Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The African Grove Theater

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students study the African Grove Theater in New York. For this African American history lesson, students examine the evolution of race relations in the United States as they research the theater and its history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African American Contributions

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students recognize contributions made by African Americans to American society. In this African American history lesson plan, students research contributions made by African Americans and use a graphic organizer to organize their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poetry: A View of African American Life,

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders analyze many examples of African-American poetry and examine how different poems reflect the cultural experiences of African-Americans. The poems and spirituals chosen are very effective for public presentation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

AFRICAN-AMERICAN POETRY BEFORE EMANCIPATION

For Teachers 8th
Explore poetry written by African-Americans before emancipation. 8th graders create collages, and explain why they chose specific stanzas. They display the collages on the class bulletin board that demonstrate an understanding of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building An African Compound

For Teachers K - 4th
Students construct a model of an African compound. In this African culture lesson, students describe the neighborhoods that can be found in Africa. Students use construction paper, glue, dried leaves, and a cardboard box to construct a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

African Animal Farm

For Students Pre-K - K
In this Language Arts worksheet, students read the names of five African animals. Students complete five sentences by filling in the correct animal. Students also draw their favorite African animal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Families: Portraits of African-American Families

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students develop a greater understanding and appreciation for their families. They increase personal self-esteem and pride as a result of studying about families through literature. They assess the importance of family values and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Wildlife

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Young scholars investigate the wildlife of Africa. In this animal science lesson, students view the video "National Geographic's African Wildlife" and visit websites to research additional information on the wildlife of Africa. Young...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Slaves in Haiti

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders examine how Africans were treated in the Caribbean and Haiti after reading about the Atlantic Slave Trade. From a multicultural information passage, they complete a time line on Toussiant L-Ouverture and write an obituary.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-Americans in California's Heartland

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read and view video about the pioneers moving west.  In this African American pioneer lesson, students become familiar with the problems faced by the pioneers and African-American pioneers. Students complete...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African American Community and Culture

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the rise of jazz music. In this Duke Ellington lesson, 4th graders watch video segments regarding Ellington's life and showcasing a performance of Ellington and his band. Students discuss the rhythm...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits: Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the contributions of African Americans of the 20th century. In this African American history instructional activity, students examine portraits of Muhammad Ali, Romare Bearden, Lorraine Hansberry, Judith Jamison, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders become familiar with the role of African Americans during WWII.  For this WWII lesson, 5th graders watch a newsreel and discuss its use as a primary source.  Students answer questions about the newsreel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cotillion or One Good Bull is Half the Herd, a Black Arts Movement novel by John O. Killens

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study late twentieth-century African American satirical literature as well as its cultural antecedents. they analyze and discuss, within the contexts of race and gender, the social criticism of the middle classes presented by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Romare Bearden's The Dove - A Meeting of Vision and Sound

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore African american culture of the late 1950's and 60's through various primary sources including literature, music, art and others. They then prepare and conduct a mock interview and present with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Visions for African Americans

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider the plight of African Americans in post-Reconstruction America. In this African American history lesson, students discover the visions of African American leaders Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Marcus...
Activity
Scholastic

Harriet Tubman Follow the North Star

For Teachers 1st - 3rd Standards
Honor Black History Month with a spotlight feature on Harriet Tubman. After learning about the path the Underground Railroad followed, scholars imagine themselves on it, and share their experience and feelings through writing. 
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Reconstruction

For Teachers 6th - 8th
When slavery ended, what did the government do to help African American during Reconstruction? An interesting instructional activity uses primary sources such as newspaper articles to help scholars analyze Reconstruction policies and how...
Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

F.E.W. Harper: Uplifted from the Shadows

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
What is stereotyping, and how do we handle stereotyping in our daily interactions? Your young historians will not only have the opportunity to learn about the first African American woman to publish a short story–Frances Ellen...
Lesson Plan
Crafting Freedom

F.E.W. Harper: Uplifted from the Shadows

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young historians discover the life of an incredible African American woman who, as an anti-slavery lecturer prior to the Civil War, defied stereotypes of what women could accomplish. Pupils explore the concept of stereotyping, read...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Music of the Mardi Gras Indians

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
The traditions, costumes, and the music of the Mardi Gras Indians, African-Americans and those with African American or Native American Heritage are the focus of a unit that introduces class members to a little-known group that...
Worksheet
2
2
K12 Reader

Civil Rights Biography: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 3rd - 6th Standards
Why do schools and government offices close one day every January to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Young learners discover the achievements and lasting significance of this influential figure in American history...
Activity
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

The Great Elephant Census Modeling Activity

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
They say elephants never forget—and your class won't forget an insightful modeling activity either! Junior zoologists take part in a mock elephant census using the sample count and total count methods. The included materials provide...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Middle School General Music Unit Plans

For Students 6th - 8th
Here's a collection of unit plans for middle school musicians. Topics include the mbira, opera, rhythm and culture, music in Africa, music in the movies, music theory and notation, blues and jazz, and the ocarina. Definitely worth a look.