BLACK HISTORY WEBSITE LIST – PART 2

 

  

 

LESSON PLANS & CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

 

ABOLISHING SLAVERY IN AMERICA – LESSON PLAN                  

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/abolishingSlavery/

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on abolition.  “Students will  1. Learn what happened aboard the slave vessels Zong and Amistad. 2. Consider what each incident reveals about views of slavery in Great Britain and the United States.  3.Write an essay exploring each country's attitude toward slavery.”  Excellent

 

AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN THE NORTH BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR – LESSON PLAN                                               

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=453

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on African American history.  “Fully one-third of Patriot soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill were African Americans. Census data also reveal that there were slaves and free Blacks living in the North in 1790 and after. What do we know about African-American communities in the North in the years after the American Revolution?   In this lesson, students will tour and/or read about some important free African-American communities thriving in the North before the Civil War.”  Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN INVENTORS – LESSON PLAN                      

            http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1026.html

A lesson plan for grades 4-6 on African American inventors.  “Students will use the Internet to research African American inventors. They will work with a partner to complete a graphic organizer about the inventors and the inventions. After the activity, each student will choose one invention, write a paragraph about how life would be different without that invention, and share their findings with the class.”  Excellent

AFRICAN AMERICAN LESSON PLANS                         http://members.tripod.com/~teacherslounge/index-7.html

Several lesson plans for teaching about African Americans.  Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION SHIFTS – LESSON PLAN                  

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/tpl-anyplacebuthere/index.html

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 using census data to determine how African American populations shifted in the last century and the reasons for those movements.  Includes suggestions for adapting the lesson to older students and for additional reading and web links.  Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS AFTER WORLD WAR I: HAD RACE RELATIONS CHANGED? – LESSON PLAN                    

                http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=498

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on race relations at the end of World War I.  “Despite institutionalized prejudice, hundreds of thousands of African Americans fought in the U.S. military during World War I. Even as most African Americans did not reap the benefits of American democracy—so central to the rhetoric of World War I—many still chose to support a nation that denied them full citizenship. What were their experiences back home when the war was over?   In this lesson, students view archival photographs, combine their efforts to comb through a database of more than 2,000 archival newspaper accounts about race relations in the United States, and read newspaper articles written from different points of view about post-war riots in Chicago.”   Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR I: THE 92ND AND 93RD DIVISIONS – LESSON PLAN                                   

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=497

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the role of African American soldiers in World War I.  Excellent

 

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN TEACHER’S LOUNGE                

            http://members.tripod.com/~teacherslounge/index.html

Lesson plans and a range of other resources for African American teachers.  Note: The African-American Lesson Plans (on African American culture and history) are listed separately in part 2 of this list.  Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICANS IN SCIENCE – LESSON PLAN                     

            http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=340

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on African Americans.  “Using the African American Scientists student E-Sheet, students should read about the career of Dr. Ben Carson. After students have read the article, discuss Dr. Carson's life story briefly with the class. His story is an inspirational one that is marked by great achievements. Use this as a springboard to discuss other renowned African American scientists, mathematicians, and engineers with which students might be familiar, such as Lewis Latimer, Charles Drew, or Ernest Just.”  Excellent

 

AFRICAN AMERICANS THEME UNIT              NEW!

http://www.theteachersguide.com/BlackHistoryMonth.html

A teaching unit on Black History adaptable for several grade levels.  Very Good

 

AFTER RECONSTRUCTION: PROBLEMS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE SOUTH – LESSON PLAN                                   

            http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/rec/rhome.html

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the issues facing African Americans in the aftermath of Reconstruction.  Excellent

 

AFTER THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: FREE AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE NORTH – LESSON PLAN

http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=452

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on African American history.  “How do authors use primary and secondary sources in creating biographies? What are some literary techniques authors use in creating biographies? What generalizations can be made about life in the North for African Americans? About the subjects themselves?”  Excellent

 

AMERICAN CULTURE – LESSON PLAN                                  

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20021108friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

“In this lesson, students will consider Al Sharpton's critique of the state of African-American youth and their values. After creating a mural celebrating African-American culture, students will reflect on the legitimacy of Sharpton's concerns.”  For grades 6-12.    Excellent

 

AN ANALYSIS OF JIM CROW LAWS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON RACE RELATIONS – CURRICULUM UNIT                         

            http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1996/1/96.01.01.x.html

A curriculum unit for 1st grade students on the Jim Crow laws and race relations.  “It follows logically that while it is necessary to learn about other people, it is also as imperative to study one’s own history. This unit, “An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and Their Effects on Race Relations in America”, will focus upon the 60’s Civil Rights Movement. The unit is designed for first graders of a New Haven Public School. The students are predominantly African American, belonging to a low socio-economic level. Their academic levels range from very low to high. It is in this teachers opinion, however, that the students are all talented and gifted in some way or another!

