Lesson Plan
PBS

History of Juneteenth and Why It’s Now a National Holiday

For Teachers 6th - 12th
June 19 is now a United States federal holiday. Young historians examine the background of the first Juneteenth celebrations and why on June 15, 2021, Congress finally approved "Juneteenth National Independence Day" as a federal holiday.
Unit Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

BPS Civil Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Include moments of heroism in a social studies module that includes three units. Focusing on the murder of Emmett Till, the movement of nonviolent resistance, and segregating schools in Boston, the units explore key events of the...
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

2020 Protests: Is There Anything New about the 2020 Protests?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Are marches and protests an effective form of resistance? That is the question high schoolers seek to answer in this inquiry lesson as they compare the 2020 protests to historical ones. Researchers use Venn Diagrams to compare images...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Black Bear

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students analyze animal characteristics by creating an interactive presentation. In this black bear lesson, students identify the geographic location, characteristics and history of the American black bear by researching the web....
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Convict Leasing in Alabama: a System That Re-Enslaved Blacks After the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The post-Civil War convict leasing program, rarely covered in textbooks, is the focus of a lesson plan that asks class members to use information drawn from primary source documents to assess the program. While the focus is on Alabama's...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Power to the People

For Teachers 11th
Black berets, black leather jackets, raised black fists, chants of "Power to the People!" These are the images that many associate with the Black Panther Party. Often forgotten are the programs the party created during the Civil Rights...
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Shirley Chisholm, Unbossed and Unbought

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
An engaging resource introduces young historians to Shirley Chisholm, the woman, the Black congresswoman, the activist, and the candidate for President in 1972. Class members study primary sources, watch a video of her announcing her run...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Jackie Robinson's Complicated — and Important — Legacy

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Americans tend to lock their heroes in history, holding these icons to a particular event or time. Jackie Robinson is such a hero, remembered by most for becoming the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. Young historians...
Lesson Plan
1
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BrainPOP

Civil Rights Lesson Plan: Tracking History Through Timelines

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Use the accompanying assessment to determine your class's prior knowledge on Martin Luther King, Jr. before beginning a lesson on the famous civil rights movement leader. The resource has young historians thinking about life for African...
Graphic
Visit St Augustine

African Americans in St. Augustine

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
A colorful travel brochure reveals why St. Augustine is considered the birthplace of African-American history. Images and maps bring the rich history of the city to life by displaying the many individuals, events, and sites that honor...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues: Correcting an Injustice

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
It's been a long time coming! In 2020, MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manifred, Jr. stated that "the Negro Leagues would be recognized as official major leagues." Middle schoolers investigate the history of the Negro Leagues and use evidence...
Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "Old South Meeting House" by January Gill O'Neil

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The vaulted ceiling of the Old South Meeting House has heard many voices. Young scholars read an excerpt about its importance in American history and then do a close reading January Gill O'Neil's poem, "Old South Meeting House." After...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video that highlights the role of artists' images throughout the history of Black music in the United States and describe the influences of the civil rights movement on Black culture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Black Plague: International Insects

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders research conditions that caused 16th Century Black Plague and led to downfall of Europe, and examine causes and effects of population density, disease, and invention.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas History Lesson: Arkansans

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders investigate famous Arkansans and their contributions. In this Arkansas history instructional activity, 3rd graders are divided into small groups and use a variety of resources to research one important Arkansan. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Day In History

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders act out dramatic scenes in history. In this historical events lesson, 6th graders choose a historical event to write a skit for. Students then perform and video the scene.
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Can Words Lead to War?

For Teachers 7th Standards
"Words, words, words." Despite Hamlet's opinion, words can be significant. In this inquiry lesson, middle schoolers learn how the words in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, in the view of many, lead to the American Civil War. To...
Lesson Plan
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Scholastic

Ruby Bridges: A Simple Act of Courage, Grades K-2

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
A civil rights movement lesson designed specifically with the Common Core State Standards in mind, young learners are introduced to the story of Ruby Bridges as the first African American child to attend an all-white elementary...
Lesson Plan
3
3
Scholastic

Ruby Bridges: A Simple Act of Courage, Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Through character trait graphic organizers, a vocabulary sorting activity, class discussion, and a civil rights movement slide show, your young historians will be introduced to the amazing story of Ruby Bridges and her experiences as the...
Lesson Plan
PBS

African American History: Lunch Counter Closed

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians investigate and evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies the Civil Rights Movement used to end segregation in the United States. After watching an video interview with Carl Matthews and Bill Stevens who participated...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson Taking the Measure of a Man

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
During his first few games as the first black player in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson proved that he could withstand the wily curveball of Johnny Sain as well as the racial epithets shouted from opposing teams' dugouts. A short...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Spirits Across the Ocean: Yoruban and Dahomean Cultures in the Caribbean Brought by the Slave Trade

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....
Activity
Digital Public Library of America

African American Soldiers in World War I

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Finding good primary source materials to support any study of history can be a challenge and time-consuming. A set of 11 primary source letters, images, and text excerpts provide young historians with an opportunity to sharpen their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans in California’s Heartland – The Civil Rights Era

For Teachers 11th Standards
Events related to the Civil Rights Movement in Sacramento, California during the 1960s offer class members an opportunity to compare the nonviolent resistance approach favored by Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP with those of the...

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