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.
Primary
Wisconsin Historical Society

Wisconsin Historical Society: African American Newspapers: Freedom's Journal

For Students 9th - 10th
Digitized collection of the first newspaper owned and produced by African-Americans (1827-1829).
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
Indiana University

Archives of African American Music and Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains resources on black culture and music from the early 1900s to the present.
Website
PBS

Wnet: Thirteen: Slavery and the Making of America: Slave Religion

For Students 9th - 10th
What religions did slaves bring from Africa to America? This PBS series site provides the historical overview of how early African Americans preserved African spiritual beliefs and practices while enslaved, converted to Christianity, and...
Lesson Plan
Other

Institute of Texan Cultures: Indi Visible: African Native American Lives [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A collection of lessons to accompany an exhibit, available online, that examines the shared history and heritage of African Americans and Native Americans. Both groups were faced with exclusion from society and often joined together, in...
Article
Other

St. Augustine, Florida: Birthplace of African American History

For Students 9th - 10th
The rich African American heritage of St. Augustine, Florida is the focus of this detailed account. The menu bar to the left presents a timeline of historic events.
Handout
Columbia University

Columbia University: Rediscovering Malcolm's Life [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
A scholarly discussion on how the views have change with regard to Malcolm X, from fiery "Black Power" radical to an accepted part of the African American heritage.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Postal Museum: 1990 Black Heritage Series: Ida B. Wells Issue

For Students 9th - 10th
View the artwork for a U.S. postage stamp issued in 1990 to commemorate Ida B. Wells, one of the founders of the NAACP. With a short passage on her life and contributions to ending discrimination against women and African-Americans.
Website
Other

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center Building the Cultural Connection

For Students 9th - 10th
Welcome to the official web site of The Mosaic Templars Cultural Center located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their mission has been to collect, preserve, interpret, and celebrate Arkansas's African American history, culture, and community...
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Air and Space Museum: Black Wings

For Students 9th - 10th
An excellent resource to celebrate early black American aviators. Students will find thrilling tales of true courage concerning black Americans and the "Quest for Equal Opportunity."
Website
Other

Pennsylvania Heritage Society: Pennsylvania Civil War 150

For Students 9th - 10th
The sidebar of this site reads "Understand the War Through People Then and Now." That is the mission of the site, and when you click on each word or phrase, you open up a world of information about the Civil War. Compiled resources help...
Website
University of Illinois

University of Illinois: Modern American Poetry: Yusef Komunyakaa

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a link to two interviews of Komunyakaa: on poetry and on the heritage of jazz for African American poets. There is a commentary on "Tu Do Street". There are several links to other Komunyakaa sites.
Handout
Other

Vance Holmes's Fantastic Tap Dance Dictionary

For Students 9th - 10th
Searchable glossary of terminology common in tap dance, compiled by Vance Holmes, M.F.A., choreographer, and dance educator. Links to other dance and music dictionaries.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: African Heritage: Fighting for Freedom

For Students Pre-K - 1st
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart aims to help students understand the role the Underground Railroad played in leading people out of slavery in the United States, particularly before the Civil War.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: African Heritage: Frederick Douglass

For Students Pre-K - 1st
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart aims to help students understand how Frederick Douglass's writing painted a powerfully negative portrait of life on southern plantations. It uses video as well as text to inform students.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Haitian Creole

For Students 9th - 10th
A Wikipedia encyclopedia entry on the Haitian Creole language. Includes information about the African and European origins of the language and sample words and phrases. Additional links to a passable online dictionary, Radio France...