Objective:
Students will be able to analyze the motives behind the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Introduction: Sometimes history has hinged on the action of one person or group. To better understand historical actions, historians analyze the motives or the reasons behind them. Most motives can be broken into several parts; the goals of the group taking the action and the people’s needs, emotions and prior experiences.
Procedure:
Divide students into groups of four. Have them brainstorm answers to the following questions in order to analyze the motives behind the bus boycott in Montgomery and the arrest of Rosa Parks. One student should be designated as the recorder and a second student should be prepared to report their answers back to the class.
Key Questions
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1. What were the goals of the boycotters?
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2. What were the needs of the boycotters?
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3. Describe the emotions of the boycotters.
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4. What were the prior experiences of the boycotters?
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5. What do you think motivates a person to defy authority?
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6. What can happen when enough people defy authority?
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7. Was the goal of Rosa Parks in refusing to give up her seat the same as King’s goal in leading the boycott?
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8. What was King’s philosophy of protest and social change?
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9. How do you think King would have defined the word courage?
