

"How does your understanding of this sentence add to your understanding of the big idea that when people take action against inequality, they can cause social change?" (Responses will vary.)

    • Practice:

"Why do you think the author uses the pronouns She, I, and me in this secondhand account?" (Because the author is telling us what Claudette Colvin said. She shows us the secondhand account, but the firsthand pronouns I and me appear inside the quotation marks that tell exactly what Colvin said.) 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Identifying a Secondhand Account (5 minutes)

  • Remind students of the second learning target and direct their attention to the Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts anchor chart.
    • Think-Triad-Share:

"Is this text that you read closely today a firsthand or secondhand account? How do you know?" (secondhand because there are no I or me pronouns; instead, there are she and they pronouns)

  • Invite students to find examples that indicate it is a secondhand account in the text and add them under the "Examples from text" subheading. Refer to Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Red Light, Green Light or Thumb-O-Meter) for students to self-assess against the second learning target and how well they did showing respect, empathy, and compassion.
  • Tell students that in the next lesson they will read a firsthand of this same event, and they will then compare the firsthand and secondhand accounts for the end of unit assessment. 
  • For students who may need additional support with motivation: Invite students to share why it is important to identify an account of events as being firsthand or secondhand. (MME)
  • For ELLs: (Highlighting Key Sentences) Highlight examples of key sentences in the text that students can refer to when determining whether it's a firsthand or secondhand account.

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs: (Oral Response) Read aloud, discuss, and respond to your prompt orally with a partner, a family member, or a student from Grades 3 or 5, or record an audio response.

Copyright © 2013-2025 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

Leave feedback