+
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency Not to Be Excused"

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine slavery in the revolutionary and colonial eras of the United States. In this slavery lesson, students investigate the presence of slavery in early America, the language of the Constitution, and the intent of the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Citizens 101

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students explore and investigate multiple aspects of citizenship and democracy in a sequence of lessons that involve thoughtful discussin and participation to assist in gaining a better perspective of what citizenship and domocracy is,...
+
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
+
Lesson Plan
Mississippi Whole School Initiative

Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
+
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Fred Seibel, the Times-Dispatch, and Massive Resistance

For Teachers 4th Standards
A lesson plan challenges scholars to analyze editorial cartoons created by Fred Seibel, illustrator for the Times-Dispatch, during the Massive Resistance. A class discussion looking at today's editorial pages and Jim Crow Laws leads the...
+
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Exploring the Lives of Black Women During the 19th Century

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians investigate the often-hidden history of free and enslaved African American women before the Civil War. Using a collection of primary and secondary sources, including speeches, diaries, and poems, they evaluate the often...
+
Assessment
California Education Partners

Letter From Birmingham Jail

For Students 9th Standards
To demonstrate their ability to comprehend complex text, ninth graders are asked to craft an essay in which they use evidence drawn from "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to analyze how Martin Luther King, Jr. uses rhetorical devices such as...
+
Activity
Teach Engineering

Stay in Shape

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Using their knowledge of right triangles, pupils find out how far a ship is from a light house. Class members determine how far around the world a ship would be sailing at a constant speed.
+
Worksheet
K12 Reader

African American Freedom Fighters Word Search

For Students 1st - 3rd
An informative word search includes the names of six famous African American civil rights leaders. The list includes Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Martin Luther King, Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglass.
+
Interactive
DocsTeach

Women of Color and the Fight for Women's Suffrage

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Introduce young historians to primary source analysis with a lesson that teaches them how to use a four-step process to analyze a photograph of a 1913 Suffrage Parade. Groups practice the process and share their observations with the...
+
Activity
Orlando Shakes

The Best of Enemies

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
History comes to life with the play The Best of Enemie. Scholars learn literary elements as well explore racial issues in American history. The play is based on a true story and addresses the universal truth that people are capable of...
+
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Poetry of Maya Angelou

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Maya Angelou's work reflects her passion for life, civil rights, and justice for all. A collection of 12 primary sources provide scholars with insight into this amazing woman. The set includes photographs, articles, recordings of...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Opinions Of The Public

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders discuss the importance of America's constitutional right to free speech, the difficulty of dealing with public opinion as an elected official and identify the importance of public discussion and the election process.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Democracy Work for Everyone, 1877-1904

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students investigate the culture of the post Reconstruction South. They participate in a jigsaw research activity, conduct Internet research on an assigned topic, and write a report to present to the class.
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

The March on Washington and Its Impact

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
High schoolers read Martin Luther King, Jr's speech that he gave in Washington. They identify the social conditions that led to the civil rights movement. They discuss the significance of the March on Washington.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Confronting the Murder

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The 1955 murder of Emmett Till is often regarded as the catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century. Learn more about the brutal crime—and, as many believe, the miscarriage of justice—that began a national conversation...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life of Harriet Tubman

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
A well-designed lesson teaches about the history of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and the issues of civil liberties. Young historians watch a video, access Internet resources, and engage in cooperative activities which should...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Standing Up Against Injustice

For Teachers 9th - 12th
“Sometimes things are lawful yet are actually wrong.” Researchers examine primary and secondary source materials as they study five legal cases involving civil rights attorney William Kunstler in which he attempted to use the legal...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Baseball: The Tenth Inning

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Bring the historical relevance of baseball into the classroom, as pupils discover the lessons learned from the breaking of baseball's color barrier by Jackie Robinson. Learners view video and analyze Robinson’s character, as well as his...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Activism In The United States

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore justice issues. In this social activism lesson, students watch "Social Activism in the United States," and then locate newspaper articles from the 1960's and 1970's about events during the era.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Music Motivates

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars form conclusions regarding the motivational effects of music on the mind during the Civil Rights era. In this Civil Rights movement lesson, students describe how music motivates, describe the motivational role in freedom...
+
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Resistance to School Desegregation: The Boston Busing Crisis

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Despite how it sounds, Boston's busing crisis wasn't a transportation problem. Academics address the problems faced by African Americans following school desegregation and the struggle to receive equal educational opportunities. Scholars...
+
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Dolores Huerta: The Life and Work of a 20th Century Activist

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Extra! Extra! High schoolers read about Dolores Huerta, the social activist who helped organize the United Farm Workers. Researchers read primary and secondary sources about Huerta's work and craft a headline, supported by three pieces...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Center for History and New Media

The Impact of the Jim Crow Era on Education, 1877–1930s

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...