The March / Run Archives
bit.ly/marcharchives
Visit our sibling sites:
Are you here to score a free AUTOGRAPHED copy of March Book 1 during Black History Month?
Yes, I would be here too.
Scroll ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM to read the rules for how to qualify while supplies last.
Purpose of this Website
San Diego Unified School District was proud and honored to partner with the San Diego Public Library and KPBS (local public radio station) in hosting a kickoff event at Morse High School on September 21, 2018 that celebrated the March Trilogy as the finalist in the One Book, One San Diego literacy program. Thanks to the vision, generosity, and coordination of the SD Public Library and KPBS, the event featured the creators of the March Trilogy--Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell--speaking to a gymnasium full of Morse students.
The Youth Advocacy Department of SDUSD wanted the energy and impact of this beautiful event to live on. . .for the benefit of many more thousands of students and for many more years to come. Thanks to the Serra High School video production team, led by Mr. Effren Villanueva, we have created an opportunity for educators to screen a video of the entire Morse assembly (featuring Congressman Lewis and the March Trilogy team) along with a Google Classroom that allows educators to promote conversations around allyship, student empowerment, and culturally responsive curriculum.
We wanted these resources to be widely available so that educators everywhere could use them with their classrooms. Below are the raw materials that any educator may use to build their own Google Classroom experience.
Please note: If you are an educator in SDUSD and would like to CLONE the already-prepared Google Classroom, please email a quick request to Mick at mrabin@sandi.net. If you are not in SDUSD, it is not possible to do the clone process, but you will find the pathway and all the components below. I've created a step-by-step job-aid for creating this G-Classroom from all of those components in the YouTube video--March Archives: Overview and Tips--directly below.
Pathway
STEP 1: Foundational Discussion
We recommend that educators ask their students what they already know about the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. As Andrew Aydin has often stated, the sum of most people's awareness of the civil rights movement can be boiled down into 9 words:
1. Martin
2. Luther
3. King
4. Rosa
5. Parks
6. I
7. Have
8. A
9. Dream
Most people (not just youth) struggle to provide much more nuance than that. The March Trilogy is a brilliant graphic novel stepping stone into the many people, actions, and complexities that make up a significant part of that era.
We also recommend visiting the official March Trilogy website maintained by the publisher, Top Shelf Productions:
STEP 2: Read and Discuss the Narrative of the book, March: Book 1 with your class
The above link provides numerous curriculum guides that help educators facilitate strong conversations around the reading of the March Trilogy. Additionally, we encourage educators to frame the reading of March around topics and themes that relate to the identities and experiences of the students themselves (and of their peers).
Here is a short list of topics and themes that arise in March as well as other texts that examine the human experience.
Choosing ONE of the themes from the above list--liberation--we could build a text-talk discussion that references a pivotal moment of the narrative in March: Book 1. Refer to pages 101-103 (see below left) for the sequence where John Lewis recounts the first time he is arrested for civil disobedience. Below right is a simulated conversation that references this sequence. It starts with a simple definition for "liberation" and culminates with a question that prompts students to take positive action.
STEP 3: Watch the video of the Morse High School Assembly
The video features a few speakers with opening and closing comments including SDUSD Superintendent Cindy Marten, CA Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and CA Congresswoman Susan Davis as well as the featured creators of the March Trilogy--Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell.
It also features a presentation from Morse art students who rendered a moving painting that they gifted to Congressman John Lewis to honor his lifelong commitment to the power of the vote. Special thanks to Mr. Villanueva and the Serra High video production crew.
Congressman and Civil Rights Leader John Lewis Assembly at Morse High School_ SDUSD_9_21_18.mp4STEP 4: Using the "What would YOU do?" mini-video prompts from Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, and Cong. John Lewis below, plan for an online discussion via Google Classroom or Flipgrid with your own classroom/student group or even coordinate with another classroom from your school or a partner school. If you want to contact another educator who is lifting this work, reach out to Mick (mrabin@sandi.net) and we'll partner you up.
This Google Classroom is designed to allow teachers from different classes/schools to facilitate collaboration and communication about student allyship, culturally responsive curriculum, and youth voice and empowerment. Before engaging in this discussion, all students should have A) read "March: Book 1," B) viewed the primary source video "John Lewis (civil rights leader) speaks at Morse High School, San Diego," and C) discussed and reflected on the reading/viewing of A & B with their classmates.
You are welcome to clone this class and share as you see fit within SDUSD.
Please note: Educators may need to go to "Stream" section of the General settings (below) and select "Students can post and comment" if it's not selected in the general settings.
To the right of "1. Student Voice and Empowerment" title, you can see three dots. If you hover right under those three dots, another three dots appear and one of the options is to "Edit" which will allow you to add more to the description.
