NOTE: If you are short on time, watch the video and complete this See, Think, Wonder activity: What did you notice? What did the story make you think about? What would you want to learn more about?

SUMMARY

The New England Patriots’ Super Bowl defeat was a disappointment for fans, but the team's return to the national stage also served as a reminder of the role the Greater Boston Area played in the country’s founding. Judy Woodruff explores that history, as well as some recent turmoil, to ask what it tells us about the country today. It's part of her series, America at a Crossroads.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the News Hour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

1. Why was Boston important in the lead up to the Revolutionary War?
2. Who are Denise Pruitt and Moe Gillen, and what are their backgrounds?
3. What struggle over liberty and equality were Pruitt and Gillen a part of?
4. How did people in Charlestown react to busing into and out of the neighborhood?
5. What are some of the problems with Boston schools that busing was meant to address, but that still exist today, according to Kim Janey?

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do you think the struggle over busing in Charlestown reflects some of the struggles for liberty, equality and self-determination at the heart of the American Independence movement?

Media literacy: Why do you think the producers of this segment chose busing as an historic moment in Boston to compare to the original struggle for independence?

WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO

• Can you think of a local issue or aspect of your community's history that represents a struggle over some of the foundational ideals (liberty, equality) that emerged from the American independence movement? As a class, have a respectful conversation about the issue. Use these clear and concise tips from CATO's Sphere Education as a helpful guide.

• With a parent/guardian or other family member, watch the video again and read the exchange below. What do you think it meant to Denise Pruitt that her classmate came to her aid? Why do you think the students inside the school got along so well, according to Pruitt? Talk with your relative about why there is often a contrast between different generations when it comes to racism. Did they ever disagree with their parents or grandparents on issues growing up?

Denise Pruitt:

Inside the school, we all got along great.

Judy Woodruff:

Denise Pruitt was bused from her home in Dorchester to Hyde Park, where she faced angry white parents as a 13-year-old freshman.

Denise Pruitt:

I was walking in from the bus, and one of the women got through the barricade and came right up and spit in my face. And my friend, who was white, was standing at the top of the stairs, came running down, and she got me, and she walked me up the stairs, and she's wiping my face. "I'm so sorry. My grandmother is really rude."

Judy Woodruff:

It was her grandmother?

Earline Pruitt, Mother of Denise Pruitt: Yes.

Denise Pruitt:

Yes. And she was embarrassed by it.

• You might also want to check out these resources on Ken Burns' Revolution series for more on some of the foundational principles of American democracy.

• See the first video lesson, George Washington's vision for American identity tested 250 years later, of Judy Woodruff's Crossroads: America at 250" series.

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