Lesson
Elizabeth Eckford, the Little Rock Nine, and Purpose
What about Elizabeth Eckford and the other 'Little Rock Nine' drove them to help advance freedom and equality?
Founding Principles
Civic Virtue, Equal Protection, Equality, Federalism, Individual Responsibility, Majority Rule / Minority Rights, Private Virtue
Guiding questions
Walk-In-The-Shoes Questions
As you read, imagine you are the protagonist.
- What challenges are you facing?
- What fears or concerns might you have?
- What may prevent you from acting in the way you ought?
Observation Questions
- Who were Elizabeth Eckford and the Little Rock Nine?
- What was Elizabeth’s role in the Civil Rights Movement?
- How did Elizabeth’s actions demonstrate her care for others? How did her actions help protect the rights of others?
Discussion Questions
Discuss the following questions with your students.
- What is the historical context of the narrative?
- What historical circumstances presented a challenge to the protagonist?
- How and why did the individual exhibit a moral and/or civic virtue in facing and overcoming the challenge?
- How did the exercise of the virtue benefit civil society?
- How might exercise of the virtue benefit the protagonist?
- What might the exercise of the virtue cost the protagonist?
- Would you react the same under similar circumstances? Why or why not?
- How can you act similarly in your own life? What obstacles must you overcome in order to do so?
Learning objectives
- Students will analyze Elizabeth Eckford’s performance during the fight over segregation in Little Rock.
- Students will understand how they can pursue their purpose in their own lives
- Students will apply this knowledge to pursue purpose in their own lives.
