Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Have a Metaphor

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, students first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To Be Black and American: World War II

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders research wartime conditions African American had to endure during World War II. They explain what role African Americans played in World War II and describe what life was like for African Americans in the United States...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Watching Crystals Grow

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Courageous Voices that Shook the Nation to Action

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students study Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. In this Martin Luther King, Jr. day lesson, students learn about the holiday for Dr. King through literature and music. Students learn the lyrics to Stevie Wonder's 'Happy Birthday' about...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Government: Defending the Bill of Rights

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine the proposition of a country without the Bill of Rights. In a role-playing activity, teams of students gather information to build a case for retaining the Bill of Rights and present it before their congressperson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reconsidering Malcolm X

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners analyze the strategies and speeches of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lesson Plan
1
1
C-SPAN

14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Two Supreme Court cases, Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education take center stage in a lesson about the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Class members research both cases to compare and contrast the rulings.
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Jim Crow Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Jackie Robinson's attempt to earn a spot on the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers provides learners with an opportunity to examine the Jim Crow laws and revisit issues of segregation and integration. "The Unconquerable Doing the Impossible: Jackie...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Black Diamond

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Score a home run with this packet of information on the very first player of the Negro League to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — cultural groundbreaker and sports legend Satchel Paige. These worksheets include a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a Magic Lantern Show; Freed People in the Reconstruction South

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Engage your scholars by having them create "magic lantern shows" inspired by the film Dr. Toer's Amazing Magic Lantern Show: A Different View of Emancipation. As they study the South's Reconstruction through primary...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Places Where Women Made History

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
Worksheet
Curated OER

U.S. History Worksheet #75

For Students 5th - 8th
Get the facts straight when it comes to the Reconstruction Era! In this United States history worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the nation following the Civil...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dr. King’s Leadership in the Aftermath of the Bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore the concept of nonviolent resistance. In this nonviolent resistance lesson, students consider how Dr. King led during the aftermath of the bombing of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Power of Our Stories

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students compare violence to nonviolence. in this peace lesson, students tell stories from their own life that show the difference between violence and nonviolence. They listen to examples of Gandhi and Martin Luther King. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 2nd - 5th
In this comprehension worksheet, students read a selection about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and answer a set of 10 fill-in-the-blank comprehension questions. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Protest Songs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
tudents will illustrate the role, significance, and history of protest songs from the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will verbally answer the question: "What is the link between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip Hop music...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Dream

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students expand their knowledge by researching on the Internet the African American civil rights movement and compiling a timeline of events and heroes. In addition to the civil rights timeline, students identify the key historical sites...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The American Indian Movement

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders examine the civil rights movement of the Native Americans. They read the provided multicultural reading passage and answer the questions that follow. They chart which cultural groups fought for equal rights during the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Television in Social Justice

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students will discover the direct impact television coverage had on the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will employ listening, information processing, and critical thinking skills while watching the film clips and answering...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Marian Anderson: From Page to Stage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students become immersed in a compelling anecdote of the civil rights movement through the experience of constructing dramatic scripts. An added goal is to equip students, through this "hands-on" experience, to critique dramatic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Welcome to Paul Robeson: Speak of Me As I Am

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine Paul Robeson's contribution to American political and artistic heritage. They also study about McCarthyism and social unrest in America. Finally, they compare the methods used by two civil rights leaders
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lift Every Voice and Sing

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars analyze sculpture, poetry, and music to gain an understanding of historical events. In this critical thinking skills lesson, students take a closer look at African-American history as they examine "Lift Every Voice and...