Preswick House
Teaching Unit: Invisible Man
Invisible Man is a core text in high school literature classes and one of the most cited works on the AP Literature and Composition exam. Instructors new to using Ralph Ellison's novel and those who have long included it as part of their...
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Exploring the Roots of Modern Dance in America
Students develop an understanding of how African culture impacted modern dance in the United States.
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Juliette Hampton Morgan: Becoming an Ally
Student examine human rights issues. In this social justice lesson plan, students consider the story of Juliette Hampton Morgan who stood as ally to African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Students discuss methods of...
PBS
Democracy in Action: Freedom Riders
This is a must-have resource for every social studies teacher covering the civil rights movement. Through an engaging video and detailed viewing guide, young historians learn about the Freedom Riders, and discover how everyday...
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America responds to Dred Scott
Eleventh graders examine the reactions Americans had to the Dred Scott decision. In this American History instructional activity, 11th graders read editorials from newspapers. Students analyze these editorials and audio tapes from that...
Facing History and Ourselves
Why Little Things Are Big
Often our decisions are impacted by a fear of how others see us. That's the big idea in a two-day instructional activity that asks how false assumptions, how our fear of how others may see us, impact how we act. After watching a video...
Learning for Justice
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise", offers young scholars an opportunity to consider how poets use literary devices to create powerful messages. After a close reading and discussion of the poem, class members reflect on how they can...
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Marcus Garvey and the Rise of Black Nationalism
Students answer preview questions about different terms to describe African Americans. In this Black Nationalism lesson, students listen to background information on Marcus Garvey, then read an editorial by Garvey on the Return to...
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Gotta Be Me
Students create model societies. In this social identity instructional activity, students conduct research so that they can plan and present model societies to their classmates. The societies must include information regarding how their...
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Latin Culture Through Art and Literature
Eleventh graders participate in a lecture on the history of Latin Americans and the role of Latin-American women writers. As a class, they read a story together and identify what lessons the narrator gained throughout the story. In...
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Right There in Black and White? Identity, Assimilation and the Résumé
Ninth graders examine prejudice in today's world. For this current events lesson, 9th graders describe their top three personality identifiers. Students read articles on racism.
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Who Am I?
Students investigate the question "who am I?" They create an original self-portrait of themselves that incorporates written words. Students' self-portraits depict who they are.
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My Culture
In this culture activity, students answer ten short-answer questions about their own culture then write about the major cultural influences in their lives.
Novelinks
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter: Concept Analysis
Considering Carson McCullers' The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter for whole-class reading or as a selection for book circles? Check out this resource that overviews the organizational patterns, themes, plot structure, tone, and setting.
Brooklyn Museum
Lorna Simpson: Gathered
Lorna Simpson is a photographer who has put together a collection of photos from the 1950s in order to challenge the idea that primary source documents are objective in their portrayal of history. Learners are introduced to Ms. Simpson's...
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Freed Slaves
Students are given the identify of a newly freed slave at the end of the Civil War. Students participate in a discussion to explore some of the difficulties and decision making freed slaves had to consider. Students present their...
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Revolution! Freedom for All?
Twelfth graders examine the causes of freedom by revolutionary patriots. In this Civics and Economics lesson, 12th graders analyze primary sources. Students work cooperatively to write a freedom declaration for their group.
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Quilting Our Diverse Classroom
Learners explore diversity and race by creating art. In this ethnic background lesson, students discuss their family history, where their relatives lived and how it affects their life today. Learners create pieces of a quilt representing...
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Magic, Sass, and Rage
Students are introduced to the characteristics of autobiographies. In groups, they read Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and develop their own rules for survival in the classroom. They bring in family photos in an...
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Race, Language and Separation
Sixth graders discuss the idea of separation in today's society. In groups, they examine the laws used in the past with a focus on "separate, but equal". They review the Brown v. Board of Education case and determine if it caused or...
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Archaeological Self-Study: What Do Our Belongings and Trash Tell About Us?
Students examine how their belongings and their trash represents who they are. In this archaeology skills lesson, students watch a video titled "Discovering the Past" and then give archaeological techniques a try. Students examine and...
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Uniform Design
Students investigate the military by examining their uniforms. For this design lesson, students analyze the military uniforms from different locations and time periods. Students create new ideas for current military uniforms.
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Investigating Human Behavior
Students explore the Holocaust and themes such as prejudice and discrimination.
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Marketing Class
Students study social class, status, and role in America while examining how sociologists determine the criteria for these concepts. They apply these concepts to their own surroundings. They look at images of people and discuss what...