Curated OER
Black History Month Spelling Worksheet
In this Black History Month spelling worksheet, students analyze 4 words in a row; only one is spelled correctly. Students circle the word in each row that is spelled correctly. There are 14 questions; all words pertain to civil rights...
Curated OER
Living Under the Illinois Black Codes
Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...
Cornell College
Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision
Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...
Curated OER
John Jones and the Fight to Repeal the Black Laws
Middle schoolers examine the role of John Jones and his fight to repeal the Black Laws of Illinois. Using the text of the law, they explore his reasoning for repealing the laws and the arguments he used to support his beliefs. They draw...
Charlesbridge
Under the Freedom Tree: A Readers Theater
Susan VanHecke's Under the Freedom Tree is transformed into a 12-part readers theatre script appropriate for a performance by upper-elementary classes.
Curated OER
Understanding King's Use of Metaphors in the
One of the most famous and well-crafted speeches of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, consists of rich metaphors and rhetorical language. Using a provided graphic organizer, students analyze five quotes...
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the concept of...
Curated OER
American Minority Groups
Explore the contributions individuals have made in the lives of American minority groups. Twelfth graders write a five-page expository piece providing a social history, examples of discrimination, and patterns of assimilation for an...
Historical Thinking Matters
Rosa Parks: 3 Day Lesson
How can evidence and perspective challenge even the most well-known of stories? Through primary and secondary source analysis, think-alouds, and discussion, young historians evaluate the historical narrative of Rosa Parks across multiple...
Curated OER
The Battleground: Separate and Unequal Education
Students investigate the history of unequal education in the United States and the impact on African American history. In this unequal history instructional activity, students discuss the purpose of education and describe an ideal...
Curated OER
Rights and the Wyandotte Constitution
Students examine the fundamental civil rights granted to people under the Wyandotte Constitution. They use the worksheet Reading the Wyandotte Constitution to identify what rights Kansans were guaranteed under the state constitution of...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Robert Smalls: Warrior and Peacemaker
Students research the events that led to the Civil War and the Reconstruction. In this Civil War history instructional activity, students study images of Robert Smalls and research his role in the Civil War. Students review the South...
Curated OER
A Lesson on Reconstruction Legislation and Amendments
Students study the legislation and Amendments of Reconstruction period in America. In this Reconstruction lesson, students work in groups to dissect the Black Codes, an article in the US Constitution, as well as the 13th, 14th, and 15th...
Curated OER
Birth of a Nation, the NAACP, and the Balancing of Rights
Eleventh graders analyze primary sources. In this US History instructional activity, 11th graders interpret written information. Students evaluate arguments and draw conclusions. Students develop and defend a position.
Curated OER
On the Other Side of the Color Barrier: Segregation and the Negro Leagues
Young scholars study segregation that occurred in the past and that is currently occurring. In this equal rights instructional activity, students use primary source documents to student segregation of the past. In a culminating activity,...
Curated OER
Deciphering the Declaration of Independence
Students explore the textual meaning of the Declaration of Independence. In this Declaration of Independence lesson, students read and paraphrase the text of the document into modern-day language. Students also consider the meaning of...
Curated OER
The AME Church in U.S. History
Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. In this African American history lesson, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy members. Students...
Curated OER
Focused Learning Lesson
Tenth graders analyze an issue discussing the rights of citizens. They debate after they have formed an opinion and argue the points and evaluate who had the stronger argument.
Curated OER
Return South Migration Lesson Plan
Pupils read the narrative "Return South Migration" and research online about the reasons many southerners returned to the south following the Civil Rights Movement. They write a letter to a friend about their decision whether or not to...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Second graders discover who Rosa Parks was and the significance of her role in Black History. Students place events in Rosa Park's life in chronological order.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Marketing a Bad Idea: Why So Many People Joined the Klan in the 1920s
How did the Klu Klux Klan manage to gain so many members during the 1920s? Class members examine Klan documents and promotional materials to gain an understanding of the propaganda techniques used to attract members.
Curated OER
That's Not Fair!! Human Rights Violations during the 1800s
Students explore the migration of African Americans into the Hoosier area. They develop a time line showing migration patterns in Indiana and explore reasons for African Americans to settle and/or travel through Indiana.
Curated OER
A Time for Justice
Middle schoolers explain the protections and privileges of individuals and groups in the United States.