The Bus Boycott: read-aloud with discussion questions
Read The Bus Boycott aloud on the projector: 12 pages of big type with each word lit as it is said, 924 words (about 7 minutes), level 10, grade 5, and 5 questions to talk about.
Page 1 of 12
In 1955, the city of Montgomery, Alabama, had a bus rule that was deeply unfair. Black riders had to sit in the back of the bus. If the front rows filled up with white riders, the driver could order Black riders to give up their seats and stand. This kind of rule kept people apart because of their skin color. It was called segregation. Many cities in the South had rules like it.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page the questions come up on the screen. The same questions are below, with what to listen for.
About this book
- Level 10, Grade 5
- 12 pages, 924 words, about 7 minutes aloud
- A true book, gentle
Related
About The Bus Boycott
A 924-word true account of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott, from the bus on December 1, 1955 to the end of the boycott after 381 days. It defines segregation, boycott and protest in the text, and it shows many people doing different jobs: a seamstress, a teacher who printed flyers, a young minister, volunteer drivers and lawyers.
A true story about Rosa Parks, a quiet seamstress who would not give up her seat on a bus in 1955. Her choice led a whole city to stand together.
Before you read
This book is about an unfair law and people who changed it by peaceful action. Ask what unfair means and what people can do about an unfair rule. The first page explains segregation, so you may want to pause there.
Words to preview
- seamstress (SEEM-stress)
- woman who sews
- segregation (seg-ruh-GAY-shun)
- forced separation
- boycott (BOY-kot)
- refusal to buy
- protest (PROH-test)
- public disagreement
- symbol (SIM-bul)
- sign for something
Questions to talk about
- What was the bus rule in Montgomery, and why does the book call it unfair?Listen for: Black riders had to sit in the back and could be ordered to give up their seats to white riders. It kept people apart because of their skin color, and it was called segregation.
- What did Rosa Parks do on December 1, 1955, and how did she act?Listen for: She was told to stand so a white passenger could sit, and she said no and stayed where she was, calm and quiet. She was arrested but was treated politely.
- How did the people of Montgomery take part in the boycott?Listen for: They stayed off the buses. Some walked for miles, some rode bicycles and others shared rides, and churches set up volunteer drivers and pickup spots. Jo Ann Robinson and her helpers printed thousands of flyers overnight.
- What is a boycott, and why could it make the bus company listen?Listen for: Refusing to use or buy something to bring about change. Most bus riders were Black, so if they stopped riding the company would lose a great deal of money.
- What does the book mean when it says one calm choice can matter, and matters more when joined by many others?Listen for: Rosa Parks's choice began it, and thousands of walkers, drivers, leaders and lawyers kept it going for 381 days until the Supreme Court agreed that separate seats were not allowed. Ask students to name another person's part.
Questions
How long does The Bus Boycott take to read aloud?
It has 12 pages and 924 words, so about 7 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is The Bus Boycott?
Level 10, Grade 5. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 10 sits at grade 5. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Where does this book come from?
It was written for Peabody's library as a true book. It is not copied from a textbook or another site.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.