Curated OER
Examining Women's roles in education through images from the Appalachian State University Historical Photograph Collection
Eleventh graders analyze images from ASU's Historical Photograph Collection. In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders examine the achievements of the women's movement.
American Institute of Physics
The Black Scientific Renaissance of the 1970s-90s: African American Scientists at Bell Laboratories
A two-part instructional activity asks young scientists to research the contributions of African American scientists at Bell Laboratories. After presenting their findings, class members watch two demonstrations that introduce them to...
Curated OER
Langston Hughes Was a Dreamer Too
Encourage your pupils to imagine their own dreams for the future. After studying three poems by Langston Hughes and listening to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, young poets craft their own dream stanza.
Curated OER
The American Indian Movement
Twelfth graders examine the civil rights movement of the Native Americans. They read the provided multicultural reading passage and answer the questions that follow. They chart which cultural groups fought for equal rights during the...
Curated OER
Court Documents Related to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Memphis Sanitation Workers
Students read about the civil rights movement in their textbooks. They engage in a whole-class discussion of how nonviolent direct action can be a powerful tool for bringing about social, economic, or political change.
Curated OER
Suffragettes
Students discover details about women's suffrage in Britain. In this women's right lesson, students examine a political cartoon that serves as a discussion starter for the suffrage movement in Britain. Students evaluate the strategies...
Curated OER
Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
Students examine how Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in the United States. They practice treating others equally and respectfully. They also identify ways in which they can help King's dream of peace a reality.
Curated OER
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Young scholars research Ruby Bridges and discuss differences they have with their classmates while also discussing their equality. In this Ruby Bridges lesson plan, students also write about a character word that describes Ruby, and...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. Crossword Puzzle
In this Martin Luther King, Jr. crossword puzzle worksheet, students read 15 clues about this civil rights activist. Students fit their answers in the puzzle, which has no word bank.
Curated OER
I Have a Dream...
Students explore the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. In this civil rights lesson, students utilize their computer skill as they compose "I have a dream" statements.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fifth graders discuss the importance of Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflect on civic responsibilities. They brainstorm ways in which they can help to fulfill Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of equality among all people. Students write...
Facing History and Ourselves
After Charlottesville: Contested History and the Fight against Bigotry
History doesn't always reflect all sides. Academics discover how the remembered history of the Civil War differs for White and African Americans. The lesson plan explores how Civil War monuments and celebrations have racist connotations...
Smithsonian Institution
Re-Segregation of American Schools: Re-Segregation
Examine the re-segregation of public schools in a thought-provoking resource. Young scholars read articles and primary sources, complete worksheets, and watch a video to explore the idea that desegregation made schools more segregated....
Teaching Tolerance
Jim Crow as a Form of Racialized Social Control
Just because slavery was illegal doesn't mean it went away ... Jim Crow Laws took its place. An eye-opening lesson focuses on how Jim Crow Laws were used as a form of racial social control against African Americans in the United States....
Teaching Tolerance
The War on Drugs—Mechanisms and Effects
The war on drugs doesn't have definite results. An interesting lesson examines the social, political, and economic effect of the war on drugs. Academics learn how the war on drugs has led to mass incarcerations and negatively affected...
National Park Service
Teaching with Historic Places: Discover the Jackie Robinson Ballpark
Can sports and popular culture change public opinion? That's the essential question asked by a lesson plan that looks at the role Jackie Robinson's appearance at City Island Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida played in the desegregation...
Teaching Tolerance
Mass Incarceration as a Form of Racialized Social Control
Mass incarceration: A result of a tough stance on crime or racial discrimination, you decide. Academics explore the history and reasons behind mass incarcerations in the United States and its impact on ethnic communities. The...
National Woman's History Museum
Women, Education, Sports, and Title IX
Title IX did more than change the face of sports in the United States. This landmark legislation also impacted women in education and politics. High schoolers examine the text of the legislation and the 2016 Senate resolution and watch...
US House of Representatives
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Groups select a photograph from one of the four eras of African Americans in Congress and develop a five-minute presentation that provides background information about the image as well as its historical significance. The class compares...
National Woman's History Museum
Shirley Chisholm, Unbossed and Unbought
An engaging resource introduces young historians to Shirley Chisholm, the woman, the Black congresswoman, the activist, and the candidate for President in 1972. Class members study primary sources, watch a video of her announcing her run...
Anti-Defamation League
The Road to Brown
As part of the study of segregation in U.S. schools, scholars research and create a timeline of events that led to the historic Supreme Court case, Brown V. Board of Education. Groups research a topic or event that led to the decision,...
Curated OER
Apartheid and Segregation
Young scholars view a television program that depicts the history South African Apartheid and the United States' system of segregation. They discuss how laws were used to uphold these institutions and compare and contrast racism and...
Curated OER
Sectarianism racism
Students investigate the concept of sectarianism and racism within the context of becoming a citizen. They develop the understanding that this is not acceptable social behavior through classroom discussion that involves many examples to...
Curated OER
"I have a Dream"
Students analyze the famous "I Have a Dream," speech by Martin Luther King Jr., and discuss the progress made since then. In small groups, they read and discuss various documents, and formulate a plan of action to help realize Dr. King's...