The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-6)
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Key learning points
- Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat for a white man.
- Black Americans came together to boycott the buses in Montgomery.
- Martin Luther King Jr became the leader of the Montgomery bus boycott.
- The boycott ended in the successful desegregation of buses in Montgomery.
- The boycott was one of the first successful mass non-violent protests.
Keywords
Boycott - when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest it is known as a boycott
Carpool - a carpool is an arrangement where a group of people agree to share a vehicle from one place to another, usually as an alternative to public transport
Direct action - direct action is the use of demonstrations or protests to achieve a goal, rather than negotiation
Common misconception
The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a successful, peaceful boycott that was carried out with minimal resistance.
The boycott was a peaceful means of protest, but continued despite huge resistance throughout Montgomery. Those who participated risked arrest, unemployed and sometimes their lives.
Teacher tip
When explaining the legacy of the boycott, you can emphasise that prior to the boycott there wasn't unanimous support for non-violent, direct action amongst black Americans. Many felt hopeless as there had been few examples of successful protest for change.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which organisation fought racial injustice in the courts?
Q2.Which organisation used non-violent direct action such as sit-ins to protest in the 1950s?
Q3.The is an organisation that continued to protest against desegregation in the 1950s.
Q4.Which of the following statements correctly describe the impact of the events at Little Rock in 1957? Select all statements that are true.
Q5.A is when you refuse to use a service as a form of protest.
Q6.In which year was Brown v Topeka?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter in each box.
Q2.Which of the following civil rights activists refused to give up their seat on a bus for a white man on December 1st 1955?
Q3.Which of the following civil rights organisations were involved in supporting the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Q4.Which of the following civil rights activists became known as a leader and a motivating and charismatic speaker following the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Q5.Which of the following sentences accurately describes the resistance to the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
Q6.Which of the following sentences accurately describes the impact of the Montgomery Bus Boycott?
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-6), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 history lesson on: The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-6), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 history lessons from the The USA, 1954–75 conflict at home and abroad unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.