Last updated: August 26, 2023
Lesson Plan
Chapter 14 Lesson Plan: The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963
- Grade Level:
- Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
Essential Question
How does making art help you to process hard feelings, such as trauma and tragedy?
Objective
Drawing on historical newspaper articles and contemporary scholarship, students will collaborate to create works that honor the lives of the 4 little girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
Background
Kenny witnesses a horrific scene at the Birmingham church: people are screaming as
the lifeless bodies of young girls are pulled from the rubble. While Kenny doesn’t
learn the details of the Birmingham church bombing until chapter 15, he knows that
girls similar in age to Joey were killed. In this activity, students will research the four
youth who lost their lives in the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing: Addie Mae
Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. Drawing on historical
newspaper articles and contemporary scholarship, students will collaborate to create
works that honor their lives.
The following offers some background on each of the four girls:
- Addie Mae Collins: Addie Mae was a student at Ullman High School in Birmingham. She was known for her love of singing and often sang in her church choir. She had a twin sister named Sarah, who survived the bombing. Addie Mae's family had moved to Birmingham from rural Alabama in search of better opportunities.
- Denise McNair: Denise was also a student at Ullman High School. She was a talented musician and played piano and violin. She was known for her outgoing personality and love of life. Her family had deep roots in Birmingham and was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement.
- Carole Robertson: Carole was a student at Parker High School in Birmingham. She was an honor student and a talented athlete. She was also involved in her church and was known for her kindness and generosity. Carole's father was a prominent businessman in Birmingham and was active in the Civil Rights Movement.
- Cynthia Wesley: Cynthia was a student at the segregated Miles College in Birmingham. She was a talented artist and had a passion for drawing and painting. She was also active in her church and had a deep faith. Cynthia's father was a minister and had been a leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham.
Preparation
Gather materials:
- Class copies of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
- Tablets or similar devices with internet access
- Art supplies such as craft paper, watercolors, markers, glue sticks, rulers, etc.
- Printer (optional)
Materials
A picture of a statue at Kelly Ingram Park called The Four Spirits. This statue honors the lives of the 4 girls who died in the dynamite blast at 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. Photo courtesy of the Alabama Tourism Department, Chris Granger (photographer).
Download Four Little Girls Statue by Elizabeth MacQueen
The artwork depicts an encounter that would have taken place during the Children's Crusade, the climax of the organized Birmingham Campaign of Spring 1963. In particular, the composition is similar to a photograph of a bystander, Walter Gadsden, being confronted by a police dog held by officer Dick Middleton. The Associated Press photograph by Bill Hudson reached a worldwide audience and the image of police dogs and fire hoses became the indelible image of segregationist brutality in Birmingham. The photograph of the statue was taken by Neal Hamilton (NPS).
Download The Footsoldier by Ronald McDowell
A stained glass gift from John Petts of Wales, UK, to 16th Street Baptist Church. The artwork is very symbolic. The figure appears as a Black Christ, with the right hand pushing away hatred and injustice, the left offering forgiveness. In large letters at the bottom, Petts included the words: “You Do It To Me”. These words, from Matthew 25:40 communicate the Christian ideal of brotherly love: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” They also communicate Christ's identification with those who suffer. These were the very words that the Reverend John Cross, the pastor of Sixteenth Street Baptist in 1963, had intended to say in the sermon he did not give on Sunday, September 15, 1963.
Download Wales Window, courtesy of Alabama Department of Tourism, photographer Chris Granger
A statue by James Drake depicts the experience of youth protesters during the Birmingham Campaign of 1963.
Download I Ain't Afraif of Your Jail, statue by James Drake
Courtesy of Greater Birmingham CVB. This statue commemorates the 4 little girls and 2 boys who lost their lives due to racial violence on September 15, 1963. Their names were Virgil Ware, Johnny Robinson, Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Morris Wesley, and Denise McNair.
Download The Four Spirits Statue by Elizabeth MacQueen
Procedure
- Lead the class in a short recap of the chapter (what happened to Joey and what Kenny witnessed).
- Ask students to turn to the book’s dedication page, explaining that those four young people were victims of the 1963 bombing of Birmingham’s 16th Street Church. The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 was written in honor of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley.
- Christopher Paul Curtis’s novel is one of many ways to memorialize these lives.
- Create another in any genre (e.g., collage, song, sculpture, poem).
- To shorten this activity: Reduce the amount of time for creating a memorial.
- To lengthen this activity: Have groups share their work with the rest of the class via a classroom “gallery” or discussion. Visit the websites of 16th Street Baptist Church | Where Jesus Christ is the main attraction! Also visit the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument to learn more about 16th Street Baptist Church and its role in the National Monument: Sixteenth Street Baptist Church (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Students can also learn about Kelly Ingram Park, one of the seven sites within Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which is filled with statue art depicting variouis aspects of the movement: Kelly Ingram Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Vocabulary
Memorialize: To preserve the memory of, to remember, to commemorate.