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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eighteenth-Century Slave Codes

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore slavery by reviewing the written laws intended to keep African Americans subservient. In this U.S. slavery lesson, students analyze a time-line of the history of African Americans. Students discuss the patterns of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Movement of African Americans in the United States During the Twentieth Century

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine data and maps to create migration maps of African-American movement in the Twentieth century. They analyze the patterns in the migration.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Stranger Redeemed: A Portrait of a Black Poet

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Read and analyze poems by African-American authors. Using the text, they identify the various patterns, subjects, language and dialects used. Then team up to compare and contrast the various authors and define new vocabulary. The lesson...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Adinkra Printing

For Teachers 1st
First graders demonstrate a sense of artistic composition by creating shapes and symbols in the pattern of African Adinkra printing. They use glue to create a raised design and then print it on colored paper. Students use symbols from...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Ceremonial Masks

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine and discuss the purposes and traditions of African ceremonial masks. They design and create African ceremonial masks using various materials.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arm and Face Casts - body art

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study African masks. They also study African American Art and look for its influence in Modern Art. They research and design their own culture.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Drumming - Repetition of Patterns

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Learners are introduced to basic patterns used in African drumming. They listen to examples of drumming by Kundidzora Azim, participate in chants and repeat demonstrated rhythms as a class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Masks

For Teachers K - 5th
Students make replicas of African masks. They also express what attributes they would want to have as an adult and put that into their mask.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Art of the Quilt

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine why fabric was first sewn in layers and how it was used. They identify, compare and make 3 different fabric design types which will become a basis for looking at the quilts created by African Americans. They begin the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sundiata, Mali’s Lion King

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the history of Mali. In this African cultures lesson, students research the impact of Sundiata Keita as king of Mali, recognize the significance of historical Malian festivals, and create character masks to be worn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval African Kingdoms

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...
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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Birth of an Icon: Learning and Performing the Origins of the Drum Set and Early Jazz Drumming in New Orleans, Louisiana

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, cymbals. Perched behind their drum sets, wielding their drum sticks and wire brushes, drummers lay the grove and are the heartbeat of a band's performance. A dynamic lesson introduces young musicians to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Family Quilt

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine the artwork of Faith Ringgold. They create their own quilt pattern on fabric and piece them together to create a class quilt. They compare their similarities with one another.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kye Kye Kule

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders study the repeating patterns and basic dance movements used in traditional African drumming songs. In groups, they create a story that can be used with a ritual/tradition and a rhythmic piece that uses repeating rhythmic...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Maryland Department of Education

The Concept of Diversity in World Literature Lesson 4: Proverbs

For Teachers 10th - 11th Standards
"Eneke the bird says since men have learnt to shoot without missing, he has learnt to fly without perching." As part of their study of Things Fall Apart, class members read Paul Hernadi and Francis Steen's essay, "The Tropical Landscapes...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Returning to the South

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students reinforce their knowledge of the Great Migration by reading a narrative to investigate reasons why African-Americans chose to migrate from the South. Students then write editorials for a local newspaper that outlines the reasons...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Task of the Mask

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students discover historical value and use of different African masks through research and literature. Students also relate different customs and traditions of ethnic groups to the masks.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Celebrate Black History Month

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study about the culture, heritage, family, church, and politics of the African-American and why we honor their accomplishments. Then they make class presentations. This is a very meaningful lesson on an important part of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paper Sculpture Headdress

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students examine African masks and headdresses, and create their own.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Rattles

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students locate Africa on the map or globe and tell one important fact about the continent. They follow directions and demonstrate the proper process of making an African Rattle.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Suffering and Sunset: An African American Artist's Impression of World War I

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study paintings by a Pennsylvania artist, Horace Pippin, to explore African-American contributions in World War I. They create presentations based on their impressions of the artwork.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African American Voices

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the many forms of Haitian art. They compare the art of some different cultures, religions, countries, and philosophies. Students also read the biography of an artist to build context for a particular piece of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Clay Magic Pots

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create clay artwork that resembles African and Egyptian monolithic sculptures.  In this visual arts lesson, 5th graders are shown examples of monolithic and figural sculpture from Egyptian and African cultures, then they...
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Lesson Plan
Learning to Give

Africa - The Great Southland

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Applying the five themes of geography, preteen explorers develop a visual aid for younger learners in celebration African American History Month. They investigate the political, geographic, economic, and social aspects of the continent...