An exceptional way for your students to follow a story is for them to track the events from it. Not only is this a great way to teach the parts of a plot, but it also reinforces major events, which helps students develop better understanding of how the events fit together to provide the overall structure of the story.
MAIN EVENT 1
In 1957, Ruby's family moved to New Orleans. Her parents both got jobs and took their children to church every week.
MAIN EVENT 2
In 1960, a judge ordered four black children to go to an all-white elementary school. Ruby was one of the girls chosen, she had to go to a school all alone.
MAIN EVENT 3
Ruby would walk daily by mobs of angry white people to get to Frantz Elementary. She was guarded by the marshals. This went on for months.
MAIN EVENT 4
Every day Ruby went to school and was all alone. The white people would not send their children to school. Ruby didn't mind; she wanted to learn.
MAIN EVENT 5
One day, Ruby forgot to say her daily prayer before she got to school. She stopped in front of the angry mob and said her prayer, then went to school. Her teacher was impressed.
MAIN EVENT 6
Afterword: Some white families sent their children to school with Ruby. Soon more black children attended Frantz Elementary along with the white ones.
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