How School Has Changed: A Black History Lesson for Primary

The story of Rudy Bridges is true. In the 1960's, Rudy Bridges went to a segregated school. She was terribly mistreated. Students will learn about the true history of American schools in this book.

 Literature Connection: Coles, R. (1995). The Story of Rudy Bridges.

To tie this lesson together with the one preceding it, begin by teaching students that one-room schoolhouses were only used by Caucasian or African American students; the students did not learn together. At this age, they may not understand the concept of time, but tell them the dates anyhow.

Read, The Story of Rudy Bridges to students. Begin by asking the students:

• How do they think Ruby felt walking through the mob every day to school?
• Why did the people mistreat Ruby? How did Ruby overcome her fear?
• What would you do if you were Ruby?

Talk to the students about how school was segregated between black and white students in the past, but is no longer segregated. Teach the students that we should not be separated, nor should we gain or lose any opportunity based upon the color of our skin. Talk to the students about Ruby's strength and resolve.

• Pencils
• Paper
• Crayons

Have the students draw a picture of themselves with Rudy at school, or a part of the story they liked best. Have the students dictate a sentence for the picture. Display the completed pictures on a bulletin board titled, We Go to School Together.

Can students tell you what segregation is? Can students tell you why prejudice is wrong?

The Rudy Bridges movie is available on YouTube for free, or it can be purchased or rented. On YouTube, it is available in nine clips, ten minutes each in length, for a total of 90 minutes.

Rationale: Hearing the mob in the video and seeing Ruby as a “real-life” six year-old child will provide a connection to the story and main character for the students. Also, viewing a movie about Rudy Bridges and her family may help visual learners form another perspective about her life. It is beneficial that the video clips are in small segments for primary students. This will allow the teacher to ask comprehension questions between the clips and the students to have a moment to wriggle.

After watching the movie, complete a Venn diagram with the students to compare the movie and book.