National Endowment for the Humanities
A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?
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...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made
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...
Curated OER
I Have a Metaphor
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...
Curated OER
To Be Black and American: World War II
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...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
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...
Curated OER
Courageous Voices that Shook the Nation to Action
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...
National First Ladies' Library
Government: Defending the Bill of Rights
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.
Curated OER
Reconsidering Malcolm X
Students analyze the strategies and speeches of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
C-SPAN
14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause
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.
Curated OER
Jim Crow Lesson Plan
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...
Smithsonian Institution
Black Diamond
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...
Curated OER
Create a Magic Lantern Show; Freed People in the Reconstruction South
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...
Curated OER
Places Where Women Made History
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
Curated OER
U.S. History Worksheet #75
Get the facts straight when it comes to the Reconstruction Era! In this United States history learning exercise, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the nation following the...
Curated OER
Dr. King’s Leadership in the Aftermath of the Bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church
Students 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.
Curated OER
The Power of Our Stories
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.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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.
Curated OER
The Role of Protest Songs
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...
Curated OER
The American Dream
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...
Curated OER
The American Indian Movement
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...
Curated OER
The Role of Television in Social Justice
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...
Curated OER
Marian Anderson: From Page to Stage
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...
Curated OER
Welcome to Paul Robeson: Speak of Me As I Am
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
Curated OER
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Students 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 Sing'"...