Curated OER
Celebrating the Legacy of Ella Baker
Students research the life of Ella Baker and examine the importance of Civil Rights through citizen mobilization. In this rights lesson plan, students read the biography of Ella Baker and make suggestions of things to change in their own...
Curated OER
Ray Charles
Learners read the book Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. For this biography lesson, students read about the life of Ray Charles. Learners answer pre-reading questions about senses, strengths, and weaknesses they have. The lesson...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on School Integration in Boston And Nantucket
Students use primary sources and timelines to begin a study of school integration; students watch "Nantucket Rock of Changes," and compare the case of Eunice Ross with the story of the Little Rock Nine.
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B" is featured in a lesson that asks pupils to first read a biography of Hughes and list things about his life they think are important. The class then reads the poem and compares what they learned...
Crafting Freedom
Thomas Day's Letter to His Daughter, Mary Ann
Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....
Crafting Freedom
Creating Original Historical Fiction Using Henry "Box" Brown's Narrative and Runaway Slave Ads
Young historians discover the experiences of runaway slaves after reading the brief biography and narrative excerpt of Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped slavery by having himself shipped away in a crate and popularized his flight in a...
National Woman's History Museum
Ida B. Wells: Suffragist and Anti-Lynching Activist
Suffragette, investigative journalist, and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells is the focus of a lesson plan that has young historians study the work of this amazing woman. Scholars watch a video biography of Wells, read the text of her...
Curated OER
Louis Armstrong
In this reading comprehension worksheet students read a biography of jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Students answer 6 questions.
Curated OER
Kwanzaa Language Arts: The Tambiko
Students read or hear about famous African Americans to learn about the ways in which they exemplify one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Curated OER
Counting on Art
Explore the life and painting style of African-American artist Horace Pippin by looking carefully at its parts, then create a "secret number" painting for a classroom counting book.
Crafting Freedom
George Moses Horton: Slavery from a Poet's Perspective
Pupils have the unique opportunity to learn about the institution of slavery by reading first-hand experiences as described by George Moses Horton, the first slave to publish anti-slavery poetry.
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Students identify the heroic actions of Rosa Parks. In this African-American lesson, students read the book, Rosa Parks: My Storyand create a timeline of the events from the biography.
Curated OER
Matthew Henson: Heroic Explore Who Conquered Racism
Young scholars explore the concept of racism. In this character building lesson plan, students read a biography about a hero Matthew Henson. Young scholars discover the challenges he, and others, faced during a time of unfairness.
Curated OER
Jackie Robinson, A Black Hero
Young scholars examine the life of Jackie Robinson and how he opened the door for other African American athletes. They identify how one person can make a difference by their actions. They write about the responsiblity of citizens to end...
Curated OER
Duke Ellington: Great American Musician and Composer
Students delve into the life and music of Duke Ellington as a major American musician and composer. The elements that made the sound of his orchestra unique and the talents of his band members are explored in this lesson.
Teaching for Change
Stepping into Selma
The 1964 Selma to Montgomery, Alabama voting rights marches are the focus of a lesson designed to introduce learners to people who took part in the Civil Rights Movement. Class members set into the role of one of the participants,...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Making a Patriot Inquiry: Are Independence, Freedom, and Liberty the Same Thing?
As part of a study of the American Revolution, class members engage in an inquiry-based lesson that has them watch a scene from the play Slave Spy, examine multiple primary source documents, and then discuss the similarities and...
Curated OER
Breaking Barriers with Melba Pattillo
Students are introduced to individuals who made the civil rights movement a success. They examine, analyze and interpret the events and people who had a significant and stirring impact on the course of history through stories, interviews...
Curated OER
Spirituals
Students review factors that contributed to the development of the spiritual, which reflects the influence of African religious and Christian traditions, and slavery. Students collect spirituals/songs of their heritage from family...
Curated OER
Virginian Contributors
Learners examine the contributions of native Virginians to the United States. For each person, they read excerpts of a book about their contributions and organize the information in a chart. In groups, they become an expert on one of...
EngageNY
Comparing Multiple Accounts of the Same Topic: The Story of Bus Desegregation (Promises to Keep, Page 21)
It's all connected. Learners read event details in Promises to Keep to determine the connection between the bus boycott and Jackie Robinson. They watch a video and read Rules for Riding Desegregated Buses to discover even more details to...
Curated OER
Spring: Paul Laurence Dunbar
Explore the abundance of spring, no matter what season you are covering in your class! Using the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar, GALE Biography Resource Center, and Litfinder, pupils work on researching the poet and analyzing the use of...
Curated OER
Studying the African Immigration Lesson Plan
Students read a narrative, conduct an interview and write an autobiographical piece highlighting their findings about an immigrant's experience leaving their country.
Curated OER
African American Voices
Students investigate the many forms of Haitian art. They compare the art of some different cultures, religions, countries, and philosophies. Students also read the biography of an artist to build context for a particular piece of...