Curated OER
National Park Service: The Struggle for Education Equality for African American
"Canterbury, Connecticut, and Little Rock, Arkansas, are links in a chain of events representing the long struggle for equal educational opportunities for African Americans. This lesson plan highlights two important historic places and...
Other
Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Strangers in the Land of Strangers
Uses primary source documents and images to trace the evolving concept of what it means to be American, from the Revolution through the civil rights era.
The Newberry Library
Newberry: Geography: Map 16: A Farm in Menard County, Illinois, 1874
Lessons in which students K-12 explore an 1874 map of an Illinois farm and supplemental material to gain a sense of the relationship between the geography and American communities.
PBS
Pbs: The First Measured Century
The 20th century was the first century that made use of data collection to track the American population. This interesting site provides a timeline of the century by significant events and measures of data.
C3 Teachers
C3 Teachers: Inquiries: Economic Happiness
A learning module on how happiness is measured through an economic lens. It includes several supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance task. Topics covered include why...
Other
Restoring the Heart and Soul of America
A collection of quotes from famous Americans including: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson. Click on each of their names to get quotes from them.
Other
Minnesota Historical Society: Becoming Minnesotan: Recent Immigration
The oral histories of five immigrant communities new to Minnesota-Asian Indian, Khmer, Hmong, Somali, and Tibetan-remind us that there is no single answer to questions about what it means to be an American. With associated maps,...
Black Past
Black Past: Cooke, Sam (1931 1964)
Sam Cooke's influence on music, as the pioneer in cross-over from gospel to rhythm and blues, is described in this encyclopedia entry. His music was important to the African-American identity in the Civil Rights movement.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Identity During the American Revolution
From a chapter on "America's War for Independence," this section of the chapter explains Loyalist and Patriot sentiments and identifies different groups that participated in the Revolutionary War.
Other
Smithsonian Institution: Musica Del Pueblo
Musica del Pueblo is a full-featured resource that explores the traditions of Latino music. Using a colorful mural titled "Song of Unity" as a navigation tool, visitors can watch videos of performances, listen to different varieties of...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Maya Lin
This video segment from New York Voices features Chinese American architect Maya Lin.
Curated OER
Strangers in the Land of Strangers: Defining "American" in Times of Conflict
An interesting website that uses primary source documents to trace the "American" identity from the Revolution through the Civil Rights era. Clicking on the images will explain their role in the development of an American identity.
Indiana University
Archives of African American Music and Culture
Contains resources on black culture and music from the early 1900s to the present.
PBS
Pbs: The First Measured Century: Timeline
This timeline provides a big picture view of historically significant people, events, and data from the twentieth century, also known as the First Measured Century.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: The New Negro and the Black Image: From Booker T. Washington to Alain Locke
This essay explores how Booker T. Washington and others used the term "New Negro" as an attempt to recreate the race by suggesting education, refinement, money, assertiveness, and racial consciousness.
Other
Story Corps: Every Voice Matters
StoryCorps is a national oral history project that records and preserves stories of people around the country. Select recordings are broadcast weekly on NPR, with an archive of stories available for playback at the StoryCorps online...
PBS
Pbs: Identity, Oppression, and Protest
This lesson plan supplements a study of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The lesson is designed to help students understand the impact of Jim Crow Laws and their impact of oppression on African Americans. Blues music is shared to help...
Black Past
Black Past: Ebony Magazine
In this encyclopedia article, you will read about Ebony Magazine, a publication dedicated to reporting on black culture and achievements of African Americans.
PBS
Pbs: Cet: Africans in America: Teacher's Guide
Go directly to the teacher's guide developed to supplement the PBS documentary "Africans in America," which chronicles the history of slavery in the United States. Find lessons, many of which provide links to related primary sources,...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Making of African American Identity: Canada
Descriptions of fugitive slave communities in Canada and comments from those who escaped to these locations as well as welcoming statements to fugitive slaves in the mid-nineteenth century.
American Forum for Global Education
American Forum for Global Education: Spotlight on Muslim Identity [Pdf]
This downloadable booklet is a comprehensive teacher's guide you can use to help students' understand Muslims and their countries and cultures of origin. 100 pages include background information and teaching tips, activities and...
American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association: Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity
Find answers to questions concerning transgender issues. This addresses the definition, categories of transgender people, possible causes, the types of mental health problems and discrimination they may face, and the kinds of support...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: The Search for Identity: Sandra Cisneros
Sandra Cisneros is featured for her literary prose, drawing on her personal heritage as a Chicana to exhibit her "Americanness" in order to share hope for other minority women. See "Sandra Cisneros Activities" for related materials.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: The Search for Identity: Toni Cade Bambara
Toni Cade Bambara is featured in this brief biography for her ability to combine and advocate for both feminism and black minorities through her literature. See "Toni Cade Bambara Activities" for related resources.
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