Curated OER
American Minority Groups
Explore the contributions individuals have made in the lives of American minority groups. Twelfth graders write a five-page expository piece providing a social history, examples of discrimination, and patterns of assimilation for an...
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the...
Curated OER
Analyzing the economic, political, social, and cultural transformation of the United States since World War II
Eleventh graders examine political issues in the United States between 1936 and 2000. In this American history instructional activity, 11th graders study the economy, education, government, civil rights, and sports of this time period....
Curated OER
Defenders of Justice
Students research abolitionists, civil rights advocates, and their allies to learn about racism and justice. In this racism and justice lesson, students define justice and sing a song about activism. Students review the biographies...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Second graders discover who Rosa Parks was and the significance of her role in Black History. Students place events in Rosa Park's life in chronological order.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Marketing a Bad Idea: Why So Many People Joined the Klan in the 1920s
How did the Klu Klux Klan manage to gain so many members during the 1920s? Class members examine Klan documents and promotional materials to gain an understanding of the propaganda techniques used to attract members.
Curated OER
Paul Robeson: The Renaissance Man
Young scholars research the life of athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist, Paul Robeson. They answer the question, "Which was most important to American culture -Robeson's work as a scholar, a...
Smithsonian Institution
Separate is Not Equal: Fight for Desegregation
Separate is not equal! An eye-opening lesson delves into the past to understand the fight for desegregation and how it impacted African American communities. Academics complete two one-hour lessons using documents, photographs, and...
Smithsonian Institution
Re-Segregation of American Schools: Re-Segregation
Examine the re-segregation of public schools in a thought-provoking resource. Young scholars read articles and primary sources, complete worksheets, and watch a video to explore the idea that desegregation made schools more segregated....
Center for History Education
Brown v. the Board of Education: Success or Failure?
Desegregation does not mean equality. An eye-opening lesson focuses on the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision to end school segregation. Scholars review a series of political cartoons to understand how the public viewed...
Curated OER
An Act of Courage, The Arrest Records of Rosa Parks
Students research accounts on Rosa Parks and look for differences between the modern form and an older report on Parks. They discuss why information about race and nationality are collected on these and other forms.
Curated OER
A World Made New: Human Rights After the Holocaust
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Women: Stride Toward Freedom
Students read facts about women'ts suffrage and research topics related to women's rights. Optional films for viewing and books to read.
Curated OER
The American Indian Movement
Twelfth graders examine the civil rights movement of the Native Americans. They read the provided multicultural reading passage and answer the questions that follow. They chart which cultural groups fought for equal rights during the...
Curated OER
Focus on Fathers
Students view excerpts from the video, Hardwood, and discuss the positive and negative attributes of fathers. They write letters to people who have been an important influence in their lives.
Curated OER
Ruby Bridges: One Little Girl's Brave Act
Second graders examine the life of Ruby Bridges. In this bravery instructional activity, 2nd graders read the story of Ruby Bridges and discuss Ruby's actions and decisions.
Curated OER
Fair Responses to Unfair Acts
Young scholars understand the sacrifices and problems in undoing an unfair situation. In this unfairness instructional activity, students discuss the reasons for the Montgomery Boycott and discuss worksheet and feelings about dealing...
Curated OER
The Chicano Movement in California - Culture, Causes, and Community
Young scholars 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.
Curated OER
Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
Students examine how Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in the United States. They practice treating others equally and respectfully. They also identify ways in which they can help King's dream of peace a reality.
Curated OER
The Battleground: Separate and Unequal Education
Students investigate the history of unequal education in the United States and the impact on African American history. In this unequal history lesson, students discuss the purpose of education and describe an ideal school. Students...
National Woman's History Museum
Inventive Women - Part 1
While a woman didn't invent the parasol, three women received patents for their improvements to the original design of umbrellas. In the first of a two-part series on inventive women, class members investigate the patent system to...
Curated OER
A Voice for the Times
Pupils make connections with events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's with songs made popular by Aretha Franklin.
Curated OER
"Separate But Equal" Revisited
Students examine the struggle for desegregation during the Civil Rights Movement. They assess ways in which race relations have and have not changed since the Brown v. Board of Education decision.