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Uncle Tom's Cabin & The Ideology of Slavery
Students use "Uncle Tom's Cabin & American Culture" to examine the sectional crisis of the 1850's. Slavery is explored and the mindset of Southern planters during the Antebellum Era. They analyze not only traditional text documents...
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Tintin and I: Primary and Secondary Sources
Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...
Facing History and Ourselves
How Journalists Minimize Bias
Class members are challenged to write a neutral news story about the events they observe in a short video. After sharing their stories in groups and discussing the different perceptions, the class concludes with a video of journalists...
Facing History and Ourselves
A Scene from a Middle School Classroom
Citizens in the modern world can't imagine making the same social choices made by many Germans in the 1920s and 1930s, but they don't realize that they actually do it every day by ostracizing others. A case study of middle schoolers...
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What About Films?
Learners watch and analyze a film of an Appalachian folktale. They define trickster and anti-hero, view and discuss the film, complete a handout, compose an original film review, and debate each character's behavior.
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William Lanson: New Haven's African King
Students 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...
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Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Lesson: Immigration
Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...
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Women Writers and Dissent in 20th and 21st Century American Literature
Tenth graders read examples of writings by women authors showing their dissent. After completion of their reading, they brainstorm on why they believe female authors have criticized society. In groups, they use the Internet to research...
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Teen Immigrants: Five American Stories
Learners watch the PBS program "In the Mix" about teen immigrants. They discover the number of immigrants in America and their problems moving to this country. They answer questions as the film plays.
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Multicultural Issues and the Law: Gender and Race Based Schooling
Students examine the problems associated with gender based and race based education. In groups, they research the history of education and the laws that have changed education and impacted lives. They brainstorm a list of the positives...
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What's in a Name? The Use of Native American Images in Sports
Young scholars discuss and analyze the pros and cons of using Native American names and images to represent sports teams. Using primary sources, including position statements from Native American tribes, interviews with school alumni and...
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Trails of Understanding: The Earliest Immigrants
Students research Native American tribes. In this human migration lesson plan, students determine how tribes lived and established cultures. Students create PowerPoint presentations that feature their findings.
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Group Rules and Expectations
Students explore psychology by participating in a student behavior activity. In this group dynamic lesson, students identify ways to keep several students interested and focused on one task. Students complete worksheets discussing family...
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Sterotypes
Students participate in a variety of activities in order to explore the concept of a stereotype. The concept of diversity is also mentioned to contrast a stereotype. The goal of the instructional activity is to create an understanding of...
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Youth Groups
Students explore the impact and effects of race identity during adolescence by discussing their perceptions of race and by conducting an obersavation-based study of the ways in which students choose to group themselves in their school.
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Group Rules and Expectations
Students experience how groups influence the behavior of their members through rules and expectations. They examine social groups in their lives which influence their behavior and expectations.
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Community and Colonization
Eighth graders explore the nature of the European colonization in the Americas. They compare how it relates to the inception of their community. Students identify the major players in America's colonization and explore the motivations...
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Who Are Travellers?
Students visit specified websites to research zoning information in Essex. They participate in a role play to present a zoning request to a city council. Groups of students prepare their side of the case and create their proposal to be...
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Making Good Decisions
Students examine the "Little Planet Times" and discuss how to solve the town's problem. In this literature/problem solving lesson, students record the opinion of each of the council members and role play their position. Students...
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Groups We Belong To
Students explore society by completing a class identification activity. For this student identification lesson, students participate in a classification activity in which students with a certain hair, eye or clothing color are divided...
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Getting Out of the Box
Students define stereotype, discrimination and prejudice. They brainstorm a social action plan to heal racism.
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Cultural Representation in "Spellbound" Part 1
Students watch the film "Spellbound". They analyze concepts of how the media represents race. They discuss how the movie depicts race after the film.
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Breaking Down Prejudice
Students examine the clauses in the South African constitution. Using the internet, they identify the roles of the government, citizens and identifying discrimination that still exists in the country. To end the lesson plan, they are...
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Groups We Belong To
Students think about and identify different kinds of groups. They see that people are born into certain groups and that they join others. They explore the circumstances that surround group affiliation and participation.