The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...

Students use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their own...

Students view a documentary on automobiles. Americans have always been in love with automobiles. They are a definition of character, and a representation of social status. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and create an...

Third graders brainstorm and write summary of things they learned about American Flag, edit another student's summary, rewrite their own summary, and conference with teacher before writing final copy.

An activity focused on tolerance encourages class members to consider how they might respond when they or someone else is the target of oppression and discrimination. After researching how some key figures responded to the...

The Grapes of Wrath. The Jungle. Native Son. The Things They Carried. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. To address a current social, political, economic, or environmental issue, class groups pair the reading of a...

The assassination of Medgar Evers. The integration of the University of Alabama. The March on Washington. The "I Have a Dream" speech. Created by the Alabama History Education Initiative, this resource examines how the events...

The poster of Mae C. Jemison, the first African-American woman astronaut, challenges young scientists to consider what they intend to do to achieve their dreams. 

Many dream of coming to America, but few may enter. The lesson explores the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965 and how it changed immigration policies in the United States. Academics learn how immigration quotas impacted Western Europe...

Hello? Hello? Scholars investigate the impact Alexander Graham Bell's telephone had on the American landscape. Using drawings, video clips, and primary sources, the mind of the inventor comes to light as pupils dream of new inventions to...

After reading the article "Kings Dream Everyday," class members conduct a Socratic seminar discussion of Martin Luther King's contributions to the civil rights movement. They then read and respond to a passage from Michael Eric Dyson's...

Or does it explode? Discuss the ultimate deferred dream in Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun with a handy crossword puzzle that reviews key names and details from the play.

I have a dream ... that all pupils will be able to organize a march of their own after learning about how Bayard Rustin organized the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights. Young reformers work collaboratively examining informational...

The 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...

Students expand their knowledge by researching on the Internet the African American civil rights movement and compiling a timeline of events and heroes. In addition to the civil rights timeline, students identify the key historical sites...

Young scholars graph labor supply and demand in the North and South during the early twentieth century. They identify top contemporary African-American entrepreneurs through research.

In this ESL reading skills worksheet, students compete 2 pre-reading questions, read a short text, answer 9 comprehension questions and write about the life of a famous person when they were young. 

Pupils focus on what it means to be a citizen of the United States and why the Chinese Exclusion Act is important when considering the concept of racism.

Students work in groups to do a document analyxix of several documents. Students view the Martin Luther King speech, "I Have a Dream." They discuss the Battle of Saratoge. Students give a personal view of the reason the Declaration of...

Young scholars identify and connect themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. They compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance. They...

Students explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real life...

Students describe two different houses in use at the time the first European settlements were founded. Students list ways in which our lives differ from the lives of the Native Americans and Europeans during that period of history.

Students perform a WebQuest to fin out why Harlem was an attractive place for African Americans to live. Small groups perform the research together, and report to the class.

Students explore the American Civil Rights Movement. For this African American history lesson, students close a Civil Rights unit by preparing Civil Rights Open House exhibits for an audience.