***and*** get class credit for it!
One of the purposes of history is to offer students a broader scope and a more comprehensive overview of our nation's past, particularly as it fits into the realm of our local history. In order to further that end, one of the "quiz" grades for this class includes visiting the National Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis. If you visit this website or click on the logo above, you can find information about and directions to the museum.
In order to earn class credit, you must submit a ticket clearly showing the date of your visit, as well as a three-page analysis no later than Dec. 5 (the day of the final exam) of the grounds.
The paper must include:
1. Your name and course number
2. Label "National Civil Rights Museum Visit"
3. Answers to the following questions:
a. If this was your first time to go there, what did you expect to find in the museum before you went?
b. Who did you go with? What were the conditions? (Was the museum crowded? Empty? Were there any sort of protests going on outside? Did you have any conversations with anyone who was not part of your group?)
c. When you began your tour, what were your impressions? What struck you visually? Were there any special events or special exhibits being conducted? What do you remember as the most important or moving exhibit in the museum?
d. What was the most significant historical fact that you learned about the Civil Rights movement that you didn't know before?
e. Place Memphis within the scocpe of the nation's history during the Civil Rights movement. Do you think the city has an undeservedly negative reputation in the nation's eyes because of it being the site where King was murdered?
f. How did you feel when you left the location? Compare your feelings prior to entering the museum and after you departed.
If you choose to address other questions that are not on this list, you are welcome to do so. These ideas are offered as a method to analyze your experience within the museum.
This museum is truly one of the jewels of the South, so please make every effort to visit it. Walking on the very grounds where one of the most famous national and international figures this country has ever produced will certainly be an emotional and enriching experience for you.