brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/ruby-bridges-only-child/
45-minute lesson plan
| Time | Stage | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3′ | Warm-up | Ask the class: “How did you go to school when you were six? Who walked with you?” Let a few students answer. |
| 3–13′ | Words | Pre-teach the 5 words with the flashcards: walk, marshal, crowd, classroom, only. Say each word, show the meaning, and ask for a quick example. |
| 13–20′ | Video | Play the video (3:47). Students follow the transcript. Play it a second time if needed. |
| 20–28′ | Comprehension | Worksheet C (or the online Story Challenge): check answers together. Ask “How do you know?” |
| 28–35′ | Grammar | the only + noun: to say there was no other person or thing. Show “She was the only child in the class.”, then do worksheet E together. |
| 35–43′ | Worksheet | Students do worksheet A, B and D alone or in pairs. Check with the answer key. |
| 43–45′ | Speaking | In pairs: “Ruby was only six, but she was very brave. What does being brave mean for a child?” |
Homework: students finish the lesson online (flashcards + Story Challenge). With your class link, you see who finished.
Words and grammar
- walk (verb): to move on your feet. “She walked to school with federal marshals.”
- marshal (noun): a police officer who works for the government. “The marshals kept her safe.”
- crowd (noun): a large group of people. “A crowd shouted outside the school.”
- classroom (noun): a room where children learn. “Her classroom was empty.”
- only (adverb): no more than one. “Only one teacher agreed to teach her.”
Grammar: the only + noun — to say there was no other person or thing. “She was the only child in the class.”
Discussion questions
- Ruby was only six, but she was very brave. What does being brave mean for a child?
- What was the hardest moment in Ruby Bridges's story? What did Ruby Bridges do?
- Make two sentences about your own life with “the only + noun”. (From the story: “She was the only child in the class.”)
Student worksheet
A Match the words to their meanings
- walk (verb)
- marshal (noun)
- crowd (noun)
- classroom (noun)
- only (adverb)
- first grade (noun)
- desk (noun)
- escort (verb)
- a police officer who works for the government
- a large group of people
- to go with someone to keep them safe
- a room where children learn
- a table where you sit to study or work
- the first year of primary school in the USA
- to move on your feet
- no more than one
B Complete the sentences from the story
desk · marshals · first grade · Only · classroom · crowd · walked · escorted
- There was only one with a child.
- She to school with federal marshals.
- The marshals her to school.
- A shouted outside the school.
- She was in .
- Her was empty.
- The kept her safe.
- one teacher agreed to teach her.
C Did you understand?
- Ruby was ten years old in 1960.True / False
- Who walked beside her to school?
- Her teacher
- Other children
- Federal marshals
- Her brothers
- What did she think the crowd was at first?
- A football game
- A street party
- A school trip
- A wedding
- She never missed a day of school.True / False
D Put the words in order
- the / the / in / only / She / was / child / class
E Grammar: the only + noun
We use it for to say there was no other person or thing. She was the only child in the class. · Barbara Henry was the only teacher who agreed.
Example from the story: She was the only child in the class.
- She was only child in the class. (the / a / some)
- She was the only in the class. (child / children / childs)
- I have no brothers. I am the boy in my family. (only / alone / once)
F Your turn
Retell Ruby Bridges's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Answer key
A. 1g 2a 3b 4d 5h 6f 7e 8c
B. 1 desk · 2 walked · 3 escorted · 4 crowd · 5 first grade · 6 classroom · 7 marshals · 8 Only
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 b · 4 True
D. 1 She was the only child in the class.
E. 1 the · 2 child · 3 only
Transcript
A six-year-old girl walked to school with marshals beside her.
A crowd shouted.
She kept walking.
This is the story of Ruby Bridges.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Walk. When you walk, you move on your feet.
She walked to school with federal marshals.
Marshal. A marshal is a police officer who works for the government.
The marshals kept her safe.
Crowd. A crowd is a large group of people.
A crowd shouted outside the school.
Classroom. A classroom is a room where children learn.
Her classroom was empty.
Only. Only means no more than one.
Only one teacher agreed to teach her.
Now, one pattern: the only, plus a noun.
It means there was no other.
She was the only child in the class.
Ready? Let's begin.
Ruby Bridges was born in Mississippi in 1954.
Her family moved to New Orleans.
At that time, Black and white children went to different schools.
In 1960, Ruby passed a test for a white school.
That autumn, she was six years old.
On 14 November 1960, she walked to school with federal marshals.
The marshals kept her safe.
A crowd shouted outside the school.
At first, she thought it was a street party.
White parents took their children away.
Her classroom was empty.
Only one teacher agreed to teach her: Barbara Henry, from Boston.
She was the only child in the class.
Every day, Ruby walked past the crowd.
She never missed a day.
Would other children come?
The next year, other children came to her class.
Today, Ruby Bridges visits schools and talks to children about fairness.
Let's review. She walked to school with federal marshals.
The marshals kept her safe.
A crowd shouted outside the school.
Her classroom was empty.
Only one teacher agreed to teach her.
And remember: she was the only child in the class.
Ruby Bridges's story teaches us: even a small child can be very brave.
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