Last updated: August 26, 2023
Lesson Plan
Chapter 9 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:
- 90 Minutes
Essential Question
How did travel in the 1960s differ depending on race?
Objective
In this activity, students will use a 1962 copy of The Green Book, historical atlases, and the novel to develop one potential itinerary for the Watson family.
Background
The Green Book is a travel guide written by and for African Americans, published
between 1936 and 1967, when overt and covert practices limited access to lodging,
food, and other necessary services in Jim Crow America. The Green Book provided an
extensive list of safe and welcoming businesses that would allow individuals to travel
with more comfort and confidence during the era of racial segregation in the United
States. The book was also important in promoting Black-owned businesses and
supporting African American entrepreneurship.
Christopher Paul Curtis doesn’t show Momma using The Green Book, but “The Watsons
Go to Birmingham—1963” is clearly inspired by it. In this activity, students will use a
1962 copy of The Green Book, historical atlases, and the novel to develop one
potential itinerary for the Watson family.
Preparation
Gather materials:
- Tablets or other devices with internet access
- New York Public Library’s digitized collection of The Green Book, e.g., Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library. "The Travelers' Green Book: 1960" New York Public Library Digital Collections: The Travelers' Green Book: 1960 - NYPL Digital Collections
- David Rumsey’s Historical Road Atlases of the US:
- General Drafting Company. Road Map of the United States, Except Alaska and Hawaii. Scale ca. 1:9,000,000. "David Rumsey Historical Map Collection." 1962. Road map of the United States. Except Alaska and Hawaii. MCMLXII (1962) - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
- General Drafting Company. The United States Trip Planner. Scale ca.
5,700,000. "David Rumsey Historical Map Collection." 1962. The United States Trip Planner - David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
- Copies of the Chapter 9 worksheet (provided)
Materials
Procedure
- Provide a brief introduction to The Green Book. Consider using the following short videos:
- Refer students to the following passage from Chapter 9: Momma had planned "who got baloney sandwiches on Day One, who got tuna fish on Day Two, who got peanut butter and jelly on Day three...how long we could hold ourselves between going to the bathroom...who'd get the windows on each day and who was responsible for keeping paper and junk from piling up in the car."
- Divide the class in groups of 2-3 and distribute worksheets. Working together, students will use an early 1960s edition of The Green Book and historical road atlases to fill in the blanks and create itineraries for the Watsons’s trip from Flint, MI to Birmingham, AL.
- Have groups share their itineraries with the class, noting interesting facts they learned along the way.
- Ask students what lodging was available for people traveling to Birmingham who did not have family to stay with? Discuss the A.G. Gaston Motel, now a part of Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Read as a class the following article:The A.G. Gaston Motel and the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
- Divide the trip in two or three, assigning groups different sections of the route to research.
- Have students do the associated opinion writing prompt.
- Read NPS studies publised in April 2023 on travel for African Americans: National Park Service publishes two historical studies surfacing tragedy and resilience in Black recreation - Office of Communications (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
- Read more about the role of the Negro Motorist Greenbook: An atlas of self-reliance: The Negro Motorist's Green Book (1937-1964) | National Museum of American History (si.edu)
Vocabulary
Negro: A historic term used to refer to Black people. This term is no longer considered appropriate.
Contact Information
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