Students explore ancient tradition and craft of mask making, examine role or function of masks in African culture, create instruments, and participate in class projects.

Seventh graders listen to a variety of folktales sharing experiences of slavery. As a class, they compare and contrast reading a story and telling a story. They participate in a role play activity to discover the journey of a slave and...

Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances.  In this musical instructional activity, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created.  Students listen to Yoruba drum...

Pupils study the importance of the Storyteller in ancient times as well as in modern times. They realize that this is an art essential to the development and evolution of the mind and that today more than ever we need to rely on...

Fourth graders research the different kinds of dances Texans participate in. They try to dance the dances they have researched.

Students investigate the history of Mali. In this African cultures lesson, students research the impact of Sundiata Keita as king of Mali, recognize the significance of historical Malian festivals, and create character masks to be worn...

Fifth graders learn about this history of jazz music. In this musical influences lesson, 5th graders read God Bless the Childand listen to a recording of it. Students create a KWL chart on jazz and early 1900s music and dance. Students...

Students read about the oral histories of West Africa and complete related activities. In this oral histories lesson, students read about the importance of oral customs in African cultures. Students interview a family member about oral...

Students read a portion of the narrative, The Transatlantic Slave Trade, to explain the ethnic origins of enslaved Africans brought to the US. They create charts and bar graphs comparing ethnicities in the lowlands and tidewater regions.

Students explore how migration to Harlem created a new life for African Americans. In this cross curricular lesson, students illustrate maps showing the migration, paint murals representing African American life in the South and...

Learners read the book Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. For this biography instructional activity, learners read about the life of Ray Charles. Learners answer pre-reading questions about senses, strengths, and weaknesses they have....

Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...

Young scholars examine the immigrant experiences of various culture groups. Using this information, they work together to compare and contrast these experiences with those of the Cajuns. As a class, they define ethnic group and...

Students examine the experiences of African American women. In this poetry lesson, students use their literary analysis skills to compare the poetry of Maya Angelou to rap music performed by Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill.

Students 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...

Students use a "spider web" graphic organizer to record information about different types of masks they are familiar with. They write a paragraph about masks. Students read about Native American cultures and compare/contrast the...

Students create paper masks linking the function and purpose of masks in the past, with modern life.

Students investigate World War II through the computer game Axis and Allies. They discuss the basics of World War II before playing the game, spend eight weeks playing the game that is a simulation of World War II, and write a report...

Eighth graders write what they predict were the roles women played in the Great Plains. Using the internet, they research and identify the roles they did play and use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast their predictions to the...