What would YOU do? prompts
Classwork #1 Student Voice and Empowerment
1. In the "Question" section of your "Classwork" tab, paste this:
1. Andrew Aydin: Student Empowerment Question--
"In what ways did the people in the March Trilogy empower themselves? Cite an example and explain what the people had to do in order to get that power."
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this:
Synthesizing what you read in "March: Book 1," viewed in the "John Lewis (civil rights leader) speaks at Morse High School, San Diego" video, and your own life experiences, view Andrew Aydin's question (below) and compose a unique post. Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom.
Click here for a Flipgrid Discovery Topic Link for Andrew Aydin's prompt
Classwork #2 Culturally Responsive Curriculum
1. In the "Question" section of the Classwork tab, paste this: 2. Nate Powell: Culturally Responsive Curriculum Question--
"When did people in the March Trilogy feel valued? What made them feel valued? Are there times that you can think of in your life where you felt valued? Why?"
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this: Synthesizing what you read in "March: Book 1," viewed in the "John Lewis (civil rights leader) speaks at Morse High School, San Diego" video, and your own life experiences, view Nate Powell's question (below) and compose a unique post. Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom
Click here for a Flipgrid Discovery Topic Link for Nate Powell's prompt
Classwork #3 Student Allyship
1. In the "Question" section of the Classwork tab, paste this: 3. Congressman John Lewis: Student Allyship Question
"There will be risks in the work of changing things that are unjust and cruel. What kind of courageous thing can you commit to that brings kindness and affirmation to people in our schools and communities?"
2. In the "Instructions" section, paste this: Synthesizing what you read in "March: Book 1," viewed in the "John Lewis (civil rights leader) speaks at Morse High School, San Diego" video, and your own life experiences, view Congressman John Lewis's question (below) and compose a unique post. Additionally, please respond to at least two other students' posts. Be sure to use academic language, proper punctuation, and respectful dialogue.
Attached is a discussion rubric and expectations for facilitating online communication.
Click on the above video, open it in Youtube, copy the URL, and paste it into your Google Classroom
Click here for a Flipgrid Discovery Topic Link for Congressman John Lewis's prompt
Additional resources:
3rd Graders Interview Congressman John Lewis
At right is a link to a recording of a video teleconference between Congressman John Lewis and some 3rd grade social justice enthusiasts at Oak Park Elementary from 2014.
After reading the book, the students of Room 24 had the chance to interact with their hero. We formulated questions in advance based on our reading of the book.
Image used with permission from Nate Powell for classroom educational uses only.
Lesson plans for March at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund website
Extensive free curricular resources that help examine the book and promote interactive responses that complement a classroom reading.
Teacher's Guides for March at the Top Shelf website
More extensive free curricular resources for all three volumes in the March Trilogy.
Teacher's Guide for Run from the Abrams website
Curricular resources to use with your class/student group for Run: Book 1.
Lowndes County Freedom Organization Comics from Good Trouble Productions
A deep dive interview into the grass-roots SNCC organizing that pivoted on the creation of comic books to help promote civic engagement and voting mobilization in Lowndes County, Alabama. Check out the comic books that Courtland Cox and Jennifer Lawson [both featured in Run Book 1] produced and distributed to voters with the specter of ever-present violence always lurking nearby. Read their interview about just what it took to research, write, draw, publish, and distribute these comics back in 1965 and 1966.
"The entire production process for the books was trial and error." --Jennifer Lawson
"Freedom Song" - Film about SNCC's origins
Screen this feature-length docudrama based on actual events and people during the Black Civil Rights Movement related to the formation and coordination of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). A young John Lewis was SNCC's third and sitting chairperson at the time of his speech during the 1965 March on Washington. This film is as much an homage to the generation of older adults who--during an earlier time that preceded the Black Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s to the 1970s--never marched, sat-in, or protested; but nonetheless they inspired their children and grandchildren to rise and challenge the status quo through sheer acts of courage and determination.
Film is free to screen for your students. 117 minutes run time.
Curriculum ideas for "Freedom Song" screening from the Zinn Education Project.
Great little interview with Congressman John Lewis. Do NOT miss the last 20 seconds.
Congressman John Lewis at Comic-Con
A Washington Post article about John Lewis's appearance at Comic-Con 2016 where he led a children's march and cosplayed. . .as himself.
Learning for Justice / Teaching Tolerance Posters
Free to download posters at this site. You can download the whole issue in the magazine archive section. Many more posters as well.
Continuing John Lewis's March: Comics to Teach Civic Awareness
A virtual panel hosted by Comic-Con International featuring comics creators, educators, and Andrew Aydin, co-author of The March Trilogy.
March: Book One - Comic Analysis
An analysis of the craftmanship of Nate Powell's graphic storytelling, pacing, and panel design in conveying the narrative. Examines the deliberate aesthetic choices made by a brilliant artist.
