Audrey the Brave: A Little Girl Makes Big History!

Grade Level: Kindergarten/First Grade (Age 6)

Time Allotment: 45-60 minutes

Lesson Activities:

1. Introduction: What's Fair? (5 mins)

• Start with a simple discussion: "Imagine if only kids with blue shirts could play with the fun toys. Would that be fair? Why not?"
• Introduce Audrey: "Today we're going to learn about a real little girl, just a bit older than you, named Audrey. She lived a long time ago when some rules weren't fair for people with darker skin. Show a picture of young Audrey Faye Hendricks.

2. Story Time: Meet Audrey! (15-20 mins)

• Read aloud an age-appropriate book about Audrey Faye Hendricks, like "The Youngest Marcher" by Cynthia Levinson, or summarize her story using pictures.
• Pause during the story: Ask questions like "How do you think Audrey felt?", "Why did she want to march?", "What does 'jail' mean?" (Explain gently that it was a place people were sent unfairly for protesting).
• Focus on key vocabulary: Introduce words like 'brave', 'march', 'protest' (explaining it means showing you disagree with something unfair, peacefully), and 'fairness'.

3. History Chat: The Children's March (10 mins)

• Explain simply: "Audrey and many other kids decided to be very brave. They marched together peacefully to tell everyone the rules needed to change so everyone could be treated fairly. This was called the Children's Crusade or Children's March."
• Discuss: "Why was it brave for Audrey to march?" (She was young, she knew she might get into trouble, but she did it anyway because it was important). "How did the children protest?" (By walking together, singing songs, carrying signs).
• Connect: "Can kids make a difference? Yes! Audrey showed that even young people can help change the world."

4. Activity: Brave Like Audrey (10 mins)

• Provide construction paper and crayons/markers.
• Ask the student: "Let's draw a picture of Audrey being brave, or draw a picture of a time YOU were brave, even if you felt a little scared."
• Help the student write a simple sentence about their picture, like "Audrey marched" or "I was brave when I...".

5. Wrap-up: Marching for Fairness (5 mins)

• Review: "Who did we learn about today? (Audrey Faye Hendricks) What brave thing did she do? (Marched for fairness in the Children's Crusade). Why did she do it? (Because the rules weren't fair)."
• Optional Mini-March: Have a mini-march around the room, perhaps carrying the drawings or simple signs saying "Fairness!" or "Be Kind!"
• Optional Snack: Enjoy a simple snack, maybe calling graham crackers and milk "jailhouse snacks" like Audrey had, reminding the student that Audrey stayed strong even in a hard situation.