Plenty of challenging and stimulating independent and group activities can be found in the teaching guide for this important true story of civil rights icon and Congressional Medal of Honor winner Melba Beals. Students will explore Beals' harrowing journey as a member of the "Little Rock Nine" and the triumphs of her later life with the pre- and post-reading activities, discussion questions, and meaningful project-based activities.
March Forward, Girl Teaching Guide
Excerpted from
March Forward, Girl
Long before she was one of the Little Rock Nine, Melba Pattillo Beals was a warrior. Frustrated by the laws that kept African-Americans separate but very much unequal, she had questions. Why couldn’t she drink from a "whites only" fountain? Why couldn’t she feel safe beyond home? Adults all told her: Hold your tongue. Be patient. Know your place. But Beals had the heart of a fighter—and knew that her true place was a free one. Combined with drawings and photos, Beals recounts her early journey to becoming a champion for equal rights, a best-selling author, and the recipient of this country’s highest recognition, the Congressional Gold Medal.
