Akron Art Museum
Storytelling Resist
The illustrations of Ezra Jack Keats in The Snowy Day inspire young artists to examine shapes in illustrations and to use these shapes to create their own watercolor resist painting.
Learning to Give
What Are Your Thoughts?
The varying responses of the characters in Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to the discrimination they experience or perpetrate provides readers with an opportunity to not only examine the feelings of the characters but...
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Internet Art Research
Fourth graders choose two artists from a Yahooligans search of African-American artists, answer questions on an artist Biography Checksheet, and write an essay on the differences and siimilarities of the two styles.
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Comparing African, American, and European Folktales
Students listen to John Steptoe's story, "Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters," and then identify similarities and differences between an African, a Native American, and a European folktale.
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Social Studies: African Folklore and Geography
Students discover the connection between geography and folklore in several African nations. In groups, they record information from maps of their assigned countries. Students observe the pictures in books and match the geographic...
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Jazz Scenes of the Harlem Renaissance
Learners identify and connect themes of selected nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. They compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance. They...
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It's All in the Making: Our Local Organizations
Students study African American nonprofit organizations. In this nonprofit organizations lesson plan, students discuss African American organizations. Students research the NAACP and NUL website. Students design posters for both groups....
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Exploring the Roots of Modern Dance in America
Students develop an understanding of how African culture impacted modern dance in the United States.
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Three-Way Match: Famous Black Americans
Students research famous African-Americans using an online resource. They complete a three-way matching activity.
Education World
Now Let Me Fly -- A Black History Reader's Theater Script
Young scholars study African American history, Jim Crow laws, and seperate but equal statutes by performing a Reader's Theater script. They perform Marcia Cebulska's, Now Let Me Fly, which may be requested online.
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Creating an Ethnic Student Newspaper
Students examine the role of the Black Press. In this African American history lesson, students watch segments of a video titled, " Too Long to Have Others Spoken for Us." Students respond to discussion questions regarding each of the...
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KWANZAA
Students study about Kwanzaa, an African-American celebration established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana, and also participate in some traditional activities.
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Kwanzaa
Students explore African American holiday of Kwanzaa, orally share ideas about whom they want to invite to classroom Kwanzaa celebration, create and print invitation to Kwanzaa using Publisher or Print Shop, and share completed...
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Flawed Democracies
Ninth graders examine the struggle for equal opportunity. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders create a timeline outlining various groups' struggles for equal opportunity. Students research and construct a timeline to...
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A Monster's World
Study African American inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger and create imaginary monsters using texture.
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Asian, African, or Australian Inventors & Inventions
Seventh graders explore the inventors or inventions from Asia, Africa, and Australia.
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Discovering Swahili
Learners investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words. In this foreign language lesson, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into Swahili....
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Zora Hurston Teacher's Guide
Students explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson plan, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real...
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Sole People
Students create "sole people" using tempera paint, drawing paper, and shoe prints in this multi-level art lesson. The lesson can be combined with a brief history of the African-American inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger, who created the...
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Black History Month
Students work in cooperative pairs to research information and give oral presentations about African American men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history.
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Folktales (African American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean)
Students participate in a variety of activities that are concerned with comparing different cultures through the literary genre of folktales. The stories are used to stimulate student interest and provide a context for how a society...
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Facing Life's Challenges
Learners analyze divination and carry out experiments using a probability model. In this probability lesson plan, students review information about divination and predictions in various cultures. Learners set up experiments to test...
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Ray Charles
Learners read the book Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. For this biography lesson plan, pupils read about the life of Ray Charles. Learners answer pre-reading questions about senses, strengths, and weaknesses they have. The lesson plan...
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Against The Tide: Three Who Made It!
Students examine the lives of three people from New Haven, Connecticut who have careers in law, politics and entertainment. In groups or individually, they read excerpts of information about the three people and what contributions they...