Targeted Activity: Compare Informational Texts

Question

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

Text 1

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.

Text 2

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.

Text 1 Position:

Text 2 Position:

Text 1 Reason 1/Evidence:

Text 2 Reason 1/Evidence:

Text 1 Reason 2/Evidence

Text 1 Reason 2/Evidence

Text 1 Reason 3/Evidence

Text 2 Reason 3/Evidence:

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.

Answer 1

Chart

| | Text 1 | Text 2 | |-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------| | Position | Rosa Parks was an appropriate symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. | Claudette Colvin should have been the symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott. | | Reason 1/Evidence | Parks was a respected civic leader, making her actions impactful. | Colvin was the first to challenge the law, showing true bravery. | | Reason 2/Evidence | Parks's age (42 years old) lent authority to her actions. | Colvin was only 15, and her youthful defiance is commendable. | | Reason 3/Evidence | Parks acted thoughtfully after considering the consequences. | Colvin acted spontaneously, making her defiance seem more authentic. |

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Sample Analytical Paragraph (Level 1)

The two texts present contrasting viewpoints regarding who should symbolize the Montgomery bus boycott: Rosa Parks or Claudette Colvin. Text 1 supports Rosa Parks as the more appropriate symbol, highlighting her status as a respected civic leader whose actions were informed and well-considered, which added authority to her refusal to relinquish her seat. Furthermore, it notes that Parks's age allowed the community to take her more seriously, as she was 42 at the time of her protest. In contrast, Text 2 champions Claudette Colvin, arguing that her earlier and more spontaneous act of defiance set a precedent for civil rights activism. Colvin’s age at 15 is presented as a mark of bravery, contrasting with the thoughtful nature of Parks's actions, which the author believes diminishes their authenticity. This comparison illustrates how both texts utilize evidence around age, authority, and intentionality to argue for their respective symbols of the bus boycott, revealing differing interpretations of courage and leadership in the context of social movements.

Sample Argument Paragraph (Level 2)

While both texts provide compelling arguments regarding the symbol of the Montgomery bus boycott, I find Text 2's position, advocating for Claudette Colvin, to be more convincing. Colvin’s early and spontaneous act of defiance occurred at a pivotal moment, illustrating not only her bravery but also the urgency of the civil rights struggle. Unlike Parks, who is portrayed in Text 1 as a thoughtful leader, Colvin's unplanned protest resonates with raw authenticity, making her actions appear more genuine and impactful. Furthermore, being only 15, Colvin's choice to resist showcased the courage of youth rather than the calculated moves of seasoned activists. In this context, her bravery starkly contrasts the respectability politics often ascribed to older figures. Overall, Colvin's courage and the circumstances surrounding her protest offer a powerful narrative that aligns with the urgency of the civil rights movement, which makes her the more fitting symbol in my view.