+
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Braiding Rhythms: The Role of Bell Patterns in West African and Afro-Caribbean Music

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Africans transported to the Caribbean as part of the transatlantic slave trade brought with them a rich tradition of music and dance. Four lessons teach young musicians the rumba clave rhythm, cascara rhythm, and the 6/8 bell patterns...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cyberspace Safari

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers go on an information gathering hunt on the Internet to study West African empires. They work in teams; meteorologists, bankers, writers, and archaeologists. They collect data on all sorts of topics related to West...
+
Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

The Black Scientific Renaissance of the 1970s-90s: African American Scientists at Bell Laboratories

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
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...
+
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction

For Teachers 4th Standards
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

West African Art

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the concept of West African Art. They conduct research using a variety of resources. They focus upon the history, geography, economics, and political systems. The information is...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

West Indies and The Caribbean: Sugar & Slavery

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners study the state of the world before the slave trade. They explain the geography and economics of the slave trade. They explore primary sources and how historians use these sources to create historical interpretations.
+
Lesson Plan
American Institute of Physics

When Computers Wore Skirts: Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and the “West Computers”

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Did you know that people, known as computers, performed the complex calculations that are now done by electronic computers? Three of these human computers, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and Melba Roy Mouton are featured in a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Carter G. Woodson: Father of Black History Month

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the life and accomplishments of Carter G. Woodson, the father of black history. They read and discuss his educational pursuits and discover he was the second black man in history to receive a doctor's degree. Students...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Africa 1500-present: The Big Picture

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this African history study guide worksheet, students read a brief overview pertaining to the history of Africa from 1500 to the present.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Africa 1500-present: The Big Picture

For Teachers 7th - 11th
In this African history study guide worksheet, students read a brief overview pertaining to the history of Africa from 1500 to the present and fill in the blanks with the appropriate words. Students also respond to 18 short answer...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gullah Contributions to South Carolina History

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students research the Gullah people and their impact on South Carolina. In this South Carolina history lesson, students study, locate, and color the region of Africa the Gullah people came from. Students listen to Gullah music and watch...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

African-Americans in the American West

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Secondary learners explore the westward movement of African Americans. Segmented into four time periods, the lesson plan provides an overview of how African Americans experienced westward expansion. Learners view PBS specials on the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folktale through African Art

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study folktales and other stories from West Africa. By hearing and reading these stories they explore many new cultural and religious beliefs, such as spirits inhabiting nature and possessing special powers. Once the students...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History: An African American Cultural Celebration

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constructing a Timeline of African History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils create a timeline of African History. In groups, they research and describe eight different important periods in the country's history. They apply this information to compare and contrast them and how it has allowed Africa to...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Power of Symbols in West African Art

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars examine and analyze symbols used in the Asante community of Ghana and look at the history of power struggles in West Africa. They discover how to express meaning and power as they create their own symbols and short...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rites of Passage

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, through video and Internet activities, are exposed to rites of passage in two modern day West African cultures, the Fulani and the Dogon, and how slavery served as a rite of passage for many West African people in the past.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War II Home Front

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Funerals and Burial Rites

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders research burial practices that originated in West Africa and then migrated to the South Carolina and Ohio. They compare and contrast burial practices in both places. As students collect information and data, they organize...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval African Kingdoms

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life in Ancient Ghana, Mali, and Songhai

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Dick Blick Art Materials

“Gawu” — African-influenced Tapestry

For Teachers K - 12th
Here's a great way to combine environmental science with art. Kids use recycled materials to create their own Gawu, a tapestry made of discards. Although designed for special education classrooms, the activity is sure to engage all...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-Americans in California's Heartland

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read and view video about the pioneers moving west.  In this African American pioneer lesson, students become familiar with the problems faced by the pioneers and African-American pioneers. Students complete worksheets and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Slaves in Haiti

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine how Africans were treated in the Caribbean and Haiti after reading about the Atlantic Slave Trade. From a multicultural information passage, they complete a time line on Toussiant L-Ouverture and write an obituary.