Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

African American Pioneers in Aviation

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
Bessie Coleman. William Powell. Willa Brown. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. While these names may not be familiar to many Americans, they are African American pioneers in aviation history. Class members have an opportunity to research the...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Two Different African-American Visions: W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
The strategies civil rights activists Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois proposed for blacks to achieve racial progress is the focus of an activity in which class groups identify the strategies as well as the benefits and drawbacks...
Unit Plan
Sports Museum

Boston vs Bullies: Facilitator's Guide

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
Score a big win for your school's environment with top-notch bullying prevention resources! The downloadable materials feature prominent sports figures from the Boston area talking about their experiences with bullying. Appropriate for...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

Shirley Chisholm: Unbought, Unbossed and Unforgotten

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
A 13-page packet introduces high schoolers to a lady of amazing firsts. Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to Congress, the first Black woman to run for President of the United States, and a leader of the Women's Rights...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Do We Suffer From The Rights Of Others?

For Teachers K - 8th
Students examine how diversity within populations has caused problems. In groups, they develop their own definitions of racism and discrimination. They participate in role-plays in which they gather the appropriate techniques to deal...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Heritage of Puerto Rico and Cuba

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the influences of the Hispanic culture in the United States. In groups, they read about the life of a slave in Cuba and identify the misconceptions are discussed. As a class, they define racism, read an essay...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Where to begin? With the vocational education that provides the skills necessary to gain economic security or with a Liberal Arts education? As part of a study of leaders of the civil rights movement, class members compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr. Who Is He?

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students describe MLk's leadership of the desegregation movement. Students discuss the meaning of non-violent revolution. Students identify the difference between their lives and those ofcitizens in 1963. Students write a short essay...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

John Gary Evans and the Politics of Race

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Young scholars read letters written by Evans and Gunton regarding race relations. In this Progressive Movement lesson, students interpret the intentions and tone of the letters to understand contemporary racial beliefs. Young scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Remember

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders mention any recent racism or discrimination they have seen placed on an ethnic group other than their own. After reading an autobiography, they read and write poems based on past events in the Hispanic culture. They are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Protest

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize the power of protest. In this civil rights instructional activity, students consider the success of Rosa Parks and her protest that sparked the movement. Students study the Montgomery Bus Boycott in depth and reflect...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration Illumination Project Curriculum Materials

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed Standards
Gain an understanding of the complex topic of immigration with a collection of resources. Class members engage in a series of activities designed to give them insight into the factors that influence immigration policies and the effects...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans in World War I - Lesson Two

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the decision to allow African Americans enlist in the military. In teams of three to four, students debate allowing Muslim Americans to enlist in the war. Students not participating in the debate serve as legislatures....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kill the Indian, Save the Man!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate primary sources from Carlisle Indian School including letters and photographs.  In this investigative lesson students answer questions about their research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Rights And Refugees: The Right To Asylum

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, define asylum and identify when people have the right to asylum. They examine specific cases of asylum in recent times and consider some of the difficulties refugees face.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lena Horne: Race and the American Artist

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners examine how race played a critical role in Lena Horne's life. They conduct Internet research, participate in a class debate, write a letter, and create a presentation based on their Internet research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Actors in American Cinema

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the contributions of a few African American actors. After watching different films, they work together to recreate the film and the struggles faced by the actors. In groups, they compare and contrast the acting style of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and their Effects on Race Relations

For Teachers 1st
First graders analyze the role of the Jim Crow laws on race relations. As a class, they are segregated based on the color shirt they have or some other simple criteria and wear either a square or circle sticker representing the majority...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Protest

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain how Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. They discuss how her actions were heroic and how they affected the civil rights movement. They reflect on the lesson in journal entries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

And Justice for All?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the history of the environmental justice movement. They examine how discrimination promotes environmental illness in low income communities. Students explain why minority and low income groups have less economic and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Langston Hughes: Voice Among Voices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners study Langston Hughes's poetry, short stories, and his first autobiography. They read and appreciate the candid, honest and powerful creative masterpieces of this black genius and discuss the numerous universal themes and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Battleground: Separate and Unequal Education

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young scholars examine the purpose and goals of education in African American society. They analyze photos, answer discussion questions, and participate in a class discussion.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of the Music of the Harlem Renaissance on Society

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students define the community of Harlem. They explain the growth of music in this area and identify important people who spearheaded this movement. They identify places where music grew in Harlem and establish a visual as well as an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From Remus to Rap: A History in Theory and Practice of the African-American Storytelling Tradition

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the specific form and function of tall tales and toasts. They discover the importance of performance in the telling of a story and the importance of rhythm in the telling of toasts. They create stories of their own, in...