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Teachers do so much more than just teach content. They teach students how to be a good friend, how to believe in themselves, and how to be a role model. In a growing society that is often filled with some type of dispute, it is essential that students learn that anyone can help make a change using the talents they have. No matter what arises, students can all make positive changes based on their own interests. In this resource on the Hidden Figures of the Civil Rights Movement, students are going to learn how it doesn’t take a well-known name or person to make an impact.
Pies from Nowhere can truly be a life-changing book. The picture book explores the heroism of Georgia Gilmore. She is a hidden figure who played a vital role in the Civil Rights movement. While she is not a name students may see in a history book, she ensured that everyone involved was fed. She used her love of baking and cooking to help everyone involved in the Montgomery Bus Boycott after Rosa Parks was arrested. While boycotters were walking, Georgia cooked for them. She used her talents to raise money for gas and cars during the boycott. Georgia was a hidden figure because she was the only person who knew who was baking and buying the food. She shows students that everyone can take their talents and help make a positive change.
Activities
This resource includes 5 days of writing activities, so it is a great way to focus on students’ writing skills while talking about the importance of following their hearts and passions. Students will realize that there does not need to be special recognition or an award when doing something right. They will realize that being a hidden figure means using their talents to help make a change without worrying about being a well-known person.
Each of the 5 writing activities comes with three formats to fit each learner in your classroom. This also builds in a quick way to differentiate assignments! The first option includes lines with dashes to help students with lowercase and uppercase letters. These are the traditional lines that students are used to while learning how to write. The second option includes a line with a larger space but no dashes. This will be helpful as students become more confident writers and are able to capitalize and stay within the lines. The third option is great for your early emergent or emergent writers. It includes a space for them to illustrate their answer and then lines to write out what they are drawing. If students are struggling to write, this modification will help build their writing skills while allowing them to provide a visual representation.
Writing Focus
Over the course of these 5 writing activities, students will be able to see their growth as a writer. One aspect that greatly helps is to have your 2nd and 3rd graders not focus on a set amount of sentences. Instead of focusing on sentences, have students switch their mindset to fully answering the question and making connections to the text. If a question involves a specific part of the book, it can also be helpful to reread that section before students start working. Additionally, it will help students learn how to make connections, such as how to bring in detail from the book as it fits in with their response. This skill may be helpful to practice as a class before students get started. The teacher can provide two pieces of evidence from the text- one that relates to the question and one that does not. Students can then select the piece that relates and then explain why.
At the bottom of the writing activities, there is also a checklist to help students strengthen their writing skills. Students will remember to use important elements, such as capitalization, punctuation, and proofreading. They will also have a reminder to stay on topic and make connections. By having a checklist, students will be able to work towards becoming independent writers.
Pies from Nowhere will help students branch out from learning well-known figures in history. It will show students how there are so many other people in movements who had a vital role without receiving recognition. By doing this, students will realize they all have a passion or talent that can help make a change. They do not have to be a strong public speaker or at the forefront of the movement in order to be important.
Hidden figures are so important because a change takes many talents, a lot of hard work, and the unification of many people.