The Montgomery Bus Boycott By Angy Folkes Adult ESOL Teacher International Institute of Metro St. Louis St Louis Public Schools AEL

The Year is 1955

In 1955 Schools were segregated.

Many people wanted schools to be desegregated.

In 1955 Black people had to sit in the back of the bus.

One day Rosa got on a bus in Montgomery Alabama

She sat in the middle of the bus. She didn’t sit in the back.

The bus driver said “Hey, you can’t sit there. Give your seat to a white person.”

Rosa said: “I will sit right here.”

The driver said: You can’t. I’ll stop the bus and call the police.

He called the police.

The police arrested Rosa.

Rosa_Parks_Booking.jpg

Black people were angry. They asked: What can we do?

Martin Luther King said: “Don’t ride their buses!”

Black people said “Good Idea!! Change the laws Don’t ride their buses.”

And black people said: “Boycott the bus.”

The police arrested Martin Luther King.

Black people walked to work

And walked to work

For one year

The bus owners were angry. They said: “That’s not fair!”

After one year, the law changed. Now black people can sit anywhere.

Hurray!!!!

Suggested activities for the classroom: Have students listen and repeat the story. Students circle key vocabulary from the story. Students alphabetize 10 to 15 key words. Check students comprehension of key words. Concentration card activity of parts of the story. Write the word under the picture. (worksheet) Teacher asks students, What’s number 3, 5, etc? Students do the same in pairs or groups. Who said it? (worksheet) Have students use Google to search for images of Rosa and the civil rights movement or teacher shares historical photos with the class. Yes No (True False worksheet) Dictation of above. Multi-level dictation of parts of the story. Spelling test. Multiple choice test of the story. Create a reader’s theater of the story. Students make boycott and protest signs, a jail, a bus with chairs and steering wheel cover and paper neck ties for the bus owners. The teacher highlights the lines for each character. Students act out the story.

WHO SAID IT? 1. Hey! You can’t sit there. Give your seat to a white person. _______________ 2. I’ll sit right here. ___________________ 3. You can’t. I’ll stop the bus and call the police. ___________________ 4. What can we do? ______________________ 5. Don’t ride the buses. We can walk to work. ______________________________ 6. Good idea! Change the laws. Don’t ride their buses. _______________________ 7. That’s not fair! ___________________ 8. You are under arrest. __________________

WHO SAID IT? 1. Hey! You can’t ___ there. Give your ____ to a white person. _______________ 2. I’ll sit right ____. ___________________ 3. You _____. I’ll stop the ____ and call the police. ___________________ 4. What ___ we do? ______________________ 5. Don’t ____ the buses. We can ____ to work. ______________________________ 6. Good idea! Change the _____. Don’t ride _____ buses. _______________________ 7. That’s ___ fair! ___________________ 8. You are under _______. __________________

1. Where was the bus boycott? ______________________________________________________________ 2. Who got on the bus and sat in the middle? _______________________________________________________________ 3. Who did the police put in jail? _______________________________________________________________ 4. When was the bus boycott? _______________________________________________________________ 5. How long was the bus boycott? _______________________________________________________________ _ 6. When did the bus driver call the police? _______________________________________________________________ _ 7. Why did the bus owners say “ That’s not fair”? _______________________________________________________________ _ 8. Do you ride the bus? _______________________________________________________________ __

What is the word? 1. Rosa sat in the ____ of the bus. 2. In 19__ black people had to sit in the ____ of the bus. 3. “Hey, you can’t sit there. Give your ____ to a _______ person.” The bus ______ said. 4. In 1955 schools were____________ but many people wanted schools to be ______________. 5. Martin Luther ______ and _____ Parks were both _________ by the police. 6. The bus _______ lost a lot of money because of the bus __________. 7. Many people didn’t _____ the buses. They ________ the bus.

1. Rosa got on a bus in Chicago. ___ 2. She sat in the front of the bus.____ 3. The bus driver said “You can’t sit there”. ______ 4. The bus owners were angry. ____ 5. Black people walked to work for one year._____ 6. They didn’t boycott the bus.______ 7. Both Martin Luther King and Rosa were arrested. _____ 8. The bus driver called the police on his cell phone. ______ 9. The year was ______ 10. President Obama sat on the same bus as Rosa. ___ 11. Now that bus is in a museum in Detroit Michigan. _____

1. Rosa got on a ___ in Chicago. ___ 2. ___ sat in the ____ of the bus.____ 3. The bus ____ said “You can’t___there”. ______ 4. The bus _____ were ____. ____ 5. Black people walked to ____ for __ year._____ 6. They didn’t ____ the bus.______ 7. Both Martin ____ King and ____ were arrested. _____ 8. The bus driver called the ____ on his ___phone. ______ 9. The _____ was ______ 10. _______ Obama sat on the ____ bus as Rosa. ___ 11. ____ that bus is in a museum in Detroit Michigan. _____

Other links to resources on civil rights: