March:
Book One
Written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
Published in 2013 by Top Shelf Productions
Grades 7 & up
ISBN: 978-1-60309-300-2
Book
Review
In this graphic novel, Congressman John Lewis shares
stories about his childhood and adolescence growing up during the Civil Rights
Movement in America. As a child, he begins to realize that whites and blacks
are not treated equally and so he begins his lifelong quest to fight for equal
rights. As a young adult, he participated in sit-ins and even met with Martin
Luther King Jr. to discuss the integration of Troy University. John Lewis has
spent his life advocating for equal rights for all. This book is a glimpse into
his early life and sets the stage for the next two books in the trilogy. The detailed
illustrations draw the reader into the Lewis’ world while the text moves the
story along quickly. It is a compelling look at the historical Civil Rights
Movement in the United States.
This graphic novel may have high appeal among
males and struggling readers.
Professional
Reviews
Awards
Coretta
Scott King Honor Book Award, 2014
Will
Eisner Award Nominee
YALSA
Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Teaching
Ideas
1. Grades 6-7
The
Who’s Who of the Civil Rights Movement: Students will choose a key leader in the
Civil Rights Movement to research. They will present their findings during an
oral presentation that may be recorded or delivered in person. Students must
have at least one visual element that accompanies the presentation. This visual
can be a poster, slide presentation, or drawing using digital media.
SOL USII.9
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the key domestic and international
issues during the second half of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries
by examining the Civil Rights Movement and identifying representative citizens
from the time period who have influenced America scientifically, culturally,
academically, and economically.
2. Grade 9
The
Main Event: Students will research the events that took place during the Civil
Rights Movement in America. Then, they will report a summary of each main event
including important details related to the movement. Students should use online
tools for research including, but not limited to, electronic databases and
online resources. Students may present the summary of the events using print or
digital resources. Students may use a blog, Smore, Glogster, or other digital
tool. All products must include proper citations.
English SOL 9.8 The
student will use print, electronic databases, online resources, and other media
to access information to create a research product. a) Use technology as a tool
for research to organize, evaluate, and communicate information. f) Credit the
sources of quoted, paraphrased, and summarized ideas.
3. Grade 9
Acting
out: Students will work in groups to act out parts of the graphic novel for the
rest of the class. Students in the audience will write a brief summary of the
presentation after each group presents their section of the graphic novel.
Students will participate in a whole class discussion at the end of the presentations
to discuss the important lessons and themes portrayed in the graphic novel.
English SOL 9.1
The student will make planned oral presentations independently and in small
groups. k) Summarize and evaluate information presented orally by others. l) Assume
shared responsibility for collaborative work.
4. Grade 9
D.I.Y.:
After reading March: Book One, students
will create their own short graphic novel. Students must include text and
drawings to tell their story. Students may choose the topic of their graphic
novel.
English SOL 9.6
The student will develop narrative, expository, and persuasive writings for a
variety of audiences and purposes.
5. Grade 9
Hear All About It!: Students
will create a booktalk video that will be posted on the class YouTube page or
class blog. Students must create a visual (either print or digital) to
accompany the booktalk. The booktalk should include information about the plot
of the book including details about the main idea, characters, and theme. Additionally,
students should provide their interpretation of the book and their
recommendation.
English SOL 9.1
The student will make planned oral presentations independently and in small
groups. b) Use relevant details to support main ideas. e) Use verbal and
nonverbal techniques for presentation.
Further
Explorations
This is the official
webpage for Congressman John Lewis.
Lewis is the congressman for Georgia’s 5th district. There is
a biography about Lewis as well as other information about his role in
Congress.
The American Experience presents a series
of videos about the Civil Rights Movement. There are videos on Martin
Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and the Freedom Riders. This is a great resource for
struggling readers that may have a hard time reading higher level nonfiction
text about the Civil Rights Movement.
Watch this insightful
interview with Congressman John Lewis. Hear about his fascinating life
story in his own words. This is a great example of a primary source.
This video focuses on the
year 1964 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The video is filled
with authentic photographs along with an interesting narrative. The photographs
and commentary will add support for struggling readers when learning about the
Civil Rights Movement.
View this website
to find out more about the Civil Rights Movement. There is an extensive
overview of the important events that occurred during that era. Make sure to
look through the tabs on the page. There you can find videos, pictures, and
speeches. This is a wonderful nonfiction resource for all readers. Students
will appreciate the videos and photographs that accompany the article.
The National
Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel is located in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Lorraine Motel is the site of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Do you want to find more YA books about the Civil
Rights Movement? YALSA has published a list
of award winning books related to the Civil Rights Movement. The books on
the list span several reading levels.
Learn more about the Freedom Riders.
