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The Legacy of Rosa Parks

Students will learn about civil rights activist Rosa Parks and create a piece of art related to her work and legacy.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Recycled Cardboard Box
  • Recycled Materials

Steps

  • Step 1

    Rosa Parks (1913-2005) was an American civil rights activist best known for her role in the Montgomery (Alabama) bus boycott. Have students research this woman known as "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement." What was her role in the NAACP? What happened when she refused to vacate her seat on the bus for a white woman? How did this act of defiance in the name of equality impact the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

  • Step 2

    Ask students to create 3D art related to the Montgomery bus boycott. They can use a recycled item such as a tissue or shoe box as a base, then embellish it with cut-outs from construction paper, recycled cardboard, small recycled cups, or any other materials. They can use markers to embellish the objects.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their 3D constructions and discuss the legacy of Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement.

Standards

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Understand linkages between human decisions and consequences. 

SS: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Examine various institutions that affect one’s life and influence people’s thinking and how they advocate for ideas they believe in. 

SS: Power, Authority, and Governance: Develop awareness of rights and responsibilities of people, in specific contexts.  

Adaptations

Have students learn about Claudette Colvin (b. 1939), a pioneer of the Civil Rights Movement who as a teenager refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus nine months before Rosa Parks did. How was her case similar to the Rosa Parks case? How was it different? Why do you suppose we are more familiar with the Rosa Parks act?

Have students explore artwork related to the Civil Rights Movement. Suggestions include "Walking" (1958) by Charles Henry Alston, "Soldiers and Students" (1962) by Jacob Lawrence, "Homage to My Young Black Sisters" (1968) by Elizabeth Catlett, and "April 4, 1969" (1969) by Sam Gilliam.