My intention for devising the unit is to convey to young learners how laws, based on discrimination, can destroy the basic human spirit of all parties involved. Once the miserable truth is established about Jim Crow, and students gain full comprehension, a discussion will arise on the best route to embrace that would execute the alteration of unfair legislation. Hopefully, these young minds will process the information of their history, and construct meaning pertinent to their lives.”  Includes 4 lessons, a Teacher Bibliography and a Student Bibliography.  Can be modified for other grade levels.  Excellent

 

ATTITUDES TOWARD EMANCIPATION  - LESSON PLAN              

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=290

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the Emancipation Proclamation.  “The Emancipation Proclamation carried Americans across an important frontier in the political growth of the nation. Through the Internet, students can return to this frontier and explore the many obstacles and alternatives we faced in making this passage toward "a more perfect Union."  Excellent

 

“BEEN HERE SO LONG” LESSON PLANS ACCOMPANYING THE AMERICAN SLAVE NARRATIVES                                               

            http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/lesson00.htm

Lesson plans to accompany the website “Been Here So Long” American Slave Narratives.    Excellent

 

BEFORE BROTHER FOUGHT BROTHER: LIFE IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH 1847-1861 – CURRICULUM UNIT                     

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=484

A five-lesson curriculum unit for grades 6-8 on life for both blacks and whites before the Civil War.  Lessons: Factory vs. Plantation in the North and South, People and Places in the North and South, A Debate Against Slavery (see below), Life Before the Civil War, and Women’s Lives Before the War. Excellent

 

BEFORE BROTHER FOUGHT BROTHER: A DEBATE AGAINST SLAVERY – LESSON PLAN                                                 

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=485

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on slavery.  “In this lesson, students will argue against slavery using evidence they gather from archival documents.”  Excellent

 

BIRMINGHAM BLUES: EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE THROUGH POETRY- LESSON PLAN                 

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020513monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

“In this lesson, students investigate racial inequality and prejudice in American history through the words of Langston Hughes, an American black poet.”  For grades 6-12  Excellent

 

BLACK AND BLUE: ATTRACTING VISITORS TO AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUMS – LESSON PLAN                                               

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20010223friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

“In this lesson, students will create print advertisements that persuade viewers to visit African-American history museums by detailing their artistic, cultural, and historical benefits.”  For grades 6-12   Excellent

 

BLACK HISTORY LESSONS & ACTIVITIES                            

            http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/teacherl/lesson_plans/black_hist/default.htm

A page of lessons and activities on Black History.  Excellent

 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH – BACKGROUND MATERIALS, LESSON PLANS AND WEB RESOURCES                       

            http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/news/NewsItems/Next/celeb/blckhis.htm

A page of resources and lesson plans.  Sections: Background Materials, Lesson Plans and Web Resources.  Excellent

 

A BLACK HISTORY TREASURE HUNT – LESSON PLAN                 

            http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson052.shtml

A treasure hunt for students grades 4 and above (by levels) on Black History.  Excellent

 

BLACK ONYX: BLACK FOLKTALES UNIT                              

            http://www.cis.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/guides/1983/6/83.06.07.x.html

A lesson plan for grades 9-12.  Click on To the Curriculum Unit to see the full unit.  Sections: Introduction, General Procedures, Sample Lesson Plans, Worksheet, Transcripts, Notes, Student Reading List, and Bibliography.  Excellent

 

BLACK POWER: ORGANIZING A ROUNDTABLE OF BLACK LEADERS – LESSON PLAN

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040503monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12.  “In this lesson, students research contemporary black leaders of prominence, and choose five to invite to a roundtable discussion on issues relevant to black communities. They then brainstorm discussion topics, draft questions for the attendees, and write essays assessing the potential effectiveness of their selected roundtable participants.” Excellent

 

BUFFALO SOLDIERS – LESSON PLAN                         

http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/rediscoveringamerica-buffalosoldiers/index.html

