American Institute of Physics
African American Inventors in History
A two-part activity introduces young historians to the work of famous African American inventors. Groups first research and develop a presentation of an inventor that includes biographical information and information about one of their...
Curated OER
African Americans in the Civil War
Students examine the contributions of African American soldiers during the Civil War. In pairs, they complete Civil War timeline worksheets. They use character cards to assume the identities of African Americans and determine whether or...
Curated OER
Land is the Basis of All Independence
Students develop debating and analytical thinking skills. They take a position in the Back-to-Africa discussion, based upon any readings and the two opposing essays they read. In groups, they discuss an issue from two different points...
Curated OER
Who Was Contraband?
Students examine the role of African-Americans in the Civil War. Using primary sources, they analyze the material and formulate their own opinions about the past. They write journal entries to share their opinions on photographs from the...
PBS
Civil War: Blacks on the Battlefield
Imagine a war being fought to free slaves, with slaves on the front line. Scholars use primary documents, videos, and research in the second installment of a three-part series to guide their analysis of the first African-Americans on the...
Curated OER
The Roots of The Modern Day African Americans And The Suggested Motivation For A Bright Future (Actual Experiences of Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass And Joseph Sengbe (Cinque))
Fifth graders examine the roots of African American pride and accomplishments. Individually, they are assigned an African country for them to research. In groups, they discover the life and works of Frederick Douglass, Booker T....
Curated OER
Migration - An African-American Adventure During WWI
Sixth graders explore the push/pull factors that influenced the South to North migration. In this African-American migration lesson, 6th graders read an article and answer comprehension questions. Students write a letter to the...
Curated OER
William Lanson: New Haven's African King
Learners discuss the misrepresentations of African Americans in the United States. In groups, they examine the life and accomplishments of William Lanson and the importance of extending the Long Wharf. Together, they pretend they lived...
Curated OER
Scaffolded Reading of "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave in Situ"
The class reads the description of the "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave In Situ" then completes a work sheet. They act like archaeologists and answer a series of critical thinking questions to better understand the historical...
Curated OER
Charting African Ethnicities in America
High schoolers explain the variety in ethnic origins of enslaved Africans brought to the United States. They use the data in the narrative to create charts, either by hand or by using Excel or a similar database program.
Curated OER
Mapping the Human Movement
Students research data on African-American emigration, place the data in a chart and create a human movement map. They also create another map using research on current immigration information.
Curated OER
United States Colored Troops in Missouri: Finding African American History at the M
Students analyze primary source documents about African American soldiers in Missouri. They work together to complete a worksheet about the document. They discuss the information they gathered as a class.
Curated OER
The African American Heritage Trail of Martha's Vineyard
Students examine sites located in Massachusetts that celebrate the history of African Americans. In groups, they read census reports and oral histories to gather more information about this group of people. They develop a timeline of...
Curated OER
Downing's Oyster House: Building New York
Fourth graders explore African American contributions to New York City. In this antebellum New York activity, 4th graders research the accomplishments of Thomas Downing. Students explore primary and secondary sources about Downing's...
Curated OER
History of Immigration through the 1850's
Students research the history of Immigration. In this World History lesson, students explore European immigration then specifically focus on ways African Immigration was different. Students then divide into small groups and...
Center for History Education
The Freedmen's Bureau: Success or Failure?
What is freedom? The United States grappled with the question at the end of the Civil War after four million enslaved people were freed. Using circulars and images from the Reconstruction period, individuals examine how successful the...
Curated OER
Colonial New York Slave Codes: Law and Order
Build a historical perspective from four different points of view. Young historians take on the role of a slave-owning white person, non-slave owning white person, slave, or free African-American person and imagine what life would be...
Curated OER
Bitter Sweet Legacy: Afro-Caribbean Americans and the Sugar Economy
Learners study the relationship between sugar, African and Caribbean laborers, and migration. They examine the role of enslaved Africans in the creation of the Caribbean sugar industry.
Curated OER
The Communication Network: Keeping in Touch
Middle schoolers read The Northern Migration and create an eight-frame cartoon depicting the means of communication between the freed people in the North and those enslaved in the South. The cartoons are displayed in a Gallery Walk.
American Battlefield Trust
Middle School Assessment for the Civil War Curriculum
The bravery of African American troops on the frontlines directly impacted the lives of the newly freed enslaved people. Using documents, including letters from African American troops and an excerpt of the Emancipation Proclamation,...
Curated OER
Using Oral Traditions to Improve Verbal and Listening Skills
Students examine the role of stories in African and African-American cultures. This lesson is written for students with visual impairments. They
Curated OER
Black Separatism or the Beloved Community? Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this African American history lesson, students compare and contrast the tactics employed by Malcolm X and Martin Luther...
Curated OER
Afro-Caribbean Americans and the Sugar Economy
Pupils read the narrative, Caribbean Immigration and examine how sugar production and migration of people of African origin have been intertwined for centuries. Working in three groups, they present oral reports on the three eras of the...
Curated OER
The Age of Early European Explorations & Conquests
Your students' world will literally take shape in this presentation, which chronicles the growing edges of the (flat) earth during European Exploration of New Worlds. Dias, da Gama, Magellean, and Columbus are key players in this game of...