The Youngest of the Little Rock Nine Speaks Out About Holding onto History

1. PART A: Which statement best expresses the central idea of the text?

• LaNier’s experiences attending a formerly all-white school shows how far we have come but she knows that we have a long way to go before achieving racial equality.

• LaNier is proud of her contributions to racial equality, but believes that it is important to for younger generations to understand American history.

• Local law enforcement’s response to LaNeir’s attempts to attend a formerly all-white school following integration shows how deep racism ran.

• The Little Rock Nine knew they were making an important contribution to history and did not fear the hostility they faced attending a formerly all-white school.

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CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

2.PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “‘My parents had always said to me ‘Be prepared to go through the door whether there’s a crack in the door or the door is flung wide open.’’” (Paragraph 5)

• “‘That’s when we knew they were really there to keep us out, not to protect the citizens of Little Rock.’” (Paragraph 14)

• “‘Twelve hundred troopers bivouacked on campus...I don’t ever want to see that happen for them or any other educational institution. That’s not the way to go to school.’” (Paragraph 20)

• “‘So here we are, 63 years later. You compare 63 years to 330-plus years of living one way, and you see we have accomplished a great deal. Now we have to hold onto it.’” (Paragraph 27)

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

3.PART A: How does LaNier’s personal testimony about attending Central High help readers understand the integration of formerly all-white schools?

• It shows how few African American students were willing to attend formerly all-white schools.

• It emphasizes how much resistance African American students encountered when attempting to attend formerly all-white schools.

• It shows the important role that the federal and local government played in enforcing integration in schools.

• It stresses the fear that the Little Rock Nine and their families experienced when attempting to attend formerly all-white schools.

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CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

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4.PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• “‘You have to learn how to deal with adversity, and I think we all did.’” (Paragraph 3)

• “‘the underlying theme here in the foundation of this whole thing is really we had a right based on Brown v. Board of Education ... and this was a Supreme Court decision’” (Paragraph 5)

• “‘We were kids going to school, being harassed, being bullied from one extreme to another but we persevered.’” (Paragraph 10)

• “‘She had gotten a number of phone calls from her sister and from my great aunts and so forth to ‘go up and get (me),’” (Paragraph 16)

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Guided Question #1 When the nine African American students first attempted to attend Central High, they were…

• Prevented from going in by the National Guard

• Protected by the National Guard

• Scared off by a mob of white people

• Sent home for their own protection

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CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

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Guiding Question #2 Why did LaNier decide to attend Central High?

• She didn't expect the hostility she received

• Her parents encouraged her to make a difference

• She wanted the chance at a better education

• Her parents wanted her to have a great education

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CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

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Guiding Question #3 Which of the following is NOT something the Little Rock Nine experienced at Central High?

• They were physically assaulted

• They were harassed by mobs of people

• They were attacked by the National Guard

• They were forced to leave by the National Guard

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CCSS.RL.7.9

CCSS.RL.8.9

Guided question #4 How did the President respond to the problems at Central High?

• He asked the National Guard to allow the Little Rock Nine to attend Central High

• He sent the military in to ensure the Little Rock Nine to attend Central High

• He determined that it wasn't safe for the Little Rock Nine to attend Central High

• He banned local law enforcement from Central High's campus

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Guiding question #5 Why did LaNier donate the dress she wore on her first day of school?

• To help students learn about US' history

• To show the dangers of not knowing the mistakes of the past

• To help students' understand what life in the 1950's was like

• To inspire others to contribute to positive social change

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CCSS.RI.2.1

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Select all the statements that supports the idea that LaNier’s discussion of her dress emphasizes the significance of her attendance of the formerly all-white school and the importance of preserving history.

• “‘Uncle Em came by the house and gave my mother $20, and he said ‘I want you to buy her a store-bought dress’’.

• She even wore it on both of her first days at Central High School.

• “‘I think these kids need to know this history’”.

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CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2