Invitation to Graduation

Purpose and Objectives

Procedure

The Autographs

Newspaper clippings

Helpful Links

Interview With Motley
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Purpose: Teachers use historians' tools in the context of an inquiry lesson to pique students' curiosity about historical content.

Objective: Students use primary and secondary documents to generate historical understanding of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Materials: primary sources--pages from Fannie Motley's autograph book

secondary sources--news clippings about Fannie Motley's graduation;

Procedure for the Autographs

1. Tap prior knowledge: Students explain their understanding of inquiry, primary sources, and autograph book.
2. Modeling: Read aloud the first autograph from Albert Foley, S. J. Ask: "What questions do you have about Albert Foley's inscription?" If the inscription prompts no questions, visit the "HINT" link.
3. Allow students 5-10 minutes to view all 12 autographs. Direct students to seek clues to the following questions:

• What do the autographs tell you about Fannie Motley?
• What do the autographs tell you about Spring Hill College?
• How much of the historical context of Fannie Motley's graduation can be reconstructed from her autograph book?

4. Encourage students to discuss the meanings they constructed from examining the autographs. At this stage of inquiry, there are NO wrong answers. Ask questions like the following:

• What did you learn about Fannie Motley from her autograph book?
• How old do you think she is?
• What kind of a student is she?
• What questions did the autographs raise for you?
• Do you have a hypothesis about who she is and why she is important?

5. Congratulate students on their construction of meaning and direct them to link for newspaper clippings.

TO THE AUTOGRAPHS