16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

On May 3^rd, Parkside Elementary’s teacher, Mr. Timothy Farmer, and his third grade class journeyed to Birmingham, Alabama, as a culminating activity as they finished reading of The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis. This award-winning historical fiction chronicles the life of a family who visits Birmingham for a summer trip and encounters the aftermath of the 16^th Street Baptist Church bombing, which took the lives of four young girls. The students, along with several parents, visited the church and the nearby Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Birmingham is currently commemorating a yearlong 50^th anniversary observance of the Civil Rights Movement in the city. This trip was a great experience for the students as it provided an opportunity to bring history and classroom reading to life.