The Greensboro Sit-ins

Students will explore the Greensboro Sit-ins. They will experience segregation through drama, research the people involved in the protest at Woolworth's, and then stage a re-enactment of the event.

A lesson plan for grade 5 Information Skills, Social Studies, and Theater Arts Education

By Lucinda Gainey

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• understand how and why the Greensboro Sit-ins started, what made them successful and what impact they had on society.
• portray different characters.
• conduct research using the web.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

6 hours

Materials/resources

• Pen and notebook paper for each student
• Large sheets of chart paper or posterboard
• Packages of Post-it® Notes (enough for each student to have several)
• Name tags or stickers in two distinct colors for the first role-playing session
• A sign that says something like “Red Tags Only” to set on the table in the role-playing session

Set-Up

• 1st Session: Arrange the room to have one large table for people to sit at and one table where people must stand
• Improvisation Sessions: Arrange the furniture to create a large open space

Technology resources

• Computer lab with access to the internet for each student
• RealAudio software on each computer (free download from http://www.real.com/)

Pre-activities

• The teacher should be familiar with the Greensboro Sit-ins website.
• Students should have experience with improvisation and role-playing.

Activities

Session 1

The purpose of this session is to introduce students to the effects of segregation and to the specific situation that prompted the Greensboro Sit-ins.

1. Prior to the session, arrange the room to have a distinct playing space and an off-stage area. The playing space should have a long table with chairs and a small table without chairs. The table without chairs should be in a less attractive area of the room. The sign should be placed face down on the sitting table.
2. Give each student a sticker or name tag to put on. The name tags should be two different colors and the colors should be divided fairly equally among the students. Tell the students that they will be improvising eating lunch at a store (like Target or Wal-Mart). You will be taking the part of the server. Have the students gather outside the playing area and enter the space (as if they were entering the store) gradually.
3. Act out your part as the server. When students with the wrong color try to sit at the table, turn the sign up so they can see it. Politely but firmly refuse to serve them and direct them to the standing table. Continue with the improvisation until all students have had a chance to enter the playing space and interact with each other.
4. After ending the improvisation, have the students restore the classroom to the regular order and pass out Post-it® Notes. While they are doing that put up two pieces of chart paper (or posterboard). Title them with the different colored nametags used.
5. Have the students write the thoughts and emotions they had during the improvisation on the Post-it® Notes and post them on the appropriate paper. After the students have placed their ideas on the wall, lead the class in a discussion about what happened to them during the improvisation and what connections they can make to history and to society today.
6. To close the session, read the introduction found on the Greensboro Sit-ins website (http://www.sitins.com/). Tell them that they will create a re-enactment of the Greensboro Sit-ins.

SESSION 2

In this session students will research the Greensboro Sit-ins to gain information necessary to re-create the event.

1. Take students to the computer lab or have students work in small groups on available computers. They are to visit the Greensboro Sit-ins website and explore the information presented there. By the end of the session, they should have written down a list of the important events in the Greensboro Sit-ins (http://www.sitins.com/) and the important people involved.

SESSION 3

In this session students will create an outline for their re-enactment and choose or be assigned parts.

1. Using the lists the students created from their research, create a master list of events and characters. Format the master list of events as scenes and include the characters involved in that scene. Prompt the students to include a variety of events involved such as the conversation of the four students the night before, meetings between white people discussing whether to integrate, scenes in the newsroom about the reporting, etc.
2. When the scenes and cast lists are established, divide the class into groups that can perform one or more of the scenes. At this point the students will be assigned specific parts. Depending on the class, it may be necessary for the teacher to do this.

SESSION 4

In this session, the students will do research on their characters.

1. Take students to the computer lab or have students work in small groups on available computers. They are to visit the Greensboro Sit-ins website (http://www.sitins.com/) and explore the information presented on their character. Ask them to listen to at least two of the audio files available.
2. They should answer the following questions from their research:
   
   • What did your character want to accomplish through the Sit-ins?
   • Why and how did your character get involved in the Sit-ins?
   • List three character traits that could be used to define your character.

SESSION 5

In this session, the students will create their scenes.

1. Move the classroom furniture back to create a large open space. Have the class get into their scene groups. Depending on the skill of the class you can either have the groups work on their own to develop their scenes through improvisation or coach each group one at a time through improvising their scenes.
2. Coach the groups through the following steps to develop their scenes:
   
   • Determine what information the scene needs to convey.
   • Establish the setting of the scene and arrange furniture appropriately.
   • Determine an opening pose for the scene.
   • Determine how the scene will end.
   • Improvise the scene.
3. After Step 5, the group should discuss the work and determine what they can do to make it better and then do the scene again.

SESSION 6

1. Move the classroom furniture back to create a large open space. Have the class get into their scene groups around the room in chronological order.
2. Have each group present their scene.
3. After all the scenes are presented, have the students restore the classroom. As a means of assessment, have the students write an essay about the Greensboro Sit-ins in which they identify the aspects that made this protest movement successful and peaceful. They should also consider what impact the Sit-ins have had on their lives today.

Assessment

There are several assessments for this project:

• Compare student-created lists with information from the website. Were they able to accurately and completely identify the important events and people?
• Evaluate the student’s writing about the character based on the research. Were appropriate motivations and character traits identified from the information presented on the website?
• Did each group present the essence of their event in a way that had impact for the audience?
• Did each student accurately portray the identified character traits?
• In the final essay, did the students correctly identify the aspects that made the movement successful? Were they able to make a connection between the outcome of the protest and today?

Supplemental information

Comments

This lesson came from an activity in a Learn NC course on the Civil Rights movement and the wealth of information available on the website cited.

The lesson could be expanded to create an actual live performance of the Greensboro Sit-ins or the students could create a video dramatization of the events.