Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. Scholastic Inc.
Summary
Many 7th grade students across the state are introduced to Rosa Parks and her fight for equality, and this book is the perfect way to introduce this difficult topic to students of all ages. With beautiful illustrations by Bryan Collier, Nikki Giovanni tells the story of the sweet Mrs. Parks who was arrested for staying in her seat on the bus while she was traveling home, tired from a long day of being a seamstress, simply excited to surprise her husband with his favorite meal. It talks of Martin Luther King Jr., the lynching of a twelve year old boy, and the inequalities faced by many African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.
A Teacher's Perspective
This book would make a great edition to both the ELA classroom and the history classroom. The illustrations begin on the endpapers, showing Mrs. Parks sitting on the bus, and they end with protest papers flying through the air-mere snapshots of what readers encounter within its pages. There is included a four page spread that shows the protest that sparked from this event. The message reads as merely relaying a historical event in a narrative form, and is portrayed in a way that does not create animosity. It educates on a level that many can understand.
Want to know more?
To purchase your own copy of Rosa: Click here!
To continue an author study of Nikki Giovanni, and incorporate poetry with a Civil Rights study, try this video:
If you decide to use this for your classroom, here is a wonderful lesson you can purchase from Teachers Pay Teachers.
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