National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Curated OER
Migration and Political Power Lesson Plan: A Mapping and Graphing Activity
Students examine how the end of slavery and the diffusion of African Americans across the United States contributed to its political successes following the civil rights era. In groups, they use information from a narrative to complete...
Curated OER
The Jim Crow Era
Students examine how African-Americans were affected by the Great Depression. In this African-American history lesson plan, students conduct independent research on the social conditions of the time period using the suggested resources....
Curated OER
Melba Pattillo and Ruby Bridges: Two Heroes of School Integration
Learners put themselves in the shoes of students who integrated Little Rock High School in 1957-58. Note: The primary resources in this activity provide powerful and poignant descriptions of what those students faced.
Curated OER
Art: Faith Ringgold Story Quilts
Twelfth graders examine the impact of African American culture on the United States by inspecting Faith Ringgold's story quilts. Working in groups, they create a collective story quilt about current cultural issues. They research their...
Baylor College
Pre-Assessment: The Brain
Break your class in to the general structure and function of the brain. Brainiacs discuss what they know about it and create personalized brain development timelines. They also take a true-false, pre-assessment quiz to get them thinking...
Personal Genetics Education Project
Genetics and Reproduction
Disease prevention or designer babies? Use a set of slides to introduce the growing practice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. Teens read related articles and then break into groups to address different scenarios. Afterward,...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Tolerance
Students, through discussion, internet and video resources, study the history of Northern Ireland and the religious segregation between Catholics and Protestants. They evaluate the current political situation and predict what the future...
Curated OER
Rights and Responsibilities
Students examine the concepts of dual responsibilities and rights. They read three cases, identify the rights and responsibilities, and arrive at verdicts.
Curated OER
Project Based Lesson - Civil Rights
Learners explore the Civil Rights movement. They investigate the changes in legislative, social, and civil arenas concerning the matters of race, sex, and political pacifism. In groups, students gather information concerning the...
Curated OER
The Constitution Lives! How it Protects Your Rights Today
Students brainstorm their rights as Americans. In this The Constitution Lives! lesson, students discern the difference between rights and rules by completing a worksheet. Students consider the differences between types of constitutional...
Curated OER
Philanthropy And Children Who Are Homeless Lesson 2: Was the Orphan Train Philanthropic?
Middle schoolers study the lives of homeless children who rode the Orphan Train by reading first person essays of the children's experiences. They examine what rights were denied to the homeless children during the late 1800's and decide...
Curated OER
Cultural Impact of Jim Crow Laws and Civil Rights Movement
Students compare the cultural customs of people from European descent and African Americans between 1900 and 1940. Next students listen to interviews about life during the time of Jim Crow laws, and determine how life might be different...
Curated OER
Civil Rights - What are yours?
Learners explore US Civil Rights. In this us government lesson, students watch a video and then complete a worksheet on identifying and understanding their personal civil rights.
Curated OER
Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court II
High schoolers view a PowerPoint presentation on the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society's Civil Rights and/or the Native American Rights. They write a reaction paper and prepare for a class discussion. They work in groups and...
Curated OER
Perspectives on Civil Rights
Students examine speeches of the Civil Rights Era. In this American history lesson, students listen to speeches delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy. Students respond to guiding questions as they listen to the...
Curated OER
Learning About the Civil Rights Movement Through Photographs
Students examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society move...
Curated OER
The Many Faces of Paul Robeson
Students discuss and construct timelines based on the life of author/performer/Civil Right's activist, Paul Robeson. They view photographs of him at various times in his life and discuss the roles he may have been playing at those times.
Curated OER
Burial "Rights"
Students, after viewing several segments of the video, "Stories Under the Stones," discuss the pros/cons of separate burial areas for different groups of people. They analyze a series of documents regarding the burial policy of one...
National Endowment for the Humanities
NAACP’s Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1920s
Students investigate the anti-lynching campaign of the NAACP in the 1920's. In this human rights instructional activity, students prepare for and participate in a simulated debate of the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill that was presented to...
Curated OER
Your Safety and Security or Your Civil Liberties - Which is More Important?
Students examine provisions of USA PATRIOT Act and controversies that led the ACLU to take legal action against the legislation. They create, conduct, and document results of a survey related to the PATRIOT Act and controversies...
Curated OER
Using Data to Determine the Location of the Stiffest Opposition to School Desegregation in the 1970's
High schoolers analyze historical data. In this school desegregation lesson, students make predictions about opposition to desegregation, examine the provided desegregation data, and determine if their predictions were correct.
Curated OER
Rights and Responsibilities
Start a discussion about individual rights and responsibilities with your class. As they will find out there is a difference between a person's rights and their responsibilities. Included are four discussion questions, activity...
Curated OER
Dr. King's Dream
Students explore life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., reflect on section of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, discuss inequities that still exist in the United States, and create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for...