Smithsonian Institution
The Music of the Mardi Gras Indians
The traditions, costumes, and the music of the Mardi Gras Indians, African-Americans and those with African American or Native American Heritage are the focus of a unit that introduces class members to a little-known group that...
Curated OER
The Massachusetts 54th Regiment: Honoring the Heroes
Students use art and images analyze the Civil War. For this lesson on the Shaw Memorial, students engage in 3 activities, discussion, and art analysis to better comprehend the events of the Civil War. This lesson includes web resources,...
Curated OER
Heroes of Harlem
Students explore the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Their research culminates in a Harlem Renaissance Fair celebrating the movement's cultural and artistic contributions to society.
Curated OER
Courageous Voices that Shook the Nation to Action
Students study Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. In this Martin Luther King, Jr. day lesson, students learn about the holiday for Dr. King through literature and music. Students learn the lyrics to Stevie Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' about...
Curated OER
Community Symbols: Heroes and Leaders
Students research the importance of community leaders in portraits. In this art history lesson plan, students look at the painting "The Ascension of Simon Bolivar on Mount Jamaica" and discuss what they see in the portrait. Students...
Curated OER
What About Films?
Students watch and analyze a film of an Appalachian folktale. They define trickster and anti-hero, view and discuss the film, complete a handout, compose an original film review, and debate each character's behavior.
Akron Art Museum
Storytelling Resist
The illustrations of Ezra Jack Keats in The Snowy Day inspire young artists to examine shapes in illustrations and to use these shapes to create their own watercolor resist painting.
Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago: Art Access: African American Art
The Art Institute of Chicago's collection of African American art provides a rich introduction to over 100 years of noted achievements in painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Ranging chronologically from the Civil War era to the Harlem...
My Hero Project
My Hero: Jacob Lawrence
Read this student article that portrays Jacob Lawrence as "the first African American artist to cross over the 'color line' and exhibit his work in galleries and museums previously only showing the works of white artists."
My Hero Project
My Hero: Scott Joplin
This article includes information on the life and musical contributions of Scott Joplin, the composer who gave us such songs as "The Entertainer" and "The Maple Leaf Rag."