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the role of African American soldiers in the military in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Includes links and suggested readings.  Excellent

 

CAPTURING THE MOMENT: CREATING A PHOTOGRAPH TIMELINE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – LESSON PLAN                

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050829monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan on the Civil Rights Movement for grades 6-12.  “In this lesson, students create photography timelines of the civil rights movement and write journal entries reflecting on the capacity of photographs to evoke personal and collective historical memory.”  Excellent

 

CASE IN POINT: LEARNING ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COURT CASES IN THE HISTORY OF CIVIL RIGHTS – LESSON PLAN             

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040514friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan on civil rights for grades 6-12.  “In this lesson, students consider the importance and influence of various civil rights court cases, then reflect on the lasting social and political impact these cases have had, as well as the prejudices that may still exist regarding the issues addressed by each case.”  Excellent

 

CHICAGO’S BLACK METROPOLIS: UNDERSTANDING HISTORY THROUGH A HISTORIC PLACE – LESSON PLAN                                             NEW!

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/53black/53black.htm

A lesson plan on African American life in Chicago for junior/senior high students.  Includes: Getting Started: Inquiry Question, Setting the Stage: Historical Context, Determining the Facts: Readings, Visual Evidence: Images, Putting It All Together: Articles and Supplementary Resources.  Excellent

 

CIVIL RIGHTS: AN INVESTIGATION – LESSON PLAN                    

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/civilrights/index.html

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 exploring the issue of civil rights and the roles played by President Johnson, Edgar J. Hoover and Martin Luther King, Jr. during the American civil rights movement.  It also examines the effects and implications of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Excellent

 

CIVIL RIGHTS AND FREEDOM – CROSSWORD PUZZLE                NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/xwords/20000102.html

A crossword puzzle on civil rights from the NY Times.  Excellent

 

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT –LESSON PLAN                

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/freeatlast/

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the Civil Rights Movement.  “Students will understand the following:

1.Beyond the famous leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, ordinary men and women struggled for their beliefs. 2. All the participants—famous and not so famous—deserve to have their stories told.  3.Older people have a responsibility to pass on these stories to younger people.”  Excellent

 

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT - LESSON PLAN            

            http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/2227.html

A lesson plan on the Civil Rights Movement.  Students evaluate the non-violent approach to protest vs. the action approach.  Excellent

 

THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT 1954-1968 – LESSON PLAN                    

            http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_History/USH0045.html

A lesson plan for grades 8-11 on the Civil Rights Movement.  “In this Unit, students will examine the various political and social changes which have occurred as individuals and groups have raised civil rights issues and challenged the status quo in the 1950’s and 1960’s. These events and changes will be chronicled in, but not limited to the following: Brown v Board of Education, Montgomery Bus boycott, Little Rock Crisis, Marches on Washington, Birmingham and Selma, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964 the 24th Amendment, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The students will research the events, making an oral presentation to the class, and creating a visual/photographic timeline. The teacher will be responsible to interject the appropriate primary source materials such as speeches, essays songs, poetry and videos.”  Excellent

 

 

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – THEME UNIT                         

            http://www.emints.org/ethemes/resources/S00001084.shtml

A unit for grades 4-12 on the Civil Rights Movement.  “These sites are about the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. from 1954-1971. Includes several timelines with the major events of the era explained. Take an online tour of several historical spots. Topics include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Greensboro Sit-Ins, Little Rock Central High School, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Read about civil rights leader Malcolm X and a first-hand account of the Freedom Rides of 1961. There are links to eThemes Resources on Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Black History Month.”  Excellent

 

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT UNIT – USING PRIMARY SOURCES IN THE CLASSROOM

                                                                                                                       

            http://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/rights.html

A unit introducing the Civil Rights Movement.  Includes five lesson plans.  Includes Background Material for Teachers, Learning Objectives, Suggested Activities and links to the primary documents. Excellent

 

CIVIL RIGHTS SPECIAL COLLECTION – TEACHERS’ RESOURCES        

            http://www.teachersdomain.org/special/civil/

A multimedia resource for teachers for teaching about the Civil Rights Movement.  Includes lesson plans and videos.  Note: You must register to use Teachers Domain but registration is free.  For K-12 teachers.  This is only one topic of  a huge set of resources.  For now, most are in Science rather than Social Studies but keep checking.  Outstanding.   Excellent

