Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kwanzaa

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create a "mkeka" (place mat). They explain how particular symbols and associated colors are used to focus attention to the meaning of an African-American celebration called Kwanzaa.
Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: American Memory: African American Odyssey

For Students 9th - 10th
The Library of Congress' Digital Library presents an outstanding lesson that links to collections about the quest for full citizenship, Frederick Douglass papers, slave narratives, and more.
Unit Plan
Georgetown University

Georgetown University: Sterling A. Brown (1901 1989)

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource includes theme, perspective, form, style and audience of this famous Harlem Renaissance author's work.
Unit Plan
Georgetown University

Georgetown University: Anne Spencer (1882 1975)

For Students 9th - 10th
Includes theme, perspective, form, style and comparison of Anne Spencer's work. Many contemporaries are named and linked.
Unit Plan
Georgetown University

Georgetown University: Langston Hughes (1902 1967)

For Students 9th - 10th
Excellent research site on Langston Hughes. Includes theme, perspective, form, style, audience, comparison and contrast of the famous Harlem Renaissance author's work.
Article
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: The Trickster in African American Literature

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Trudier Harris, Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explains the role of tricksters in African American literature.
Article
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: The New Negro and the Black Image: From Booker T. Washington to Alain Locke

For Students 9th - 10th
This essay explores how Booker T. Washington and others used the term "New Negro" as an attempt to recreate the race by suggesting education, refinement, money, assertiveness, and racial consciousness.
Website
Scott Alexander

The Red Hot Jazz Archives

For Students 9th - 10th
Lots of information on jazz bands and musicians at this RedHotJazz.com site.
Activity
PBS

Pbs: History Detectives: Investigations: Black Star Line [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS had a series called "History Detectives." The video is no longer available for this episode, but this transcript of the video is. Read about the Black Star Line, envisioned by Marcus Garvey as a shipping company in which African...
Article
University of Pittsburgh

Center for American Music: Minstrelsy

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains the origin of the minstrel show and how it evolved over the decades.
Website
Other

Wired for Books: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"`

For Students 9th - 10th
Professors discuss the book by Zora Neale Hurston. Gives insight into the style and character analysis.
Lesson Plan
Other

National Education Association: Black History Month Lessons & Resources

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Wide selection of lesson plans, activities, quizzes, resources, worksheets, and videos covering a variety of subjects and grade levels help to explain African-American culture and history.
Website
Other

Carnegie Hall: A Celebration of the African American Cultural Legacy

For Students 9th - 10th
Trace the history of African American music from 1600-2000 and examine the styles, influences, artists and listen to samples presented by Carnegie Hall.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of African Art: Grass Roots: African Origins of an American Art

For Students 9th - 10th
Explore the crafts that the African American culture exported from native African lands, basketry and cultivation of rice. With the lessons provided in the downloadable document, students will weave together history, geography, social...
Article
Other

Vanderbilt.edu."the the Black Female & Renaissannce Rena

For Students 9th - 10th
Highly detailed article concerning this famous era. Historical significance is addressed and a well-written analysis of many authors.
Website
Other

The History Makers

For Students 9th - 10th
Thehistorymakers.com features the stories of African Americans who have succeeded and made achievements in the areas of art, business, education, law, politics, science, religion, and sports. There is a great timeline of African American...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of African American History and Culture

For Students Pre-K - 1st
This Smithsonian museum is dedicated to the preservation of African American culture. Includes a portrait gallery, profiles of African American artists, exhibitions devoted to the struggle for civil rights, historical photographs and...
Unit Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Dream in Color, African American Heritage

For Students 9th - 10th
Discover the African American Culture and share the information through these lessons with your students. Choose from several different lesson plans and grade levels to help students learn about the African American Culture.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of Natural History: African Voices: Global Africa

For Students 6th - 8th
The rich, vibrant African American culture has spread far and wide through our world. Follow the routes taken over the millennia by examining the following maps that include short descriptions. Listen to audio from slaves describing...
Primary
University of Virginia

Explorations in Black Leadership: Nikki Giovanni

For Students 9th - 10th
A video interview with poet and author Nikki Giovanni, civil rights activist. Includes full transcript of video and short biography.
Handout
Other

Black History From a to Z

For Students 3rd - 5th
Students will enjoy exploring this colorful site during Black History Month, or any other month! Follow the timeline of famous African American women and inventors, or just click on a letter of the alphabet to find brief pieces of...
Website
Howard University

Howard University: Sterling A. Brown, a Literary Tribute

For Students 9th - 10th
This tribute article discusses the author as a professor, critic and Poet Laureate.
Website
African American Literature Book Club

African American Literature Book Club: Wallace Thurman

For Students 9th - 10th
This site includes the author's credits as an editor and playwright, a biography, and links to three of his books.
Website
University of Illinois

University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Gwendolyn Brooks, Biography

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed account of the writer's life. Contains references to contemporaries, influences and motivations in her career.