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The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1956

Applying the three Es to develop understanding of a case study

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• Learning about the past involves a process of enquiry

• The results of our enquiry will depend upon the available evidence

• Historical study needs to consider different interpretations of the evidence in an open-minded spirit of exploration (G6)

Syllabus principles

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Enquiry questions

• Give a clear focus to a series of lessons

• Clarify the learning purposes

• Ensure that the sequence of lessons is leading to improved understanding

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Enquiry questionsShould• Capture students’

interest

• Give prominence to an aspect of historical thinking

• Result in a substantial outcome activity

• Be historically rigorous

• Allow a strong learning focus

• Excite curiosity

• Have puzzle element

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Choosing an enquiry question• What were the causes and consequences of the

Montgomery bus boycott?

• How important was the Montgomery bus boycott in the history of the civil rights movement?

• How did the Montgomery bus boycott help to make Martin Luther King, Junior, a national figure?

• Why did Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat spark a national controversy?

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Enquiry questionWhy did Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat spark a national controversy?

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Exploring the enquiry question

• The story of Rosa Parks’ arrest

• Why did her arrest lead to a bus boycott?

• Why did the bus boycott become a matter of national controversy?

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Interrogating the sources

• What do we learn from the police report about the circumstances of Rosa Parks’ arrest?

• What can the report tell us about Rosa Parks herself?

• Do the fingerprint card and bus illustration add anything to our understanding of the events of that day?

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Exploring the enquiry question

• Why did the arrest of Rosa Parks lead to a bus boycott in Montgomery?

• Rationale for sorting exercises

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Other people’s responses

E.D. Nixon, whose actions contributed to the launch of the bus boycott.

www.montgomeryboycott.com/bio_ednixon.htm

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Other people’s responsesJo Ann Robinson, whose actions contributed to the launch of the bus boycott.

http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/2012/

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The Bus Boycott http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/swann/herblock/images/s03530u.jpg

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Exploring the enquiry question

• Why did this particular bus boycott become a matter of national controversy?

• “Definites” and “maybes”

• Supporting evidence

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Segregation unconstitutional

After the Supreme Court judgement

www.montgomeryboycott.com/bio_mlking.htm

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Developing writing skills

• Bring it all together and write it up

• Managing the general and the particular: “big” points and “little” points

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