Lessons/Courage Before School: Ruby Bridges and Segregation
Students write a short scene showing Ruby's private brave-step routine.
Courage Before School: Ruby Bridges and Segregation
Preparing for Ruby Bridges' walk
Social SciencesCoding
Ruby Bridges’ brave walk to school introduces children to segregation and the struggle for equal education as they create a scene showing how she prepares for a difficult morning.
Students create in ElementariShow Ruby practicing to be brave before schoolThis is the project students open and build in Studio.
Pacing
1 week · 5 × 45 min
Grade
Grade 2
Coding
Beginner
Students codeDragOn Page StartBackground Music
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
How can one person's choices change a school's rules?
Students will be able to
Write a cover title that names the scene.
Compose dialogue for a neighbor's speech bubble.
Explain one worry and invent one small alone routine Ruby could do.
Describe the routine's outcome in one sentence; build a drag reveal for that routine sentence.
Key vocabulary
segregationintegrationbravery
Assessment
Formative
Organizer drafts, exit tickets, and peer-review checks along the way.
Summative
A published, playable interactive story.
The student journey
This is a build — not a worksheet packet
Every lesson runs like the story students are about to make: read it, write it, build it, polish it, publish it. The printables scaffold each stage — the published Elementari project is the destination.
1
📖
Read
Students read a short, high-interest passage — a real-world hook, not a dry textbook definition — to spark ideas for what they'll make.
📖Ruby's Brave Walk
On November 14, 1960, a little girl named Ruby Bridges walked to school. She was only six years old. Four federal marshals walked with her to William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before this day, Black children and wh…
In the studio, students bring the project to life — adding art and following the exact writing and coding steps shown below. The Studio Compass walks them through it, one step at a time.
🧭Studio CompassStep 1 / 5
Build the cover
Write your title.
Key words — tap to learnOn Drag
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 5 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Build the cover~10 min
2Write neighbor's speech~5 min
3Name a worry about Ruby~10 min
4Design Ruby's brave-morning scene~25 min
5Show the routine outcome~5 min
4
🔁
Polish
ongoing
Teacher and peer feedback pin right onto the project — students revise until it's ready to share.
Feedback on the project2 pins
🍎
Add one more sentence here so readers get the full picture.
👍 2Teacher
A
The interaction is clear — it helps the reader follow the project!
A couple of things to gather, a few quick steps to prep — then you're ready to hand it to students.
What you need
A device per student or pair
Internet connection
Headphones or speakers
Prep · about 10 min
1Print the student kits
2Assign this lesson to your students
3Skim the build steps
Teacher background
What you need to know
One person's brave actions can show that unfair rules should change; telling and remembering those actions helps communities learn and change together.
Key terms
segregation
A rule or system that keeps groups of people apart.
integration
Bringing different groups of people together in the same place.
bravery
When someone does something hard even though they feel afraid.
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
Title is generic or missing Ruby →Prompt the student: 'Does your title tell who the story is about or what makes the morning brave?' and have them revise.
✕
Speech bubble is vague or not in a supportive voice →Ask the student to read the line out loud as if they are the neighbor; if it sounds unclear, choose one feeling word (kind, caring) to add.
✕
Drag reveal does not reveal the sentence or is hard to trigger →Have the student test the drag on their page; if it fails, check that the image is set as the trigger and the text box is the reveal target, then retest.
Standards alignment
Aligned to the standards you teach
Every task maps to a specific standard, so planning and reporting are covered.
Tracking 7 frameworks: Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, NGSS +4
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
6 standards
L.2.1
Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).
Also addressedW.2.3 · W.2.5 · L.2.5 · W.2.1 · W.2.2
Full task-by-task mapping — including Depth of Knowledge — is in the answer key.
Differentiation & accessibility
Built to reach every learner
One lesson, three built-in paths — with accessibility baked into the materials, not bolted on afterward.
Extra support
Emerging readers & writers
Read-aloud and multilingual support in the Elementari build
Studio Compass highlights one task at a time — including the coding
Sentence frames and a word bank so it is never a blank page
On grade
The core lesson
The passage and storyboard exactly as written
Model answers and “look-fors” in the answer key
Self-check chips at every milestone
Ready for more
Extension & challenge
Challenge vocabulary and a real-world extension question
Deepen one existing page or interaction — without changing the required mechanics
A longer, evidence-based reflection prompt
Accessibility, built inPredictable step-by-step structureOne task at a time · Studio CompassHighlighted response areasLow-stimulation printMovement-friendly pacingDesigned so every student can design, write, and code — with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia in mind.
Questions
Teacher FAQ
Do I — or my students — need to know how to code?
No. Coding concepts are introduced in plain language exactly when students need them, and Studio Compass confirms each milestone so students keep moving without you troubleshooting. The teacher guide walks you through the whole build, answers included.
How long does this lesson take?
About 1 week, paced into 45-minute class periods. You can spread it out or compress it — students pick up where they left off, so it doesn't have to finish in one sitting.
What devices does this lesson work on?
Students can read, write, code, and publish on Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, laptops, or desktops. All they need is a modern browser — nothing to download or install.
What is Studio Compass?
Studio Compass is the step-by-step guide inside the Studio. It shows students what to do next, identifies the exact coding blocks they need, and confirms completed milestones so they can keep moving independently.
How does this lesson support different learners?
This lesson includes read-to-me with synchronized highlighting, a built-in glossary, and picture-based storyboarding, with writing and coding scaffolds you can dial up or down. Students can work with guided support or more independently — and still finish the same project.
Ready when you are
Bring this lesson to your class
Import your class, assign in one click, and watch them build — the whole kit comes with it.
Free to try · No student emails required
Courage Before School: Ruby Bridges and Segregation
