The Choices of Upstanders in Little Rock

Lesson Plan

Activity 1: Reflect on an Arkansas Gazette Advertisement

Distribute the handout Advertisement in The Arkansas Gazette, which includes a newspaper advertisement that appeared in The Arkansas Gazette days after the Little Rock Nine were prevented from entering Central High School by the Arkansas National Guard. Read aloud the introduction on the handout, and provide enough time for students to inspect the advertisement (note that students have seen a similar photo before) and complete a journal reflection using the following prompt: 

• What do you think is the purpose of this advertisement? Why do you think someone might have paid to put it in The Arkansas Gazette newspaper? What effect might it have had on readers? 

Once students have had enough time, ask them to share their reflections with a partner. When pairs have finished sharing, ask volunteers to share responses with the whole class.

Provide students with additional context about the advertisement by sharing the following details: 

Davis Fitzhugh was a white farmer from Augusta, Arkansas, a small town about 75 miles northeast of Little Rock. He owned a 1,500-acre cotton and rice farm. When he saw the photo of Elizabeth Eckford being harassed by a mob of angry segregationists, he called The Arkansas Gazette and paid for an advertisement to appear in the Sunday edition of the newspaper. 

Explain to students that in today’s lesson, they will explore the choices of Fitzhugh and other upstanders during the Little Rock integration crisis. 

Activity 2: Explore the Choices of Upstanders 

In this activity, students explore various sources using the Jigsaw teaching strategy. Please refer to Teaching Note 2: Preparing for a Jigsaw Activity for additional guidance. In addition, be aware that some texts use the outdated term “Negro.” Refer to ​​Teaching Note 1: Offensive and Outdated Language for additional guidance.

Explain to students that they will work in “expert” groups to explore the choices made by people in and around the Little Rock community. 

Preview the Jigsaw activity by explaining that after they work in “expert groups,” students will form new “teaching groups” with peers who were assigned a different reading and learn about each other’s sources. 

Arrange the class into “expert” groups consisting of four students each, and assign one of the following documents to each group. 

• Reading: A White Pastor’s Choice to Support Little Rock School Integration
• Reading: Daisy Bates’s Choice
• Reading: Davis Fitzhugh’s Choice to Speak Up About Little Rock 
• Reading: Benjamin Fine’s and Grace Lorch’s Choices

Distribute the handout Analyzing the Choices of Upstanders and explain to students that they will work in groups to analyze their document set using the handout. Ask students to read the directions for Step 1: Group Reading and Analysis, and then ask groups if they have clarifying questions.  

After the original groups have analyzed their document sets, rearrange students into “teaching groups” and read aloud the handout instructions for Step 2: Jigsaw. Emphasize that after each student shares their reading, the group will discuss the following prompts using the 3-2-1 teaching strategy:

• 3 things that might motivate someone to take action as an upstander
• 2 things that make being an upstander hard
• 1 question that you have about being an upstander in Little Rock or in general

Once students have finished discussing the prompts, regroup as a class and ask volunteers to share key takeaways from their discussion. 

Activity 3: Reflect on Upstanders

Connect the material in this lesson to the essential question by engaging students in a reflection on the significance of acting as an upstander and its relevance to the project of strengthening democracy. Begin by sharing the following quote:

​​”When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” ¹

—Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani education activist

Select from the following questions to lead a whole-class discussion: 

• What do you think Malala Yousafzai means? How does this quote connect to the material you explored in class today? 
• Why did the people you learned about in class today act on behalf of the Little Rock Nine? What personal risks did they take in doing so? 
• How did their actions strengthen democracy in the community of Little Rock? In the nation? 
• What responsibility do you think individuals and groups have to act when they see or hear others being attacked because of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other aspects of their identity?
• What are some ways we might take action when we see this happening? What factors might prevent us from taking action?

• 1Cassandra Saunders, “‘When the Whole World Is Silent, Even One Voice Becomes Powerful’: The Importance of Girls’ Education,” Human Rights Research Center, March 6, 2024, accessed July 11, 2024.