Children Able To Learn About The 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott Online

Best Buy and National Civil Rights Museum Educational Partnership Creates eLearning Experience About the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott

MEMPHIS, Tenn.,  -- How would an American middle school student describe an historical civil rights event that launched the modern civil rights movement and the iconic leadership of Rosa Parks and Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.?

The Best Buy Corporation and the National Civil Rights Museum have created an online eLearning experience that guides students and educators through the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and places them in the story while encouraging students to learn more about the civil rights movement, tolerance and perhaps the importance of the media in reporting on such events.

Launched as part of the 2010 Black History Month observance, Best Buy provided the technology and web-based resources for the "Before the Boycott- Riding the Bus" project, while the National Civil Rights Museum provided the curriculum and research information.

The program is designed for middle school student's grades 6-9, but the information is appropriate for anyone wishing to learn more about the Montgomery Bus Boycott movement.

To access the program visit: www.beforetheboycott.com or www.civilrightsmuseum.org.

The National Civil Rights Museum sees this opportunity for educational awareness beyond its museum walls according to Museum President Beverly Robertson, "The Museum hosts over 50,000 students a year from across the country. It takes them back in time and allows them to play the role of a school newspaper reporter assigned to ride the Montgomery, Alabama bus system in 1955."

Other highlights include:

• Students observe incidents between the bus driver and African-American patrons will have the opportunity to record their impressions of each incident.
• After completing all 7 stops in the simulated bus trip, students assemble a "story" to submit to their school newspaper.
• Teacher's guide available as a supplement to the eLearning.

The online program is part of the museum's permanent educational resources materials. Future additional lessons are possible according to the Museum and Best Buy representatives.

SOURCE National Civil Rights Museum