Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: “Declaration” by Tracy K. Smith
Tracy K. Smith's erasure poem "Declaration" challenges scholars to use their noticing skills to make connections between an engraving entitled "The Declaration of Independence" and Smith's poem. Class members record observations and...
Kid Zone
Groundhog's Day Graphing
This Groundhog's Day, challenge scholars to predict, estimate, tally, and graph in a weather-themed lesson in which class members play the role of the groundhog to forecast the weather come February second.
K20 LEARN
Forgotten Figures: The Civil Rights Movement
Most have heard of Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks, but few recall Elizabeth Jennings, Samuel W. Tucker, or Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher. Young historians research and then develop a presentation about the contributions of...
PBS
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech as a Work of Literature
To appreciate the oratory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, scholars examine the rhetorical devices and influences that make the speech so famous. They examine background information, conduct a close reading of the...
Curated OER
School Desegregation in South Carolina
Eleventh graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this North Carolina history lesson, 11th graders examine the Briggs v. Elliott case in order to understand the difference in the state and...
Curated OER
Utilizing Art, Literature and Film to Teach Black History
Fifth graders are introduced to different aspects of African-American history through literature, art, and films. As a class, they are read a story about the Underground Railroad, identify the main characters and put the events into...
Curated OER
African American Concentration
Young scholars study African American history month. For this culture activity, students discuss the origins of African American history and play a concentration game by matching the picture to the name of a famous African American.
Curated OER
Multas
Combine history and Spanish instruction with an exploration of descriptions of fines given in Florida in 1790. Partners read the brief text, fill out a graphic organizer about the crimes described, and interview each other about fines....
Curated OER
Coming Home:From the Life of Langston Hughes
Third graders listen to the non-fiction book: COMING HOME: FROM THE LIFE OF LANGSTON HUGHES. They identify examples of metaphors and similies within the book and understand how this figure of speech is used in writing. They then create...
State Bar of Texas
Plessy v. Ferguson
Where did separate but equal originate and what does it mean? Scholars investigate the Supreme Court Case Plessy v. Ferguson. Using a short video clip, they analyze the impact the decision of legal segregation had on society in 1896....
Center for History and New Media
Growing Up in a Segregated Society, 1880s–1930s
What did segregation look like in the beginning of the 20th century? Middle and high schoolers view images of segregated areas, read passages by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and come to conclusions about how the influence of...
Curated OER
The Rise and Fall of the Jim Crow Era
Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. In this Civil Rights instructional activity, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated....
Curated OER
Act-It-Out Columbus Boat
Students investigate the trip Christopher Columbus took to the new world. In this U.S. History lesson, students create a fictional ship from cardboard and construction paper simulating the ship Columbus used to get to the New...
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
Native Lands: Indians in Georgia
Students investigate the Native Americans of the Muscogee Creek and their use of the land. In this U.S. history lesson, students investigate the importance of the deer for the Muscogee Creek peoples' way of life and the many uses they...
Curated OER
Creating an Ethnic Student Newspaper
Students examine the role of the Black Press. In this African American history lesson, students watch segments of a video titled, " Too Long to Have Others Spoken for Us." Students respond to discussion questions regarding each of the...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. In this African-American history lesson, 11th graders read speeches by each of the men and summarize the arguments made by each of them about...
Curated OER
Countries of Africa
Learners study the coutries of Africa. In this African American history, small groups of students research a different country, color the country on the map of Africa, write a paragraph about the country, and draw pictures of its flag.
Curated OER
Levittown, White Picket Paradise?
Pupils study the origins and happenings of Levittown, Pennsylvania. For this Pennsylvania history lesson plan, students use primary and secondary sources to research the beginnings of Levittown, PA. As a culminating activity, pupils...
Curated OER
Black And Asian Involvement in World War 2
High schoolers read story excerpts from the BBC WW2 People's War archive to discover the contributions and obstacles faced by Asian and Black participants in World War 2 British forces. They prepare a radio report describing the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Folklore in Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God
Learners define folklore, folk groups, tradition, and oral narrative. They identify traditional elements in Their Eyes Were Watching God Analyze and understand the role of traditional folkways and folk speech in the overall literary...
Curated OER
Teaching With Documents Lesson Plan: Sioux Treaty of 1868
Students study the Sioux and their lives in the Black Hills before 1868. They engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities which give them a good understanding of the Sioux culture.
Curated OER
We The People: A History
Students play a game about taxation where they have tax collectors that simulate the feelings and reasons that led to the American Revolution. In this taxation lesson plan, students learn about why the people in the colonies were so...
Curated OER
Nonviolence as a Tool for Change Lesson 1
Students examine voting rights in the South during the 1950s and 1960s. In this civil rights instructional activity, students examine legal rights and the opportunity to cast votes. Students research primary documents regarding the topic...