Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Researching Another country's Holiday: Organizing and Recording Information

For Teachers 5th
Prior to this lesson, 5th graders will have collected notes from several sources. Students extend their note taking to include at least one example each of summarizing and paraphrasing. They record bibliographic information for each...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 12- Quincy Jones:What Makes an American Master?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the life of Quincy Jones and research black music for selected decades of the 20th Century. They discuss the qualities that help one create and sustain a successful career. They design a timeline of what their future...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 4

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students choose a theme for a song. They compose a poem, and write music to go along with their poem. The instructor plays the musical accompaniment, and the class votes on the most appropriate rhythmic pattern.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 5

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners identify many genres of Black music. They listen to examples of black artists playing songs of social concious, then identify issues that are addressed by today's Black artists.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify many genres of music that influenced gospel and study examples of gospel music. They explain that gospel music is sacred and is usually performed with sincerity, dignity, and passion with vocal improvisation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness: Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video on spiritual music, then engage in a discussion about the artists and styles mentioned in the video. They discuss vocal improvisation, and engage in a call and response to "This Little Light Of Mine.'
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.
Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Forward, Making of African American Identity: V. 2, 1865 1917

For Students 9th - 10th
Sixteen texts-historical documents, literary texts, visual images, audio, and video material-that explore the political, social, and cultural state of African Americans at the beginning of the twentieth century.
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.
Website
Columbia University

Maap | Mapping the African American Past

For Students 9th - 10th
MAAP lessons, developed at Teachers College, Columbia University, help teachers at all levels engage in content through stories about building community, resisting slavery, and contributing to New York City's development. Lessons are...
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...