Graphic Novel March Book 1 John Lewis full novel study lessons, CLICK HERE on TpT.
The graphic novel March John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell, is a powerful and inspiring story that chronicles the civil rights activist’s life. This multi-award-winning work offers an invaluable teaching opportunity for educators to explore the African American struggle for civil rights in the United States. Here are some tips on how to effectively teach March in your classroom.
Choose Your Approach
When teaching March John Lewis, it is important to decide on the approach you will take when discussing it with students. You can choose to focus on the narrative as a whole or break it down into individual chapters. Breaking down individual chapters allows students to hone in on specific aspects of Lewis’s journey and provides opportunities for more detailed discussion about each stage of his life. It also gives students time to process information without being overwhelmed by all three volumes at once.
Integrate Other Resources
To give students a well-rounded understanding of Civil Rights Movement history, consider integrating outside resources such as books, videos, audio recordings, lectures, etc., that provide additional context and insight into Lewis’s story. Additionally, gathering primary sources like photos or official documents from this period can be used as part of an interactive activity where students have to guess which event or location is being described based on clues provided throughout March.
Incorporate Group Activities
Group activities like role-play or debates are great ways for students to engage with the material. For example, one group activity could involve assigning each student a character from the book and having them discuss their beliefs about civil rights with each other in small groups or pairs before presenting their arguments in front of the class as if they were actually present during one of Lewis’s speeches. This would help bring some of the events described in March to life while also providing a unique platform for learning about empathy and perspective taking—two essential skills needed when discussing controversial topics like civil rights struggles.
History of March It is important to contextualize the graphic novel in a broader history lesson. This helps students understand why events like the march were necessary, and more importantly, it helps them recognize that such events had an enormous impact both then and now. Additionally, because it is a graphic novel, visual aids are essential for teaching March; these should include photographs from the era as well as maps and diagrams that illustrate the key elements of what happened during the march itself. In addition to providing visual aids, it is also important to provide supplemental material for further reading—primary sources such as speeches or other writings from John Lewis or secondary materials such as articles or books about his life and times. This gives students additional information to explore on their own and allows them to dig deeper into the history of civil rights in America.
Discussing the Novel Discussions should focus not only on what happened but also why it happened; this means looking at issues such as power dynamics between African Americans and whites during this period in American history, examining how racism played out in everyday life in the Deep South in 1965, and understanding why non-violent protest was seen as an effective tool for social change at that time. All of these discussions should emphasize why events like the march were so important then—and still are today.
Exploring the Text
One great way to get students engaged with March John Lewis is to have them read the text and discuss it as a class. You could break up the reading into sections or ask students to read it on their own at home. Then come together as a class for discussion about what they found most interesting or eye-opening about Lewis’s story. You can use critical thinking questions like “What does this text tell us about how civil rights activists were viewed during this time?” or “How did John Lewis’s faith inform his activism?” These questions can help students think more deeply about Lewis’s experiences and draw connections between his story and their own lives today.
CLICK HERE for the Digital Course Above.
Comparing Sources
Once students have familiarized themselves with March John Lewis, you could then challenge them to compare other texts related to the civil rights movement. For example, you could have them read Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream Speech” while also analyzing excerpts from Malcolm X’s autobiography or essays written by James Baldwin on race relations in America during this time period. This activity will help students become more aware of differing perspectives within the civil rights movement and understand why these diverse voices are so important for understanding our history as a nation.
Creating Connections
Finally, if you want your lesson plans about March John Lewis to feel especially relevant, you could ask your students how John Lewis’s work relates to current events today. For example, what similarities can they draw between racism during Jim Crow laws and modern institutional racism? How has technology changed over time but still played an important role in protesting social injustice? Having your students make connections between past and present will help them view history as something that isn’t static but rather alive and ever changing—a concept that is incredibly valuable when teaching any subject matter!
March is an incredibly rich source material that provides valuable lessons about our country’s history while also highlighting key figures who fought against injustice and inequality during this period. By taking advantage of these teaching tips, educators can create meaningful experiences that engage their students while also helping them understand what happened during this pivotal moment in American history—and how we can use today’s struggles to further inform our actions moving forward. In short: use March as an opportunity for both education and inspiration!
Graphic Novel March John Lewis full novel study lessons, CLICK HERE on TpT.
Leave a Reply