Montgomery Bus Boycott

Curriculum Area and Level

NZQA History: Level 2 (Year 12)
Focus: Social Action and Protest Movements

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the key events and significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
2. Analyze the roles of individuals and groups in the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
3. Connect the impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycott to broader civil rights movements.

Materials Needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector and computer
• Handouts with primary source excerpts (e.g., speeches, news articles)
• Notebooks for students
• Pens or pencils

Lesson Outline

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Greeting and Roll Call (2 minutes)
   • Welcome students and take attendance.
2. Context Setting (8 minutes)
   • Brief introduction to the American Civil Rights Movement.
   • Explain the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott within the context of social action and protest movements.
   • Present key figures: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and the role of the African American community in Montgomery.

Activity 1: Primary Source Analysis (15 minutes)

1. Handout Distribution (2 minutes)
   • Distribute handouts containing excerpts from primary sources (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, Rosa Parks' court testimony, contemporary news articles).
2. Group Activity (10 minutes)
   • Divide students into small groups (4-5 per group).
   • Each group analyzes their assigned excerpt, focusing on:
     • The perspective and intentions of the source.
     • The impact of the source on the movement.
     • How the source reflects the societal attitudes of the time.
3. Brief Group Presentations (3 minutes)
   • Each group shares their findings with the class.

Activity 2: Connecting Past to Present (20 minutes)

1. Visual Presentation (5 minutes)
   • Show a short video clip (3-4 minutes) on the Montgomery Bus Boycott, followed by a few discussion points.
   • Questions for discussion:
     • What were the short-term and long-term consequences of the boycott?
     • How did the boycott influence other civil rights movements around the world?
2. Class Discussion (10 minutes)
   • Discuss connections between the Montgomery Bus Boycott and New Zealand's own protest movements (e.g., Māori Land March, Springbok Tour protests).
   • Encourage students to draw parallels and differentiate between the movements.
3. Individual Reflection (5 minutes)
   • Students write a short reflection on how the Montgomery Bus Boycott inspires contemporary social action movements.
   • Prompt: "How can the lessons learned from the Montgomery Bus Boycott be applied to our understanding and involvement in social justice today?"

Conclusion and Recap (10 minutes)

1. Review Key Points (5 minutes)
   • Summarize the key events and figures of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
   • Highlight the importance of peaceful protest and unity in achieving social change.
2. Q&A Session (3 minutes)
   • Open the floor for any questions or clarifications.
3. Homework Assignment (2 minutes)
   • Ask students to research another historic protest movement and prepare a brief oral presentation for the next class.
   • Provide guidelines for the presentation: focus on key events, figures, and the impact of the movement.

Assessment

• Participation in group discussions and activities.
• Quality of group presentations and individual reflections.
• Completion and depth of the homework assignment.

Extension Activities

• Encourage students to participate in a debate on the effectiveness of non-violent protest vs. other forms of protest.
• Organize a class visit to a local museum or library to explore historical protest movements in New Zealand.
• Assign a project where students create a digital timeline of significant events in the global civil rights movements.

Reflection and Evaluation

• After the lesson, reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.
• Collect feedback from students on their learnings and engagement.
• Adjust future lessons based on this feedback to better meet students' needs and interests.