Curated OER
Cryptogram About Charles Drew
In this solving a cryptogram puzzle instructional activity, students discover the answer to the riddle "What medical break through did Charles Drew invent?". Students find 11 words.
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A Poem's Theme
Show young poets how to use the main idea and voice to determine the theme of a poem. Model the steps using Listen Children. Lucille Clifton’s This Morning provides guided practice. Finally, class members use Nikki Giovanni’s Legacies...
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Figurative Language
Fifth graders identify and categorize figurative language in poetry.They read a poem and find an example of figurative language, then read the included hand-out on figurative language, and describe each type of figurative language. They...
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One Step at a Time
Students investigate the customs and habits of other cultures by reading letters from a Peace Corps Volunteer. For this global customs lesson, students discuss how analyzing a culture is similar to analyzing art, no two people see...
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Baga Drum
Students draw and design a musical instrument that incorporates a human figure or animal. In this musical lesson plan, students will discover the differences between African drums. This lesson plan is designed for elementary, middle,...
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The Cultural Geography of Africa South of the Sahara "Kente Cloth"
Students read several articles about West African strip weaving of Kente cloth. They explore the cultural context in which strip weaving occurs. They answer four comprehension questions and compose a magazine article about strip weaving.
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Haitian Folktales
Seventh graders identify parts of Haitian culture through folktales. They compare and contrast a Haitian folktale with an African American folktale. They read "Bye-Bye" a Haitian folktale. They create and write their own folktale. They...
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Bitter Sweet Legacy: Afro-Caribbean Americans and the Sugar Economy
High schoolers study the relationship between sugar, African and Caribbean laborers, and migration. They examine the role of enslaved Africans in the creation of the Caribbean sugar industry.
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A Sense Of Water
Young scholars examine several writings from both locals and Peace Corps volunteers from several African countries. Students reflect on how the writer's interactions with water are presented through the material. Young scholars write...
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Back To Africa
Young scholars have the opportunity to examine the phenomenon and to analyze the arguments supporting the migration of African Americans to other countries in the search for equality. They simulate roles in a panel discussion on the topic.
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The Western Migration: Socratic Seminar
Learners explore the different experiences of the African-American migration to the West in an open-ended dialogue discussing the quote, the narrative, and the ultimate results of the western migration.
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People of African Descent
Students view art by artists of African descent. Using these paintings, they discuss the social history of Africans and focus on specific artists to examine their lives. They also reflect on the Canadian Multiculturalism Act which...
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Encoded Meanings
Students explore symbols in art and complete related activities. In this art symbols lesson, students compare symbols they recognize to those of an African culture. Students create a collaborative work of art with symbols that have an...
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Introduction to African Folklore
Students are read "Anansi the Spider" to begin their discussion on continents. Using a map, they locate the continent of Africa and the country of Ghana. They discover who the Ashanti people are and view examples of their artwork. They...
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Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...
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A Comparative Look at Migrations
Students examine two narratives on migration, and provide and compare the migration of African Americans at two distinct points in history. They write an essay detailing the similarities and differences they have found.
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The Northern Migration
High schoolers assume the role of a Nineteenth Century African American who is contemplating participating in a Northern migration, and write a letter to a loved one explaining the reasons for their decision.
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Is this the Promised Land?
Learners explore the "broken promises" such as overcrowding, poverty, housing, and broken wage promises that African Americans encountered as a result of moving north during the period of 1916-1930. They create journal entries.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Isn’t It Exciting? (The American Industrial Revolution and Urbanization)
America was built on the ingenuity, work ethic, and foresight of our ancestors. Sixth graders learn about the complex Gilded Age in American history, including the prominent inventors and captains of industry, and how they all connect...
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Who is Robert M. Glass? - Black History Month
Students research the role of African Americans during the each of the United States' wars. In this African American history lesson, students research information and statistics about the role of African Americans in the following wars:...
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Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People
Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...
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Map Making Exercise
Students complete a Web Quest in order to determine why Harlem was an attractive place for African Americans to live. They study a map of Harlem in the 1930's.
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Kwanzaa Activities
Students listen to a book about Kwanzaa and discuss the holiday and its importance. In this Kwanzaa lesson, students make crafts after they read and discuss the story.
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African-American History and Culture in the English Classroom
Ninth graders identify and recognize characteristics of nonfiction in literary works, explore language and culture of Gullah people, compare and contrast purposes of spirituals and quilts in terms of their relationships to escape from...