New ReviewThe works of Jacqueline Woodson introduce readers to diverse characters and themes. A guide covers many of the author's best-known books such as Brown Girl Dreaming and Locomotion. Dive & Discuss and Explore & Extend activities...

New ReviewA reading of Tanya Lee Stones' biography of Ella Fitzgerald lets middle schoolers get up close and personal with the First Lady of Jazz. Stone recounts details of Fitzgerald's life from her early days through her experiences as a teenage...

New ReviewAs part of Black History Month, class members investigate in depth the life and work of an African American musician.

New ReviewLanguage learners get into the swing of things with a jazzy lesson about similes. They read an article about Duke Ellington, listen to samples of his music, and then try their hand at crafting similes to describe his improvisational and...

New ReviewA short video on Ida B. Wells introduces viewers to the work of this fearless investigative journalist whose articles about lynchings focused the country's attention on countless murders of African Americans.

New ReviewA three-minute exercise warms-up scholars' writing abilities in order to follow a writing process that ends in an essay. The essay's topic is a barrier and the values used to break it. Four steps include choosing a topic, jotting-down a...

New ReviewScholars investigate and discuss the importance of values and how they can be used to break barriers. Small groups work collaboratively to examine the text and draw inferences to answer questions. A writing assignment challenges pupils...

New ReviewScholars discuss the concept of a barrier with a short passage on Jackie Robinson. The writing process begins with a paragraph and several other sentences about Robinson's unique traits that made breaking a barrier possible.  

New ReviewLearners complete a six-page coloring book featuring Major League Baseball's first African American player, Jackie Robinson. To bring the pages to life, scholars follow directions adding color and pictures where directed. 

New ReviewFour multiple choice questions, four short answer questions, a summary, and a reflection make up a instructional activity dedicated to Rosa Parks. Following a one-page informational text, scholars show what they know by way of a variety...

New ReviewInformational text about the Civil Rights Movement challenges young historians to prove their reading comprehension skills with six multiple choice questions. After answers are submitted a new screen displays a score, answers—correct and...

New ReviewA four-paragraph informational text details the life of the famous baseball player, Jackie Robinson. A prompt challenges scholars to write or discuss a time in their life when they were not included and how that made them feel. 

New ReviewA short video spotlights Major League Baseball's first African American player, Jackie Robinson. Engaging photographs, fun graphics, and a clear narrator detail Robinson's life starting with his military background to his induction into...

New ReviewIntroduce young learners to the read-aloud process with a short biographical passage about Ray Charles. After listening to the passage, class members respond to factual, inferential, and evaluative questions, and then create a timeline...

New ReviewGet parents or guardians into the swing of things with a jazzy homework assignment. A detailed six-page guide provides before, during, and after reading suggestions for Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, Andrea Davis...

New ReviewBefore there was Beyonce, before there was Madonna, before there was Cher, there was Ella. Introduce Ella Fitzgerald, The First Lady of Jazz, with a reading comprehension exercise that presents a brief biography of her life and then asks...

New ReviewMiddle schoolers explore the history of the African-American troops that served during the American Civil War. After reading primary source documents that detail the controversies about permitting freemen and former slaves to serve,...

New ReviewScholars read and become familiar with peaceful protests detailed in the story, Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights by Jim Haskins. Pupils reexamine the tale and use the Six Steps to Nonviolent Direct Action in...

New ReviewIn the story, Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round: Stories and Songs of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport, listeners become familiar with nonviolent protests of the Civil Rights Movement through music. Scholars then compose original...

New ReviewAccompany a reading of, Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins by Carole Boston Weatherford, with an in-depth investigation into nonviolent protest using primary and secondary sources, narratives, and documentary excerpts. 

New ReviewA lesson begins with a read-aloud of the story, A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson. Scholars then take part in a discussion about the nonviolent methods featured in primary and secondary sources. 

New ReviewAn author study provides learners the opportunity to explore in depth the life of, the influences on, and the works of a single literary figure. Introduce middle schoolers to Langston Hughes with a unit that models how to approach an...

New ReviewTo conclude a study of A Raisin in the Sun and to prepare for a visit to the Lewis Museum, class members analyze Langston Hughes' poem "Harlem." Learners then draw connections to characters in the play and to their own experiences by...

New ReviewA two-part activity features Civil Rights hero, Ruby Bridges. Part one focuses on the heroic actions of Ruby Bridges then challenges scholars to complete a Venn diagram in order to compare themselves to her. Part two begins with a...