CIVIL SERVICES: EXPLORING THE LASTING IMPACT OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT – LESSON PLAN                                

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20020121monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan on the Civil Rights Movement for grades 6-12.  “In this lesson, students investigate important themes, figures, and events of the civil rights movement. They then create a class mural that both synthesizes their knowledge of this period in history and demonstrates their understanding of the continuing impact of the movement on American society.”  Excellent

 

COLOR ME DARK – CURRICULUM UNIT                              

            http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2487/

A curriculum unit on African American history and the Great Migration.  “This five-lesson curriculum unit will provide learning activities to help students understand the experiences of these African-American people and their families during The Great Migration—as well as help them learn the history of this period and relate it to their present-day lives.”  Excellent

 

THE COLOR OF MONEY: EXPLORING RACE IN BUSINESS AND OTHER FIELDS – LESSON PLAN                                                           

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000614wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

“In this lesson, students explore the success of members of racial and ethnic minorities in the business world through discussing a related New York Times article. Students then interview successful people in various professions who would be considered members of a racial or ethnic minority in the United States.”  For grades 6-12.   Excellent

 

CRAFTING FREEDOM: AFRICAN AMERICANS 1800-1870 – TEACHING GUIDE  

            http://www.culver.org/academics/infolit/Faculty/foleyd/Teacher_files/craftingfreedom/cfindex.htm

“The mission of our Web Page is to focus on a specific area of history – life of African Americans 1800-1870 – to guide teachers & students through factual content of this era in history, and also show how to conduct research using a variety of sources and strategies.

          Many times when teachers approach this period in American history, the only discussion of African Americans is usually slave life on a plantation with escape to the Underground Railroad. Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Dred Scott and a few other known figures are emphasized, but this is telling only part of the story of African Americans.  Although there were over three million slaves in the South at the beginning of the Civil War, there were hundreds of thousands of free blacks whose story goes untold. These free blacks, along with skilled slaves who were hired out, maintained businesses and supported their families.

          Our Lesson Plan will identify some figures for additional research and serve as a guide on how to research these “unknowns,” both slave and free, to get a broader understanding of African American living and working environment between 1800 and 1870. It is our desire that teachers in each state will search out additional names of people from their own communities or states to encourage students to learn more about their local history. The research skills that students acquire, especially with primary sources, special reference works, archival materials, historic sites, and interviews with experts can be applied to other history and humanities assignments.”  Sections: Analysis, Bibliography, Crafting Freedom Bibliography, Historic Landmarks & Museums, Internet, Interviews, Libraries, Periodicals, Photographs/Images, and Primary Sources. A How-To and Where to Look rather than providing content.  Excellent

 

CRITICAL WAYS OF SEEING THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN IN CONTEXT – LESSON PLAN                         

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=447

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 analyzing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and examining the controversy surrounding it.  “Huckleberry Finn opens with a warning from its author that misinterpreting readers will be shot. Despite the danger, readers have been approaching the novel from such diverse critical perspectives for 120 years that it is both commonly taught and frequently banned, for a variety of reasons. Studying both the novel and its critics with an emphasis on cultural context will help students develop analytical tools essential for navigating this work and other American controversies. This lesson asks students to combine internet historical research with critical reading. Then students will produce several writing assignments exploring what readers see in Huckleberry Finn and why they see it that way.”  Excellent

 

CUT AND PASTE BIOGRAPHIES: CREATING COLLAGES TO DOCUMENT THE LIVES AND LEGACIES OF FAMOUS AFRICAN-AMERICANS – LESSON PLAN           

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20030912friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on African-Americans.  “In this lesson, students explore the influence of African-American artists, writers, and musicians on American culture. After researching different figures in these areas, students create collages representing each person's life and legacy.”

Excellent

 

DISCOVERING A PASSION FOR POETRY WITH LANGSTON HUGHES – LESSON PLAN

                                                                                                            NEW!

