National Endowment for the Humanities
A “New English” in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”: A Common Core Exemplar
To examine the “New English” Chinua Achebe uses in Things Fall Apart, readers complete a series of worksheets that ask them to examine similes, proverbs, and African folktales contained in the novel. Individuals explain the meaning...
Crafting Freedom
Harriet Jabocs and Elizabeth Keckly: The Material and Emotional Realities of Childhood in Slavery
Through the journals written by Harriet Jacobs and Elizabeth Keckly, young readers gain insight into the lives of two enslaved children on nineteenth-century plantations.
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Tribes And Tribulations
Young scholars explore South African history from pre-colonial times to today. They create a timeline of important events in South African history and reflect on connections between this timeline and the existence of tribal traditions in...
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Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For
Students examine the basic characteristics of jazz, and its relationship to African-American culture and history. They listen to examples of jazz, conduct research, and create a 20th century timeline of music and historical events.
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The Great Migration
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...
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The Middle Passage
Fifth graders explore slavery conditions by viewing a video clip on the Internet. For this slave ship lesson, 5th graders discuss the transportation of black men and women from Africa to the United States in the 1700's and how poor the...
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Roots And Styles Of Black Music - Lesson 1
Students identify many genres of Black music. They identify Black music as a reflection of the culture. They study many historically influential Black music artists, producers, and other contributors.
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What price Freedom! Civil War and Reconstruction
Fifth graders become familiar with the events of Reconstruction and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. In this reconstruction lesson plan, 5th graders work in pairs where each student creates a building with blocks and draws it....
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The Gullah People of the Sea Islands
Eighth graders examine the lives of the Gullah-Geechee people. In this unique cultures activity, 8th graders explore music, language, and slavery of the Gullah-Geechee people from the southern low-country in the United States. Students...
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Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X: A Common Solution?: Lesson Plan
Students explore the ideological and political development of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X through primary source documents. They identify the various personal, social, and political factors that influenced Martin Luther King,...
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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 2
High schoolers identify general business terms such as entrepreneur, corporation, marketing, demographic, promotion and distribution. They identify many Black music industry leaders and their contributions.
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Elements of African Oral Literature
Ninth graders examine the importance of family history. In this Language Arts lesson, 9th graders read and discuss African oral literature with a focus on the roles of griots. Students compare /contrast the elements of...
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Incorporate Black History into Math
February is Black History Month. So why not highlight lessons that connect mathematics to Africans and African Americans?
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Teacher Lesson Plans: Africa
Young scholars explore Africa. In this cultural studies lesson, students go on safari, create African masks, or have an African party after they have researched the people, geography, and culture of the continent.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. In this African-American history lesson, 11th graders read speeches by each of the men and summarize the arguments made by each of them about...
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A Nation of Nations Lesson Plan: Charting African Ethnicities in America
High schoolers 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...
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African American Music
Students investigate a variety of sites to gather relevant information for a
presentation about African American musical forms in this general Music lesson for middle school and high school. Resource links are provided to aid instruction.
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African life VS American life: Food and 3rd World and 1st World counties
Third graders explore the difference in 3rd world and 1st world countries. In this social studies lesson, 3rd graders are divided into groups and given varying amounts of food. Students discuss the unfair distribution of the food....
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Ethnic Family Life
Eleventh graders examine the impact of the gold rush on different cultures. In this American History activity, 11th graders examine the reasons for ethnic diversity in the west.
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Ancient Africa's Connection to Today
Fourth graders engage in a lesson in which ancient Africa's historical contributions are told though the eyes of a spider, Anansi, and his search calabash game. The game is accessed through a website which is embedded in this lesson plan.
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Exploring Ethnic Groups in Africa
Students research the ethnic groups located in African countries where African Americans immigrated. They access an excellent, multi-media narrative imbedded in this plan to do their research.
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Mixing Races in New Orleans
Pupils discuss the changes in the legal, social, and political status of African Americans and those of mixed ethnicity. They access a multi-media narrative imbedded in this plan, and answer questions from an attached worksheet.
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Character Traits and People in Black History
Third graders, after reading a one-page biographical essay, write in paragraph form how an African American has demonstrated a certain character trait.
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African Americans and the Democratic Party
Learners identify factors that caused African Americans to shift party loyalty from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. They review ways in which African Americans benefited from New Deal programs. Students analyze primary...