History: What Rosa Really Means

The death of civil-rights hero Rosa Parks may raise questions for your children. Here is a list of resources that will help them make sense of an America when liberty and justice weren't available to all.

"Rosa Parks: My Story" ($6.29; amazon.com ) is an autobiography for grades four through six. It will help kids understand Parks's life--before and after she refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.

The site teacher.scholastic.com/rosa offers a comprehensive lesson plan for older kids (grades seven and eight) called "Rosa Parks: How I Fought for Civil Rights." It includes interviews with Parks and suggested questions.

"Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks" is a documentary well suited for high-school students. Narrated by young people and punctuated by first-person accounts, it will bring the boycott alive for the most jaded teen ($20; tolerance .org/teach/resources ).

If you prefer a hands-on approach to learning, try these options: the Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery, Ala., sits on the corner where Parks said no ( montgomery.troy.edu/ museum ). Or travel to Dearborn, Mich., and step onto the bus Parks boarded that fateful day ( hfmgv.org/museum ). History isn't always fun, but it doesn't have to be boring.