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=251

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on Langston Hughes and his poetry.  “Poetry is written to convey the essence of a greater meaning. Much like the youth of today, poetry can bundle a great deal of passion in a small package. After analyzing examples of contemporary youth poetry as well as the poetry of Langston Hughes, students use the Internet to conduct research on how events in the world have shaped Hughes' work. They cite specific examples that link their interpretation of the poem to the sociohistorical context in which it was written. Finally, each student creates an original poem that communicates a personal view on a current world issue.”  Excellent

 

DIVERSE VOICES: AFRICAN AMERICAN VENTURES – CURRICULUM UNIT   NEW!

http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit22/

A curriculum unit for grades 3-5 on African American culture.  “Students will become familiar with African American humanitarian efforts that promoted philanthropy and had a significant effect on the African American community.”  Includes 5 lesson plans.  Excellent

 

 

DR. KING’S DREAM – LESSON PLAN                          

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=332

A lesson plan for grades K-2 on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  “In this lesson, students will learn about the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will listen to a brief biography, view photographs of the March on Washington, hear a portion of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and discuss what King's words mean to them. Finally, they will create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for Americans today.”  Excellent

 

DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES                            http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/exploring/harlem/classroom/classroommain_text.html

Activities centered around the study of the Harlem Renaissance and the explosion of creativity that happened there in the 1920s.  Includes two classroom activities.  Click on Related Lessons for lesson plans related to the study.  Excellent

 

THE END OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT? – LESSON PLAN

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/tpl-crossroads/index.html

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the rights and racial relationships we have today.  Includes suggested readings and web links.  Excellent

 

EXPERIENCING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD – LESSON PLAN       

            http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/1932.html

A lesson plan in which students take on the roles of fleeing slaves and conductors on the Underground Railroad.  Excellent

 

THE FABRIC OF HISTORY: DEPICTING AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH QUILTS – LESSON PLAN                                

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040130friday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on African American history.  “In this lesson, students will explore eras in African American history, then create quilts depicting important events and personalities from these eras.”  Excellent

 

FAMILIES IN BONDAGE – LESSON PLAN                  

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=280

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on slavery.  “This two-part lesson plan draws on letters written by African Americans in slavery and by free blacks to loved ones still in bondage, singling out a few among the many slave experiences to offer students a glimpse into slavery and its effects on African American family life.”  Excellent

 

FINDING A VOICE IN AMERICA: A LITERATURE UNIT ON THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE

                                                                                                                                                NEW!

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Workshop/8405/harlem.html

“Today's teens live in a society and culture that allow them to express their collective identity.  Teens are able to express themselves through the music they list to, the clothing they wear, the movies they watch, and even the food they eat.  The teen audience is a demographic that marketers and businesses cater to daily, so it's difficult for teens to understand what it would be like to not be recognized by society.  What would it be like to have no aspect of popular culture be representative of your interests?  I want my students to understand what it was like for African Americans prior to the Harlem Renaissance.   They need to understand the importance of this movement, and for that to happen they need to understand what it's like to live a society that does not value their culture.  I hope the following activity accomplishes this.”  For high school students.  Excellent

 

FOLKLORE IN ZORA NEALE HURSTON’S THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD – LESSON PLAN                                    

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=407

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on how Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God incorporates the southern folk tradition.  “In tribute to Hurston's fusion of social science and the author's art, this lesson plan focuses on the way Hurston incorporates, adapts, transforms, and comments on black folklife in Their Eyes Were Watching God. Students will read the novel, explore Hurston's own life history and collection methods, listen to her WPA recordings of folksongs and folktales, and compare transcribed folk narrative texts with the plot and themes of Their Eyes. Along the way, the history of black autonomy in the post-Civil War South (especially the town of Eatonville, where Hurston grew up and which is the setting for much of the novel) is available for interdisciplinary connections or simply as a potent reminder of the vital relationship between place, tradition, history, and story. In short, the idea is to understand, both as formal analysts of voice and style and as historians of literature, the crucial role of oral folklore in Hurston's written canon.”  Excellent

 

FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD – CURRICULUM UNIT             

            http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teaching_materials/curricula/curriculum_units.cfm?curriculum_unit_id=77

A curriculum unit studying the ways in which slaves communicated with each other.  “Music is a language that communicates messages, feelings, and heritage. Music, art, and dance were very important to the African-American slaves. Many were not taught to read and write; nor were they allowed to talk as a community. However, feelings, messages, and the hope of freedom were communicated through the words and art of the slave. In this unit, the students will experience the messages of the slaves in quilts and songs, their feelings and experiences, and how it impacted their history and culture.”  Excellent

 

FREEDOM, FAIRNESS AND PHILANTHROPY – HARRIET TUBMAN, ROSA PARKS AND JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE – CURRICULUM UNIT                     NEW!

