Library of Virginia
Antebellum Freedom
From indentured servitude to involuntary race-based servitude, slavery has taken many forms in American history. Class members examine three manumission petitions that reveal how the rights of African Americans and African American...
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Change: Just a Matter of Time
Learners analyze the Declaration of Independence and primary sources to explain civil rights. Then, students write a Declaration of Change to express the grievances of African Americans, and their desire to participate fully in the...
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Brother Outsider
Students view the film "Brother Outsider" and read an article by Bayard Rustin as springboards to discuss the concept of civil rights in the United States. They follow a discussion guide.
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Confict, Consensus, and Conclusion
Students debate the key issues dealing with women's rights and the rights of African Americans during and after the Civil War. They analyze the women's rights movement in relationship to the desire for suffrage. They utilize the...
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The Role of Television in Social Justice
Students will discover the direct impact television coverage had on the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will employ listening, information processing, and critical thinking skills while watching the film clips and answering...
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History Repeats Itself
Students read about an event that occurred 140 years ago to ascertain
information (who? what? when? where? why?) and to compare this event to Rosa Parks arrest almost 50 years ago. They retell the story from your point of view.
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Breaking News English: Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Dies
In this English worksheet, students read "Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks Dies," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
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"I Have a Dream"
Students identify the main points and unique qualities of the "I Have a Dream" speech and write their own speech. In this "I Have a Dream" lesson, students read the speech and discuss why the speech was written and the historical...
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Lena Horne: Race and the American Artist
Students examine how race played a critical role in Lena Horne's life. They conduct Internet research, participate in a class debate, write a letter, and create a presentation based on their Internet research.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Plans
Martin Luther King Jr. lesson plans can provide a way to delve into history and a discussion of what it takes to make a difference.
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A Time for Justice
Students engage in a lesson that focuses on the development of The Bill Of Rights in the United States. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students two focus questions in order to guide the information search. They state...
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Women’s History
Students examine the "Cult of Domesticity." In this women's history lesson, students visit the specified Web sites to engage in research related to the characteristics that were thought to represent true womanhood as well as information...
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"I Have a Dream" T-Chart
In this Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" speech worksheet, students identify dreams and actions called for as they read or listen to the speech. Students complete a T-chart.
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The AME Church in U.S. History
Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. In this African American history lesson, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy members. Students...
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A World Made New: Human Rights After the Holocaust
Students examine the development of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. After reading excerpts, they discover how cultural values have been blended into the UDHR. They discuss how their school and community deal with human rights...
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Chapter 26 – The 1960s & 1970s Counterculture
In this 1960's and 1970's America activity, students read assigned textbook pages regarding the counterculture and respond to 41 short answer questions.
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Breaking the Color Barrier: Jackie Robinson's Combat Against Racism
Students explore Jackie Robinson's career. In this 20th century American history lesson, students complete the provided analysis questions based on the provided primary documents about Jackie Robinson. Students discuss Jackie' Robinson's...
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Fugitive from Labor Cases:
Students examine the cases of Henry Garnett and Moses Honner, both of the 1850s. Students analyze the political climate building up to the Civil War through the lens of these similar cases with different outcomes.
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Introduction to Selected Documents from the Roxcy Bolton Collection
Students listen to a guided imagery exercise that takes them back to 1969. They brianstorm ideas to try to discover why they would not be allowed to sit at an empty table at a Burdines lunch counter in 1969.
They read letters about the...
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We the People. . .
Learners explore the United States Constitution. In this government lesson plan, students write newspaper editorials that reflect their opinions about Amendments.
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What was life like for African Americans after the Reconstruction?
High schoolers examine the origins and effects of Jim Crow laws and how specific legislation supported segregation. The lesson provides foundational, historical background for unit on the media's role in the social justice campaign of...
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Perspective on the Slave Narrative
Students work with the slave narrative as a resource for historical study and evaluate it as a work of literature; students then examine the narrative in the context of political controversy as an argument for abolition.
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The Chicano Movement in California - Culture, Causes, and Community
High schoolers explore the culture and community of the Chicano movement in California using prints that emerged from the Chicano movement. The historical, binational, and bicultural components are examined in this three lessons unit.
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African American Poetry
Students write their own dream poems in the style of African American dream poetry. In this African American poetry lesson, students discuss the dreams of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and read...