Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
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Black and Blue
Students create print advertisements that persuade viewers to visit African-American history museums by detailing their artistic, cultural, and historical benefits.
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Multigenre Research Project
Students research influences on African American literature. They research someone who has influenced the development of African American literature and create a multi-genre research project. They create a photograph poem, character...
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Gaining Ground
Students explore African-American art by researching, preparing and presenting reports on particular artists. They analyze what they have learned through the lens of modernism.
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Quilting: The Story of the Underground Railroad
Students explore quilting. They read and discuss the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They research African American quilting traditions on the Internet and name three common qualities in quilts. They create a quilt block...
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Life Stories
Fourth graders create a brief video presentation documenting their research of an impactful African American or woman from history. Students research and identify their accomplishments and create a 2-5 minute iMovie documenting their...
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Famous Black Americans
Students recognize famous Black Americans and their roles in America's society. They create a database and slideshow presenting famous Black Americans and relevant facts of their lives.
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Sole People
Explore the African American inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger and create a "sole" painting.
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The Terrible Transformation: Freedom Denied
Learners learn about the legal foundations for slavery and explore autobiographical writings of slaves. Students trace the development of laws that enforced the slave status of Africans and their descendants.
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Feltboard Storytelling
Young scholars read African folktales and retell the story using feltboard. In this folktale lesson plan, students read the story Why the Sky is Far Awayand use feltboard to retell the stories.
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Romare Bearden
Students examine and discuss a collage by the artist Romare Bearden. They analyze the impact of jazz on art, listen to jazz, and create an original collage.
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Rev. Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. meets the Philosophy of Gandhi's Ahimsa
Learners study Gandhi's and Dr. King's philosophies. In this world history instructional activity, students compare and contrast the methods by Gandi and Dr. King writing an essay on nonviolence.
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Modern Dance and the Harlem Renaissance
Students create an artistic rendering based on what they have learned from the film and the lesson.
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Black History Stamps
Young scholars explore the lives and contributions of the many black Americans who are honored on U.S. commemorative postage stamps, make a presentation that synthesizes information about a historical figure and time, and write a...
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The Old South In Children's Books
Students discuss what is meant by the "Old South". In groups, they read stories about the Old South and discover this was not how the area actually was in that time period. They use a database to examine the covers of books and...
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The Witch of Goingsnake
Ninth graders explore legends and specifically the legend of Geronimo. In this legend lesson, 9th graders watch a movie 'Geronimo: An American Legend' and answer questions about the video.
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Get On Board This Train
Students examine and discuss the African American Spiritual in a choir setting. They also sing the spiritual "Get On Board This Train" while using terms and techniques studied in the lesson.
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Using Cinderella Stories to Study Venn Diagrams
Seventh graders read Cinderella stories and complete graphic organizers for the various versions. For this story analysis lesson, 7th graders read versions of the story Cinderella. Students organize the story's information using a...
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American Quilts
Third graders are introduced to new vocabulary associated with slavery and the Underground Railroad. In groups, they use the vocabulary to identify the various ranges of freedom and create their own vocabulary webs. To end the lesson...
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Africa: What's in a Name?
Learners research the Yoruba Tribe and names. In this names lesson plan, students read the story 'Don't Call Me Names' and discuss how people get their names. Learners discuss the importance of names and learn about the Yoruba Tribe....
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Information Safari
Students go to the library and research animals using features in the text to help them organize information. In this locating information lesson plan, students complete this task in teams.
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The Power of Protest
Students explain how Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. They discuss how her actions were heroic and how they affected the civil rights movement. They reflect on the lesson in journal entries.
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Visualizing Jazz Scenes From the Harlem Renaissance
Students identify themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz and describe the impact of jazz on African-American literature of the Harlem Renaissance
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Celebrating Ancestors
Students participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.