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Trey and Dave go to Africa: Music
Trey from Phish and Dave from the Dave Mathews Band took a trip to Africa to explore music, culture, and history. Your class watches this episode from VH1's Music Studio to understand how African culture and music have influenced modern...
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African Americans in the Columbia River Basin
Students research the Columbia River Basin Ethnic History Archive (CRBEHA) and use a variety of primary sources to explore the history of blacks in the region.
Annenberg Foundation
Masculine Heroes
What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...
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Jazz Scenes of the Harlem Renaissance
Students identify and connect themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. They compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance. They...
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Historical Fiction Writing: Connecticut’s African and Native Americans in the American Revolution
Students explore what life was like for African-Americans and Native Americans during the American Revolution. In this early U.S. history lesson plan, students research primary sources to find out more about their lives in order to write...
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Flawed Democracies
Ninth graders examine the struggle for equal opportunity. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders create a timeline outlining various groups' struggles for equal opportunity. Students research and construct a timeline to...
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Fighting for Democracy, Fighting for Me
Students explore the contributions of African Americans, Japanese Americans, and Mexican Americans in World War II. In this World War II lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the treatment of the ethnic groups...
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Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. In this African-American history lesson, 11th graders read speeches by each of the men and summarize the arguments made by each of them about...
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African American Music
Students investigate a variety of sites to gather relevant information for a
presentation about African American musical forms in this general Music lesson plan for middle school and high school. Resource links are provided to aid...
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The Harlem Renaissance: Awakening the Black Soul
Eleventh graders explore, examine and study about the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on the American culture. They assess and explain how the Harlem Renaissance was a "rebirth" for the African American culture through art, music, and...
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Resistance and Self-Determination
Fourth graders examine a person's education and their ability to be independent and to resist oppression. In this American History lesson, 4th graders study the ideas of James McCune Smith.
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Who Am I? Jackie Robinson
In this sports heroes worksheet, students read the clues about a famous African-American baseball player. Students fill in the blanks to break the code and use the code to name the mystery person - Jackie Robinson.
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They're Only Children
Third graders compare how the lives of African American slave children differed from children's lives today. For this analysis of slavery lesson, 3rd graders evaluate and discuss the conditions of slavery in collaborative groups. Using...
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The Rise of Segregation
Eleventh graders describe the foundation for legal segregation in the South and identify three key African American leaders' responses to discrimination. They also find and copy the definition of sharecropper and answer a variety of...
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Gullah Contributions to South Carolina History
Students research the Gullah people and their impact on South Carolina. In this South Carolina history activity, students study, locate, and color the region of Africa the Gullah people came from. Students listen to Gullah music and...
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Slavery and Empire 1440 - 1770
Young scholars reflect on the events that led up to slavery in the early years of North America. In this United States History lesson, students read excerpts from the book "Out of Many," then gather in small groups to answer specific...
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"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black history,...
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American Music Styles - Lesson 1
Learners describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of rock, folk, blues, and country music. They identify two main musical roots of today's American popular music.
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Land is the Basis of All Independence
Students develop debating and analytical thinking skills. They take a position in the Back-to-Africa discussion, based upon any readings and the two opposing essays they read. In groups, they discuss an issue from two different points...
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African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman
Fifth graders learn about this history of jazz music. For this musical influences lesson, 5th graders read God Bless the Childand listen to a recording of it. Students create a KWL chart on jazz and early 1900s music and dance. Students...
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Jazz it Up!
Students research the history and contributions of Jazz in their local environments. They then design and create a wide variety of presentations to share with the class using as many mediums as possible.
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Through Their Eyes: Video Taping Oral History
Students identify the stereotypes they are faced with on a daily basis. In groups, they use this information to identify the ways stereotypes are portrayed in movies and television. They use a video camera to record oral histories of...
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Family History
Students discover their family history. In this genealogy lesson, students participate in a discussion about family history and why it is important. Students create a family tree and present the family tree to the class. Students write a...
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Charting African Ethnicities in America
Students explain the variety in ethnic origins of enslaved Africans brought to the United States. They use the data in the narrative to create charts, either by hand or by using Excel or a similar database program.