Sit -In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Recommended Grades: 4-6

It was February 1, 1960.  They didn't need menus.  Their order was simple.  A doughnut and coffee, with cream on the side.  The story of the sit-in at Woolworth's during the WHITES ONLY edict of the era is poignantly told through this picture book. 

Note: This month, I will share several Black Eyed Susan nominees. Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) is a 2011-2012 nominee.

Lesson Idea:

History Connection: I love to read picture books with historical significance.  This is one such story.  Read aloud Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) and discuss the historical significance during a unit on civil rights. Pairing Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) with If A Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks by Faith Ringgold or Rosa (Caldecott Honor Book) by Nikki Giovanni would make a great picture book unit on civil rights and perhaps make the concept easier for students to understand.

Writer's Workshop: Use Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down (Jane Addams Honor Book (Awards)) as a mentor text for history based picture books.  Provide other models of history based picture books.  Then have students pick a specific historical event and write their own picture book.

©2011 by Dawn Little for Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books. All Amazon links are affiliate links and may result in my receiving a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you.

Filed under: civil rights, Content Connections, teaching with picture books, writers workshop Tagged: civil rights, content connections, mentor texts, Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down, writers workshop