Lesson Plan
Curated OER

John Lawson's Emigration Impact: Short Essay

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review John Lawson's writings to discover the impact they had on emigration to America. Using the writings, they analyze the influence of them and review the early settlement of the colonies. They write their own essay sharing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lawson's Many Roles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners examine the life of John Lawson and his many roles he took on during his life. Using their text, they discover the area in which he traveled and lived. They write an essay about his movements and identifying his contacts in...
Worksheet
Curated OER

1876-1920 Word Search Puzzle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this literacy worksheet, students look for the words in the puzzle that are related to the theme of the word search. Spelling skills are worked on.
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: American Memory: Colonial Settlement 1600s 1763

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The settlement of the colonies in America is the focus of this article. The course of events is divided into topics and time periods, making it easier to understand. Note is made of the effects to the already present Native Americans as...
Lesson Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: African Unity Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will be able to discuss and debate current issues for a specific African country, then develop solutions to these issues by participating in a simulation of a meeting of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).
Website
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg: Experience Colonial Life

For Students 9th - 10th
Experience colonial life through a variety of narratives. Topics include the African-American experience, animals, Christmas, clothing, family, food, gardening, manners, politics, religion, tools, and trades.
Website
Northwestern University

Northwestern University: Collection of East African Photographs: 1860 1960

For Students 9th - 10th
View a sample of a vast collection of photographs taken in East Africa between 1860 and 1960 that is a great resource for documenting all aspects of African life.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Council on African Affairs

For Students 9th - 10th
This encyclopedia article talks bout the Council on African Affairs which dealt with the correlation of the struggle of African Americans and the colonial problems in Africa. It was supported by many civil rights activists of the time.
Graphic
University of Oregon

Mapping History: African History

For Students 9th - 10th
Interactive and animated maps and timelines of historical events and time periods in the history of Africa as it went through the colonial rule to reach independence.
Website
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg: Redefining Family

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Colonial Williamsburg Museum explores the different "families" of colonial Williamsburg. Content includes a focus on each cultural group: white, Native American, and black.
Activity
PBS

Pbs Africans in America: The Boston Massacre

For Students 9th - 10th
From its series entitled "Africans in America," PBS offers a comprehensive overview of the Boston Massacre from the viewpoint of the poor, the oppressed, and enslaved or free Africans. The article highlights how these individuals were...
Website
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg: Meet the People

For Students 9th - 10th
Meet the people of colonial Williamsburg! Content includes a focus on the life of African-Americans, colonial children, tradesmen, and elite members of society. Special focus is also placed on the lives of George & Martha Washington,...
Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Colonial Literature: Slave Narratives

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson focuses on Colonial period slave narratives including the autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" by Olaudah Equiano. Links are provided to the narrative and the website Africans in America:...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: African Voices: History

For Students 6th - 8th
Trace Africa's history from the earliest humans to modern times using this thematic timeline. Learn about African trade, religion, empires, and technology. Vibrant pictures are included for each time period showcasing the African culture.
Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: African American Odyssey: Free Blacks in Antebellum Period

For Students 9th - 10th
A site that chronicles through documents the accomplishments of African-Americans, both slave and free, from colonial times through the Civil War.
Website
American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History: African Ethnography

For Students 9th - 10th
The Anthropology Division's African collection is extensive in terms of geographic coverage. It includes North Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar, although its greatest concentration of material is from central and southern Africa. The...
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Mathematician and Astronomer Benjamin Banneker

For Students 3rd - 8th
Learn about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Banneker, an African American mathematician and scientist. Also contains portraits and a map of New York, which can be enlarged for a closer view.
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: History of Colonial America: Jamestown Colony

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the struggles of the Jamestown Colony to survive in its first years. Many died from disease and starvation, and things only began to turn when the colonists started to grow tobacco. The use of indentured servants and later,...
Article
PBS

Africans in America: Phillis Wheatley

For Students 9th - 10th
This website briefly describes the life of Phillis Wheatley, poetess and freed slave.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Phillis Wheatley

For Students 9th - 10th
This on-line encyclopedia article gives information about Phillis Wheatley, the Boston slave who surprised colonial America with her poetry. She was the first African-American woman to have her work published.
Lesson Plan
University of California

The History Project: South African Diamond Mines, 1870s

For Students 9th - 10th
The Dutch East India Company established a colony at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652 and administered it until 1795 when it fell into British hands. The British returned Cape Colony to the Company for a three-year period before finally...
Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Phillis Wheatley, Poet

For Students 3rd - 8th
A brief look at the fascinating life of African American poet, Phillis Wheatley. Provides two portraits, and a sample page from Wheatley's collection of poems.
Website
World Atlas

World Atlas: Africa

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the history of Africa including Ancient Africa, African colonization, slave trade, and Post-Colonial Africa. Also covers maps, geography, countries, and interesting facts.
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: American Memory Timeline: Colonial Settlement,1600s 1763

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Read about the colonization in the New World by many European countries. Hyperlinks to you to more specific topics.