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.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

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)

Tags

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.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

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)

Tags

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

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

Tags

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.1.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

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’”.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1