http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit139/overview.html

A curriculum unit for grades K-2 on the lives of three African American women and the impact they had.  “The lives of three women are examined. From different time periods, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Jackie Joyner-Kersee all worked to make changes for the common good of people. Harriet Tubman led over 300 enslaves people to freedom. Rosa Parks made a brave stand against unfair laws. Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s generosity has enabled cities to build community centers for children”  Includes 5 lesson plans. Excellent

 

FREEDOM FIGHTERS – LESSON PLAN                                   

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/freedomfighters/

A lesson plan for grades 6-8 on the struggles of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela.  “Students will 1/ Demonstrate an understanding of the struggles of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. 2/  Read, analyze, and compare two speeches or writings from Mandela and King. Discuss the effect each man had on history.”  Excellent

 

FROM COURAGE TO FREEDOM: FREDERICK DOUGLASS’ 1845 AUTOBIOGRAPHY – CURRICULUM UNIT                         

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=594

A curriculum unit for grades 9-12 based on the autobiography of Frederick Douglass.  “In this curriculum unit, students will read Douglass's narrative with particular attention devoted to chapters 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, and 10. They will analyze Douglass's vivid first-hand accounts of the lives of slaves and the behavior of slave owners to see how he successfully contrasts reality with romanticism and powerfully uses imagery, irony, connotative and denotative language, strong active verbs, repetition, and rhetorical appeals to persuade the reader of slavery's evil. Students will also identify and discuss Douglass's acts of physical and intellectual courage on his journey towards freedom.”  Contains three lesson plans.  Excellent                    

 

HARLEM – CURRICULUM UNIT                       

            http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teaching_materials/curricula/curriculum_units.cfm?curriculum_unit_id=69

A five-lesson curriculum unit on Harlem and the migration of African Americans from the rural South to the industrial, urban North.  “introduces students to Harlem, starting with black migration from Africa and from the American South to the North, to the Harlem Renaissance (including jazz musicians, visual artists, writers, and poets), and on to aspects of daily Harlem life (then and now) such as family storytelling and street games.”  Excellent

 

HARLEM 1900-1940 – CURRICULUM UNIT     

            http://www.si.umich.edu/CHICO/Harlem/

“The scope of this portfolio is Harlem from the years 1900-1940. Various elements of the history of the urban experience in Harlem's early days as the Cultural Capital of African Americans are represented here by graphic and photographic images from the Schomburg Center collection. Some of the subjects include the Schomburg Center itself, political movements, education, sports, social organizations, religion, the Harlem Hospital, theater, business and music. The personalities which make up the rich history of Harlem are too numerous to include in this selected group of images; however there are those too important to be left out, such as Bert Williams and George Walker, Marcus Garvey, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and others. Educators are encouraged to adapt these materials to suplement existing textbooks and curricula. By providing a resource that elaborates on the information currently available on the history of the lives and contributions of African Americans, we hope teachers will use this material as a guide to explore this subject further.”  For grade 7 and up.  Outstanding.  Excellent

 

HARLEM RENAISSANCE: A LIVING MUSEUM – LESSON PLAN               NEW!

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2302/

A lesson plan for grades 5-8 on the Harlem Renaissance. “As an introduction to African-American History Month (February), students will listen to a reading of the book Harlem by Walter Dean Myers to learn more about the places and people that figured prominently in the Harlem Renaissance. Students will research the lives of famous African-Americans of the Harlem Renaissance era. They will write short monologues in the voice of these individuals, and present them as part of a living museum exhibit. Students will also create backdrops to correspond with the figures they have studied, and to complement the performance of the monologue.”  Excellent

 

A HARLEM RENAISSANCE RETROSPECTIVE: CONNECTING ART, MUSIC, DANCE AND POETRY – LESSON PLAN                                             NEW!

http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=252

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on the Harlem Renaissance. “The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant time that was characterized by innovations in art, literature, music, poetry, and dance. In this lesson, students conduct Internet research, work with an interactive Venn diagram tool, and create a museum exhibit that highlights the work of selected artists, musicians, and poets. The goal of this lesson is to help students understand the historical context of the Harlem Renaissance and what kind of impact it had on African Americans in the United States. Critical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary connections are emphasized.”   Excellent

 

HARRIET TUBMAN INTEGRATED UNIT                    

            http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/2411/

An integrated unit for grades K-4 on Harriet Tubman.  Excellent

 

HAVE MINORITIES GAINED ACCEPTANCE? – LESSON PLAN                 

            http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_History/USH0011.html

A lesson plan for grades 9-12 on race relations.  “This lesson is used at the end of our minority unit. Previously, students will have discussed the following topics:

