Recommended Grades: 3-5
Long before Claudette Colvin or Rosa Parks fought for equal rights on public transportation, Lizzie Jennings fought for equality on New York City streetcars. Her courage and perseverance led to her winning the first recorded legal victory for equal rights on public transportation.
Lesson Idea:
Mentor Text: Social Justice Units
Lizzie Demands a Seat is a great mentor for three instructional moves in the classroom. First, use the text as a mentor when teaching about racial discrimination. It is important for students to understand that discrimination wasn’t only in the American South, but also occurred in other parts of the country as well. Second, consider including Lizzie Demands a Seat in a unit on activism. Finally, this book is a wonderful way to showcase strong, persistent women in American history.
Edited to include a link to Beth Anderson’s website as well as an Educator Guide and Class Activity she shares on her site.
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Picture This! Teaching with Picture Books 
Thanks so much for sharing Lizzie Demands a Seat! with teachers! I just wanted to mention there’s a downloadable Educator Guide and special activity called Path of Inspiration available on my website for anyone interested in using Lizzie in the classroom.
Thank you so much for sharing that, Beth! I have edited my post to include links to your website!