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December
Young scholars create snowflake similes, Kwanzaa plaques, menorah banners, and more for the month of December. In this December activities lesson plan, students also analyze characters in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
National Park Service
Making Choices
What factors go into a decision to enter a war? Use a collection of primary source documents and images to prompt a discussion about the American Revolution and the reasons for entering a war against Britain.
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Our Unfinished Work
Learners investigate the racism elements after the election of President Barack Obama. In this racism lesson, students read a recent article about 'post-racial' society. Learners compile a list of achieving a post-racial society and...
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Act it Out
Students discuss racial stereotypes. In this racial stereotypes instructional activity, students develop a character from information given to them on an index card. Students give their character a race different from their own and...
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You Gotta Have A Hat
First graders compare versions of the folktale, 'Caps for Sale.' After listening to both stories, 1st graders utilize a Venn Diagram imbedded in this lesson to produce a graphic organizer detailing the similarities and differences...
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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....
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Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage
Fifth graders study Nelson Mandela. In this leadership lesson, 5th graders study the life of Nelson Mandela. Throughout their learning, they read biographies on Nelson Mandela, compare their community to those in South Africa, discuss...
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Fables and Trickster Tales Around the World
Students analyze fables and trickster tales from various cultural traditions. In this fable analysis lesson, students identify the elements of fables and trickster stories. Students read Aesop's fables and Ananse spider stories. Students...
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Modeling Our Writing Style After Another Author's Style
Students reread "The Senegalese Miracle" from a previous lesson. As they read, they must underline as many images related to their senses as possible and share their findings with the class. In partners, they practice chunking...
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Adjectives and Descriptive Phrases
Students examine the use of adjectives and descriptive phrases to improve their written pieces. In this adjectives and descriptive phrases lesson, students look at demonstrative adjectives, common adjectives, and proper adjectives. They...
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History in Literature - The House of Dies Drear
Hook your learners with a great project. They research the underground railroad and civil rights movement through literature, view the video The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery, and read the book House of Dies Drear in their...
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The Missouri Compromise of 1820
Students use a map of the Missouri Compromise to explain the geographical changes it brought to the U.S. and why the changes provoked a debate over the expansion of slavery in the U.S.
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Aesop and Ananse: Animal Fables and Trickster Tales
Students complete compare and contrast activities dealing with fables and trickster tales to determine how each uses animals to portray human characteristics, specifically strengths and weaknesses, as well as pass wisdom from one...
Library of Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the novel...
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Linking the Past with the Present
Fifth graders explore how Africans built South Carolina into an economic giant. They write an expository paper explaining how Africans and their descendants built the rice empire along the Carolina coastline. They write a persuasive...
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Little America in Liberia
Students study the history of Liberia prior to and after the influx of immigrants of African Americans. They investigate the cultural differences between the African Americans and newly-arrived Liberians.
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OK in Oklahoma? All-Black Communities
Students read to discover the African-American migration to Oklahoma following the Civil War and the eventual settlements of thirty-two all-black towns. To present their findings, students will write position papers and participate in...
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Unintended Consequences: Policies that Impact Migration
Students examine the cause-and-effect relationship between the Agricultural Adjustment Acts of the New Deal or the 1965 Voting Rights Act and African-American migration. They write an essay evaluating the effectiveness of the Voting...
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Searching the Internet
Students discuss current knowledge of internet searches. They research vocabulary terms related to internet usage. Students list African-Americans that they believe have made a difference. Each student picks a person to research and...
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Kwanzaa Flash Cards
Students study Kwanzaa. In this art lesson, students compare Kwanzaa with the American holdiay known as Thanksgiving. Students decorate seven cards with the seven lessons of Kwanzaa written on them.
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Build a Black History Database/Timeline
Students research famous people and events in Black History then break the biographies and events down into specific information related to dates in history. They
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West Indies and The Caribbean: Sugar & Slavery
Students study the state of the world before the slave trade. They explain the geography and economics of the slave trade. They explore primary sources and how historians use these sources to create historical interpretations.
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Confronting the Murder
The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...
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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.