Curated OER
Being Me in the Face of Adversity - Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs
Young scholars identify important Americans from the colonial, revolutionary and slavery periods who are noted for standing up for their beliefs in the face of peer disapproval. They identify the importance of music in motivating and...
Curated OER
Abuela's Weave Teacher's Guide
Young scholars read and response to the book, Abuela's Weave. In this African-American literature instructional activity, students discuss pre-reading questions, that focus on family traditions and make predictions about the text. Young...
Curated OER
Comparing African, American, and European Folktales
Students listen to John Steptoe's story, "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," and then identify similarities and differences between an African, a Native American, and a European folktale.
Curated OER
Romare Bearden-Style Collages
Students create collages in the style of African American artist Romare Bearden. They define the word collage, study African American artist Romare Bearden, view examples of collages by Romare Bearden, and create a collage following...
Curated OER
Using Oral Traditions to Improve Verbal and Listening Skills
Students examine the role of stories in African and African-American cultures. This lesson is written for students with visual impairments. They
Curated OER
The Struggle Against Segregation
Students use vocabulary related to the history of segregation in the United States. They study about the history of segregation in America and recognize the challenges and prejudice that many African Americans faced in the 1950s....
Curated OER
Breaking the Chains: Rising Out of Circumstances
Study history through photographs. For this visual arts and history lesson, students learn to analyze photographs to discover details about life during the Civil War era. Students write journal entries as if they are the African-American...
Curated OER
An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and their Effects on Race Relations
First graders analyze the role of the Jim Crow laws on race relations. As a class, they are segregated based on the color shirt they have or some other simple criteria and wear either a square or circle sticker representing the majority...
Curated OER
My First Kwanzaa Book Activity Card
Kindergartners respond to the events in My First Kwanzaa Book by completing an activity at home with a parent. After cutting out six labeled picture cards, they arrange them in the order in which they appeared in the book.
Curated OER
Walking the Line
Students participate in activities that engage all learning styles (such as picture walks, tracing lines, movement/theatre technique) as an introduction to the art element of line and its importance to art.
Curated OER
Mood in Music
Students portray the mood of a piece of music in a drawing. In this mood in music lesson, students discuss how music creates a mood. Students listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," "The Wreck of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" as well...
Curated OER
African Folktales
Students read African folktales. In this literature lesson plan, students share prior knowledge about South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria. Then students work in groups to read an assigned African folktale and answer response questions...
Curated OER
American Literature and the Civil War
Middle schoolers prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes fourteen lessons from the American Literature, The Civil War and Its Aftermath: 1845-1880 series, each covering a different reading selection....
Curated OER
Cinderella Stories - Native American Cinderella Stories
Students examine a Native American Cinderella story. In this Cinderella lesson, students listen to and compare Rafe Martin's, The Rough Face Girl, to other Cinderella stories. They complete the associated worksheets, role play scenes...
Curated OER
Economics Lesson: The Real McCoy
Students research the origination of the expression "The Real McCoy." In this economics research instructional activity, students read the book The Real McCoy. Students examine Elijah McCoy and his invention of the oil cup and how it...
Curated OER
Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 1
Students identify many careers within the music industry such as producer, A&R representative and recording studio engineer. They connect achievements of noted artists with their roles in the music industry.
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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 3
Young scholars listen to many examples of Motown music and explain the relationship between the word "Motown" and the city of Detroit. They examine and identify distinctive musical elements of the early "Motown Sound."
Curated OER
Thurgood Marshall Makes a Difference
Students find information about the life and legal career of Thurgood Marshall, including the NAACP and its causes. They comprehend the issues and context of the Brown v. Board of Education case that Marshall argued before the U.S....
Smithsonian Institution
Our Story: Duke Ellington and Jazz
Get parents or guardians into the swing of things with a jazzy homework assignment. A detailed six-page guide provides before, during, and after reading suggestions for Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, Andrea Davis...
Maryland Department of Education
A Raisin in the Sun and Dreams Deferred
To conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...
Curated OER
Criminal or Hero
Young scholars investigate slavery in America circa the American Revolution. They will examine point- of view and perspective as they research a variety of informational resources. While this is designed to be used with the PBS video...
Curated OER
Picturing America: Images and Words of Hope from Romare Bearden and Langston Hughes
A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...
Curated OER
Sentence Completion 6: Low-Advanced SAT Level
Consider using this worksheet, another in a series of sentence completion exercises, as the basis of a lesson on test taking or comprehension strategies, as a critical thinking exercise, or as extra practice for up-coming standardized...
Curated OER
Mini Masks: Ceramics
Masks have been used for many reasons throughout human history. They are also great subjects for art projects! Included here are instructions, background information, and all the supplies needed to create mini masks in your class.