The Freedom Riders were brave civil rights activists
that challenged the laws
of segregation in the southern United States.
You can find lesson plans regarding the Civil
Rights Movement. The first
lesson plan is designed for middle grade students and will span 2-3 class
periods. This unit
on the Civil Rights Movement includes five well designed lesson plans for
students of varying abilities.
Partner
Titles
The partner titles focus on the Civil Rights
Movement in America. There is a mix of fiction and nonfiction books.
The Rock and The River by Kekla Magoon is about a young boy, Sam, whose father is a civil rights
activist during the late 1960’s. This book was chosen because it is another
account of life during the same time period as March: Book One and it deals
with the topic of nonviolence and offers curricular connections. Congressman John Lewis was a huge supporter of
nonviolence during the Civil Rights Movement. Also, this book won the 2010 Coretta Scott
King-John Steptoe Award and
was one of YALSA’s Best Books For Young Adults in 2010. This book is
written at a reading level that would be appropriate for middle school students
or struggling students in upper grades.
Marching
for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and Don’t You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge uses original pictures and personal
accounts to create an interesting nonfiction narrative about the events that
took place during the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The book is
focused on the experiences of children and teens during the protests and the march.
This book was a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist in 2010 and
one of YALSA’s Best Books for Young Adults in 2010. It will appeal to younger
readers since it is based on the experiences of children and young adults. The
School Library Journal states this book would be an “excellent addition to any
library.”
Freedom
Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by
Russell Freedman chronicles the everyday heroes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Rosa Parks wasn’t the only person to be arrested for riding on a bus. This book
tells the story of others that fought for their cause. This book was chosen because it provides other
people’s account of events during the Civil Rights Movement and was authored by an authoritative source. Russell Freedman is a well known, award winning biographer. Reading this in
conjunction with March: Book One will
give the reader a more well-rounded perspective of the issues during that era. The Kirkus
Review positively reviews Freedom Walkers:
The Story of the Montgomery Bus saying that this book is an “essential
source” on the Civil Rights Movement.
The
Civil Rights Movement: A Photographic History, 1954-68 is
a book filled with amazing historical photographs. This photographic history is
an excellent resource for struggling or reluctant readers because they can use
the visual cues from the pictures to learn about the Civil Rights Movement.
This is an excellent source for teaching primary sources and matches well with the curriculum. The Kirkus
Review says that the images are necessary reminders of our country’s brutal
battle over civil rights.
We Troubled the
Waters by Ntozake Shange is a series of brilliant poems written
about the South during the Civil Rights Movement told from an African American
perspective. The School Library Journal lists We Troubled the Waters as a book that celebrates the everyday
heroes of the Civil Rights Movement. This book was chosen because it is poetry.
The short poems are perfect for readers who struggle with stamina. The poems and
mural-type paintings create vivid imagery which is beneficial for the visual
learner. Some students might prefer poetry over traditional prose so this would be a good option for those readers.
References
American
Experience. (n.d.) Films: Civil rights [Website/videos]. PBS. Retrieved from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/filter/civil-rights/
Bernstein,
E. (2013). Congressman John Lewis interview on the Ed Bernstein show [YouTube
video].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b6nq6XK-0Y&safe=active
Dickinson, K. (2014). Teens behaving
historically: The civil rights movement in YA literature.
Retrieved from http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/01/20/teens-behaving-historically-the-civil-rights-movement-in-ya-literature/
Freedman,
R. (2006). Freedom walkers: The story of the Montgomery bus boycott. New York,
NY:
Holiday House.
Kasher, S. (1996). The civil rights movement: A photographic history,
1954-68. New
York, NY:
Abbeville Press.
Lewis,
J., & Aydin, A. (2013). March: Book one. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf
Productions.
Lewis,
J. (n.d.). Welcome to the website of Congressman John Lewis, serving the 5th
congressional
district
of Georgia. Retrieved from http://johnlewis.house.gov/
Magoon, K. (2010). The rock and the river. New York, NY: Aladdin.
Mississippi
Public Broadcasting. (2014). 1964: The fight for a right [YouTube video].
Retrieved
Partridge,
E. (2009). Marching for freedom: Walk together, children, and don’t you grow
weary. New
York, NY: Viking Books for Young Readers.
PBS. (n.d.). Freedom riders.
Retrieved from
Raff, T. (n.d.). The civil
rights movement. Retrieved from
Shange, N. (2009). We
troubled the waters.
New York, NY: HarperCollins/Amistad.
Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). A
time for justice: America’s civil rights movement. Retrieved from
The History Channel. (n.d). Civil rights
movement. Retrieved from
The National Civil Rights Museum at the
Lorraine Motel. (n.d.). Visit [Website homepage]. Retrieved
from http://civilrightsmuseum.org/
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