Procedures

• SET UP

  This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.

  You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handout and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.

  You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.

  Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).

  In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.

• WARM UP

  Pose the following brainstorming questions to your students, directing them to record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose.

  • What challenges did African Americans experience during the Jim Crow era?
  • When your family travels, what do you use to find necessities such as food and fuel? Why?
  • What traditions do you or your family have when you travel?

• INTRODUCTION

  Play the following introductory video clip of TV and radio broadcaster Alvin Hall, author of Driving the Green Book, discussing the basics of the Jim Crow era travel guide for African Americans. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #1: The Basics (1:45).

  • What was "The Green Book," and why did it start?
  • When was the book first published and how did it change over time, according to Alvin Hall?
  • Based on the clip, how did The Green Book list locations?
  • According to Hall, how many copies of The Green Book were published?

• VOCABULARY

  Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view and define the vocabulary terms that will appear in the lesson in the chart in their graphic organizer handout. The vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage.

  We recommend having your students completing the activity in a jigsaw format to save time. Or, depending on time and resources, you may consider having your students engage in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student is responsible for completing one or two items. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson.

  Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you preview the video clips to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.

• BACKGROUND

  Direct students to the background section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following four video clips that provide background about The Green Book and the Jim Crow era southern United States. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #2: Victor Hugo Green (5:03).

  • Based on the clip, what was Victor Hugo Green’s job and what was his “first source of information” for writing The Green Book?
  • Who did Green “rely” on as The Green Book expanded, and what was he always “concerned” about?
  • How did The Green Book get into the “hands of the users?”
  • According to Alvin Hall, was The Green Book a “money-maker” or a “labor of love?” Why?
  • What role did advertising play in The Green Book, according to Hall? Why?
  • Describe the color and size of The Green Book, as stated in the clip.

• Clip #3: Automobiles (4:09).

  • How did cars begin to “transform America” and the lives of African Americans?
  • What “freedom” did automobiles provide for African Americans?
  • According to Alvin Hall, what risks still existed for African Americans?
  • What percentage of “better” hotels and motels welcomed African Americans in 1946? How did this affect trip planning?
  • Why did African Americans begin buying “big, powerful cars?”

• Clip #4: Risks (4:52).

  • What were the “risks” for African American travelers?
  • Summarize what happened to Reverend C.K. Steele, as discussed in the clip.
  • Compare Steele’s experience with that of Carl Westmoreland’s, according to Alvin Hall.
  • What is a “sundown town,” and where were the majority of the towns located during the Jim Crow era?

• Clip #5: Esso Stations (1:49).

  • What are “Esso Stations” known as today?
  • How and why were the stations “unusual?”
  • According to Alvin Hall, what were the Esso Stations the first to do?

• ENGAGEMENT

  Direct students to the engagement section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the following five video clips that detail portions of a road trip replicating points of note in The Green Book. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

• Clip #6: Road Trip (4:01).

  • Which cities did Alvin Hall visit during his 2019 road trip?
  • Why did Hall choose to visit those 12 specific cities?
  • What “major difference” exists between the route during The Green Book era and today?
  • What else “dictated” the trip? Why?
  • What was the “more important thing” during the trip?

• Clip #7: Memphis, TN (6:23).

  • Summarize the “habits” discussed in the interview excerpt.
  • Who is Dr. Noelle Trent and why did Alvin Hall want to interview her?
  • Based on the clip, what story was common across the United States after The Green Book stopped publication?
  • What experiences did Hall have, similar to what was discussed in the interview clip?
  • What responsibilities did the Bailey family have on April 4th, 1968 and afterward?

• Clip #8: Jackson, MS (3:25).

  • According to the interview excerpt of Frank Figgers, how did African Americans view their lives during segregation?
  • What “cycle” was discussed in the conversation with Figgers?
  • What did Alvin Hall take away from his conversation with Figgers? Why was the interview “difficult?”
  • Based on the clip, what was Farish Street and what is it like today?

• Clip #9: Birmingham, AL (3:18).

  • Summarize the “story” shared in the interview excerpt.
  • What “duality” did African Americans parents face during the Jim Crow era?
  • According to Alvin Hall, what goal(s) did African American parents have?
  • What “haunts” Hall about the story? Why?

• Clip #10: New Orleans, LA (3:49).

  • Describe the “fear” that individuals faced and its related impact, as told by Dr. Eva Baham.
  • What “deep understanding” did Alvin Hall gain as a result of his research?
  • How did the African American community “sustain” itself during the Jim Crow era?
  • Based on the clip, what positive experiences occurred on road trips during the era?
  • What did the book writing project “enable” Hall to do?

• REFLECTION

  Direct students to the reflection section of their graphic organizers. Instruct your students to view the final video clip of TV and radio broadcaster Alvin Hall, author of Driving the Green Book, providing reflective thoughts from his visits to a dozen sites mentioned in The Negro Motorist Green Book, a Jim Crow era travel guide for African Americans, to learn more about its history and lasting impact. Direct your students to answer the related questions on their graphic organizer and share their findings with a partner, small group, or the class when finished.

  Clip #11: Reflective Thoughts (1:57).

  • What was the importance of The Green Book and what did it “enable” African Americans to do, according to Alvin Hall?
  • Based on the clip, would The Green Book be useful today? Why or why not?

• CLOSURE

  After your students are finished with the lesson, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt in their graphic organizers, and have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates' perspectives: Having now learned about the history of The Negro Motorist Green Book, describe the purpose(s) of the book and its lasting impact(s). Be sure to include evidence from the video clips in the lesson to support your argument.