Story of March - One Book, One San Diego Community Event
A video recording of the One Book, One SD event cosponsored by KPBS and the SD County Library. It featured multiple speakers including John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, and local civil rights icon, Harold K. Brown.
Flocabulary Video - John Lewis & Nonviolence
This song was written and performed by Jaden, a ninth grade student and the 2019 winner of Flocabulary’s Black History Rap Contest.
In case the original YouTube URL (at right) is dysfunctional for any reason, here's a [lower resolution] archived copy.
James Lawson Interview on the Origins of the Non-Violence Movement
A key architect, trainer, and practitioner of non-violence over the course of his life, Reverend James Lawson discusses the philosophy that guided the facilitation of non-violence and how he trained John Lewis, Diane Nash, C.T. Vivian, Diane Nash, Bernard Lafayette, and others in preparation for the sit-in movement, freedom rides, and other key efforts in the early Black Civil Rights movement. This is a segment from an archive of Eyes on the Prize videos from the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
. . .And We Had To Do Something About That
A short film honoring the life of Cong. John Lewis produced by Moriah Films and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
A brief documentary about John Lewis produced by the Kunhardt Film Foundation.
African-American Civil Rights Network
The National Park Service site that curates sites, events, and people that figure prominently in various facets of the Black Civil Rights Movement. An evolving and organic archive established in 2017 that seeks to tell a nuanced story of "social justice and national reconciliation."
Shelf It - Nate Powell's commentary about book bans as they ramp up
Nate Powell breaks it down regarding the rising tide of book bans and deliberate erasure of history. Poignant insights about why the mediums of comics and graphic novels are particularly targeted for book challenges and bans. A must read!
Registered - Comic Book from NYC DOE Civics for All and Social Studies Team
A comic book retelling of the history, events, people, and activism that led to the passage of the 26th amendment. Comic book was produced by Good Trouble Comics comics creation team led by Andrew Aydin.
Teaching Activism with Arthur and John Lewis
Discover ways to protest an injustice and have your voice heard using this video from the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR. (TK-2)
A nice distillation of how our systems of government work and it makes a case for active civic involvement. Produced by the NYC Department of Education.
Learning About Threats to Democracy
Help your students reflect on the significance of events within recent history that comprise a threat to civil discourse and our democratic system of government.
SD Unified for Democracy: 2024 Election Cycle is a nonpartisan project aimed at building an informed and civil electorat. Built and curated by Esther Brown.
Cool Downloadable Nate Powell POSTER: Comics ARE Reading
Way cool free download in color from the mind of the brilliant March Trilogy artist, Nate Powell. Print it out and put it in your classroom! In the school library! In the office! Disseminate far and wide!
Guide To Inspiring Young Changemakers
Free PDF guide compiled by FirstBook. Has video and curricular tools, activities, & tips that are deliberately student-centered. A good educator resource for inspiring your students to roll up their sleeves and engage in shifting paradigms.
Necessary Trouble Button
The "Good trouble. . . NECESSARY Trouble" pinback button that was handed out to 500+ students at the Morse High assembly. Image taken from a larger illustration beautifully rendered by March Trilogy artist, Nate Powell. The larger image can be seen on the Morse High Flyer.
Presentation at SDCOE
Feb. 27, 2019
Comic Con Educators Book Club
Jaime Chavez - jchavez@sandi.net
Mick Rabin - mrabin@sandi.net and @mick_rabin
Who's Who from the March Trilogy
Wondering about the extensive gallery of other characters peppered throughout the March Trilogy? Here's a chance for you to explore the lives of dozens of other REAL people who sacrificed dearly for voting and basic civil rights. Check out the presentation. It's annotated with page numbers throughout March Books 1, 2 & 3.
Take ACTion - #GoodTrouble
Resources for Taking Action
We The Future - Amplifier (posters, campains- projects for student activism)
FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MARCH BOOK 1
OK, if you're a SDUSD educator here for your free autographed copy, you'll have to jump through a couple hoops:
1. Register for a free NON-Autographed copy of March that I'll send you through school mail. You'll visit this G-Form and fill it out.
2. You promise to fulfill ALL 4 steps of the "Pathway" (scroll back up this page and read carefully starting at where it says "Pathway"). Basically, you'll read and discuss the book with your class, watch the video, launch the G-Classroom activities, and be willing to publish/share your students' responses from the G-Classroom / Flipgrid activities. All 4 steps in "The Pathway" need to be completed by the end of May. I have a very limited supply of autographed copies (7 to be exact) for those that take this on. I'll outline all of this more clearly for the people that register. I'm limiting this to educators working with 3rd grade through 12th grade.
3. That's it! All in a day's work of making some NECESSARY TROUBLE!!!!!