This Is the Dream GUIDE

This is The Dream

by Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander

Illustrated by James Ransome

About the book:

Through striking, powerful verse and gorgeous detailed illustrations this book catalogs the American experience before, during and after the civil rights movement. Come along on this incredible journey, and see how far we’ve come in attaining freedom and justice for all.

About the guide:

This is The Dream is a terrific resource to introduce children to the civil rights movement. Extend the use of the book with discussion questions and projects that will tie it to each part of your curriculum.

Pre-reading:

What do you think inspired the book and also the title for This is The Dream? Discuss MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech. Where did he give it? When?

Who was present? "It was an army without guns, but not without strength." Martin Luther King, 1964. What do you think this means? What do you think the term "nonviolent change" means? Can you give an example?

What is a dream? (Not the kind you have at night but for yourself and your future). Do your parents have dreams for you too? What are they? Are there any things that could keep you from becoming whatever you wanted? How would that make you feel?

Questions to consider:

What time period does the book begin with? How do you know it is a different time than today? Why is that important?
Have you ever heard the phrase “separate but equal” before? What do you think it means? Why do you think people believed in separating themselves?
Compare the two classrooms. How are they the same? How are they different?
Why do you think there are federal marshalls behind the students walking into the school?Would you be brave enough to go to a school that people didn’t want you to attend? Would you dare to be the first?
Why did the passengers decide to walk instead of ride the bus? Have you ever heard the story of Rosa Parks?
Why are people pouring things on those sitting at the lunch counter? Would you be able to do this without reacting?
Do you know any leaders of the civil rights movement? How could you learn more about them? Why is it important to learn what they did?
How have things changed in America since the civil rights movement?
Do you think that today there is “freedom and justice for all?” Why or why not?
Compare the front end pages to the back. How are they different? What do you think they mean?

Across the curriculum:

Language Arts:

Choose one of the pictures or portraits in the book (including the end pages) and tell that person’s story. What is his or her dreams? What is it that they want? What makes them happy? Sad?

A phrase that has "Double Meaning" is a phrase that can be understood in two ways. Discuss the two meanings of the phrase "These are the doors that are closed" What is the literal meaning? (an actual door that keeps people out) What is the figurative meaning in this context? Was the author referring to the Jim Crow Laws that kept African Americans from participating in all aspects of American life? What makes you think so?

Math:

In 1955 (when the Montgomery bus boycott began) these were the average price of many common items:

milk .92 c

bread .18 c

eggs .78 c/a doz.

stamp .03 c

gas .23 gallon

Looking through grocery advertisements, find the average price of the same items today. Then, figure out the difference in cost. Graph the results.

The Montgomery bus boycott lasted 386 days. Is that more than a year or less?

History:

Research one of the following events or leaders from the civil rights movement and answer the five journalist’s questions about them: who, what, when, where, why they are important to learn about. Create a poster about what you learned.

Brown vs. Board of Education

Montgomery Bus Boycott

The Selma to Montgomery March

March on Washington, D. C.

24^th Amendment

Voting Rights Act

Civil Rights Act

Bombing of the 16^th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham

Ruby Bridges

Rosa Parks

Ella Baker

Walter White

Thurgood Marshall

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Little Rock Nine

Bloody Sunday

Jim Cow Laws

Art:

The illustrator, James Ransome, tells us in his note at the back of the book that he was inspired by the works of Ramare Bearden and Robert Rauschenberg. Research the images that these civil rights era artists created and let it influence your own project as you

create a collage to depict another scene or person from the civil rights movement.

Music:

Find recordings of these songs that were sung during the Civil Rights Movement. Write a brief journal about why you think they were important.

"Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing,"

We Shall Overcome."

"Oh, Freedom."

"Only a Pawn in Their Game,"

"I'm on My Way."

“How I Got Over."

Find a recording of "We Shall Overcome" the song that served as the anthem of the
Civil Rights Movement. Like many songs that began in slavery, it has no one author and no standard version.A variation of "We Shall Overcome" was sung by slaves as they worked

in the fields. A song of hope, it helped men, women, and children endure the long sunup to sundown backbreaking work forced upon them all their lives.

We Shall Overcome

We shall overcome,
we shall overcome
We shall overcome someday
Oh deep in my heart,
I do believe
That we shall overcome someday

We'll walk hand in hand,
we'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand someday
Oh deep in my heart, I do believe
That we shall overcome someday

We shall live in peace,
we shall live in peace
We shall live in peace someday
Oh deep in my heart,
I do believe
That we shall overcome someday
We shall brothers be,
we shall brothers be
We shall brothers be someday
Oh deep in my heart,
I do believe

That we shall overcome someday
The truth shall make us free,
truth shall make us free
The truth shall make us free someday
Oh deep in my heart,
I do believe
That we shall overcome someday

We are not afraid,
we are not afraid
We are not afraid today
Oh deep in my heart,
I do believe
That we shall overcome someday.