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Targeted Activity: Compare Informational Texts

Read the following two texts about Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin. Note how they interpret the facts in different ways to support different positions.

Rosa Parks was an appropriate symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. She was a respected civic leader. As a result, her refusal to give her seat to a white person had a powerful impact on the community. It helped to launch the bus boycott—a major event in the civil rights movement. It is true that Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat nine months earlier than Parks did. However, Parks was 42 years old while Colvin was only 15. Parks’s age gave her actions more authority and made people take her more seriously. Parks did not act rashly, either. As a civic leader, she had considered and accepted the consequences of her actions beforehand. This fact makes her actions seem more thoughtful.

Claudette Colvin should have been the symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. Claudette Colvin was the first to really challenge the unfair law that required African American bus riders to give up their seats. Other women had refused to get up, but they did so more quietly and were fined. Colvin had to be handcuffed, dragged off the bus, arrested, and imprisoned—nine months before Rosa Parks. Colvin’s actions are even more impressive than Parks’s, for Colvin was only 15 at the time. Challenging an unjust law when you are that young is a sign of true bravery. Colvin also acted spontaneously, unlike Parks. Civic leaders such as Parks had been considering what to do about the buses for a long time. Because Colvin’s actions were unplanned, they seem more authentic than Parks’s.

Show what you have learned about analyzing informational texts. Copy the following chart onto a sheet of paper. Then complete the chart about the two texts.

Sample Answer
Create: Write a Paragraph
Level 1: To show your mastery of the unit goals, write an analytical paragraph. Compare and contrast the positions, claims, and evidence in the two informational texts.

Level 2: Consider what you have learned about arguments in this unit. Write an effective argument about which text’s position you find more convincing and why. Refer to specific positions, reasons, and evidence from both texts.

1 answer

Comparison Chart

| Aspect | Text 1: Rosa Parks | Text 2: Claudette Colvin | |---------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Main Claim | Rosa Parks is a more appropriate symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. | Claudette Colvin should have been the symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. | | Evidence Supporting the Claim | Parks was a respected civic leader whose actions had a powerful impact due to her age and authority. | Colvin was the first to challenge the unjust law, acting bravely at a young age and facing severe consequences. | | Age and Authority | Parks, being 42 years old, had more authority and was taken more seriously. | Colvin’s young age of 15 highlights her bravery in taking a stand. | | Type of Action | Parks's actions were premeditated and thoughtful, undertaken with full awareness of the consequences. | Colvin’s actions were spontaneous and unplanned, conveying authenticity and immediate defiance. | | Overall Impact | Parks’s actions were pivotal in launching the bus boycott and symbolizing the movement. | Colvin’s early challenge is presented as more courageous due to the intensity of her experience and circumstances. |

Analytical Paragraph - Level 1

The two texts present contrasting views on who should be considered the symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott—Rosa Parks or Claudette Colvin. Text 1 argues that Parks was the appropriate symbol due to her role as a respected civic leader, emphasizing her age and the thoughtful nature of her actions. The author suggests that Parks's premeditation and authority made her a more powerful figure for the boycott. In contrast, Text 2 positions Claudette Colvin as the rightful symbol, highlighting her as the first individual to challenge the unjust segregation laws and emphasizing her bravery at the young age of 15. The author notes that Colvin's spontaneous act of defiance, resulting in her arrest, showcases a raw authenticity that Parks’s actions lack. Ultimately, both texts utilize different evidence about age, authority, and the nature of their actions to support their respective claims about who more appropriately represents the movement.

Argumentative Paragraph - Level 2

While both texts present valid points regarding the symbolism of Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin in the Montgomery bus boycott, I find the argument in Text 1 more convincing. The author effectively highlights the significance of Parks’s age and her role as a respected civic leader, which contributed to her ability to galvanize the community. Parks’s thoughtful preparation for her actions gave her a platform that resonated deeply within the civil rights movement, allowing her to become a lasting symbol. Although Text 2 emphasizes Colvin's bravery as a young girl challenging injustice, her unplanned act lacked the same strategic impact that Parks's actions achieved. The author’s assertion that Colvin's spontaneity lends authenticity is compelling but does not outweigh the larger, organized movement that emerged from Parks’s involvement. Therefore, Rosa Parks, with her leadership and strategic mindset, embodies the principles and values of the Montgomery bus boycott more effectively than Claudette Colvin.