  1. reconstruction
  2. attitudes of Blacks towards themselves, and Whites towards Blacks
  3. affect of Black codes and Jim Crow laws on Blacks
  4. debate between Dubois and Washington
  5. successes of Blacks starting with Civil War period and moving forward to 1960's.
  6. the affect of the U.S. court system on Blacks civil rights
  7. the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King

Students will have spent about four weeks studying the topics listed above. We wanted them to find out if the civil rights movement, court cases, and congressional actions have caused Blacks to be accepted in the mainstream of American life.”  Excellent

 

HELD ACCOUNTABLE: CONNECTING ACCOUNTS FROM SLAVE NARRATIVES TO HISTORICAL RESEARCH – LESSON PLAN                               NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20040621monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan for grades 6-12 on slave narratives and historical research.  “In this lesson, students read excerpts from two recently discovered slave narratives and relate the personal accounts from each to history texts and other historical documentation.”  Excellent

 

HEROES AND THEIR IMPACT – JACKIE ROBINSON, MOTHER THERESA AND ROSA PARKS – CURRICULUM UNIT                      NEW!

http://www.learningtogive.org/lessons/unit37/overview.html

A curriculum unit for grades 3-5 on three heroes, two of whom are African American.  “By looking at three very different persons, students will see that heroes can come from all walks of life and have an impact on their country or the world in a capacity much larger than one might expect. Students will attempt to define what a hero is and recognize that heroes are acting selflessly for the common good.”

Includes 3 lesson plans.  Excellent

 

How the African-American Storyteller Impacts the Black Family and Society CURRICULUM UNIT                                             

            http://www.cis.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/guides/1990/4/90.04.05.x.html

A curriculum unit for grade 6 in which students learn about Black storytellers from slavery to the present.  (Note: The word “storytellers” is loosely defined in this unit.)  Some of the “storytellers” featured include: Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Winnie Mandela, Bill Cosby, “Moms” Mabley, and Martin Luther King.  Sections: Purpose, Objectives, Introduction, Emergence of the Black Writerstoryteller, Why Do Blacks Write?, Black Writersstorytellers and Their Works, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Winnie Mandela, Jackie “Moms” Mabley, Black Writersstorytellers Impacts on the Black Family and Society, Lesson Plans I, Lesson Plans II, Bibliography and Notes.  Excellent

 

I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE: EVALUATING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORAL AND WRITTEN HISTORY – LESSON PLAN                            NEW!

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20050711monday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

A lesson plan on history for grades 6-12.  “In this lesson, students read a narrative text that recounts the legacy of a family as a starting-point for discussion and research about pre-Civil War slavery. Students then write a first-person narrative from the perspective of a runaway slave, or a historical character of the period, and present their story orally.”  Excellent

 

IS ALL FAIR IN WAR? EXPLORING RACE IN THE U.S. MILITARY – LESSON PLAN

            http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000607wednesday.html?searchpv=learning_lessons

“In this lesson, students investigate issues of race in the military by examining current and historic examples. Students work in small groups to research how issues of race have manifested in different wars of the United States and create illustrated textbook entries incorporating their research.”  For grades 6-12  Excellent

 

JACOB LAWRENCE: EXPLORING STORIES – LESSON PLANS        NEW!

http://www.whitney.org/jacoblawrence/resources/lesson_plans.html

An online exhibit from the Whitney Museum on artist Jacob Lawrence.  Includes information on his life and works, views of his works, and learning opportunities including webquests and lesson plans.  A huge site.  Outstanding.  Excellent   SEE WEBSITES FOR FULL INFO

 

JAZZ TALK ACTIVITY                  

            http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/activities/jazztalk/

A classroom activity for grades 6-12 on the history of jazz and the impact of African American poetry and music on American culture.  “ Students will analyze work songs, spirituals, blues, and gospel songs in order to develop an appreciation for the origins of jazz music. They will also examine works of poetry from African American artists and create their own poems. After completing this activity, students should be able to describe the impact of African American songs and writings on American culture.”

Excellent

 

KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE – CURRICULUM UNIT         

            http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/BuilderV03/LPTools/LPShared/displayunit.asp?UnitID=1438

A curriculum unit for 1st grade students introducing them to Martin Luther King, Jr.  Includes five lesson plans.  Excellent

 

LEARNING THE BLUES – LESSON PLAN                    

            http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=267