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Learning Activity: Examine the legacy of Rosa Parks

• Civil rights icon Rosa Parks dies at 92

• Parks remembered for her courage, humility

• TIME.com: Rosa Parks' legacy

• Parks praised as 'true American hero'

CNN STUDENT NEWS

(CNN Student News) -- Rosa Parks, whose act of civil disobedience in 1955 helped inspired the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, died on October 24 in Detroit, Michigan. She was 92. On October 30, Parks became the first woman to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Students will use this activity to learn about the life and times of Rosa Parks, including her contributions to the civil rights movement.

Procedure

Have students conduct research to learn about the life and times of Rosa Parks, including her contributions to the civil rights movement. Pose the following questions to guide students:

What was the political and racial climate in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s?

What was the civil rights movement?

Why is Rosa Parks often referred to as the "mother of the civil rights movement"?

How did Rosa Parks contribute to the civil rights movement over the years?

To what extent did she influence other noted civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr.?

What is the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development? Why was it established?

How have people who have known Rosa Parks described her character?

When was Parks awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal? Why were these awards significant?

To what extent has Rosa Parks influenced the youth of today?

After students share their findings in class discussion, have them imagine that they were asked to deliver eulogies for Rosa Parks during her funeral services in Detroit, Michigan. Have students incorporate their research findings into their drafts. Ask students to share their eulogies with the class.

Correlated Standards

United States History

Standard 29. Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and for the extension of civil liberties

Level II [Grade: 5-6]

Benchmark 1. Understands the development of the civil rights movement

Level III [Grade: 7-8]

Benchmark 1. Understands individual and institutional influences on the civil rights movement

McREL: Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks ), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014.

Keywords

Rosa Parks, civil rights movement, racial segregation, Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott, Martin Luther King Jr., legacy

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