Curated OER
Thurgood Marshall Makes a Difference
Students find information about the life and legal career of Thurgood Marshall, including the NAACP and its causes. They comprehend the issues and context of the Brown v. Board of Education case that Marshall argued before the U.S....
Curated OER
From Slaves to Soldiers: African Americans in the Civil War
Tenth graders observe several films, including The Divided Union, focusing on the conditions of slavery and African American soldiers in the Union Army. In addition, they watch Uncle Tom's Cabin and Glory to reinforce their knowledge of...
Curated OER
Migration and Political Power Lesson Plan: A Mapping and Graphing Activity
Young scholars examine how the end of slavery and the diffusion of African Americans across the United States contributed to its political successes following the civil rights era. In groups, they use information from a narrative to...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
American Literature and the Civil War
Students prepare for and respond to literature selections. This package includes fourteen lessons from the American Literature, The Civil War and Its Aftermath: 1845-1880 series, each covering a different reading selection. Pre-reading...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Students identify the heroic actions of Rosa Parks. In this African-American lesson, students read the book, Rosa Parks: My Storyand create a timeline of the events from the biography.
Curated OER
Mississippi and Civil Rights
In this Mississippi Civil Rights worksheet, students read 9 paragraphs about the history of civil rights in Mississippi. Worksheet has no other associated activities.
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Debate Against Slavery
Slavery is a serious topic that can be challenging for middle schoolers to study. Young scholars can see firsthand through primary sources what occurred during that time period in the United States. The third of five lessons provides...
Center for History and New Media
The Impact of the Jim Crow Era on Education, 1877–1930s
Even though American slaves were officially emancipated in 1865, the effects of slavery perpetuated throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Middle and high schoolers learn about the ways that discrimination and the Jim Crow laws...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Montgomery Bus Boycott: We Would Rather Walk!
Have historians use primary sources to learn about the circumstances and implementation of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and think about the issue of boycotts as a means of effecting social change. Wrap it up with a...
US Institute of Peace
Simulation on Conflict Prevention in the Greater Horn of Africa
Is containing a conflict possible in the Horn of Africa? Young peacekeepers engage in a simulation that examines the multi-faceted conflict that exists between the countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Representatives from ten countries in...
Center for History and New Media
Growing Up in a Segregated Society, 1880s–1930s
What did segregation look like in the beginning of the 20th century? Middle and high schoolers view images of segregated areas, read passages by Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and come to conclusions about how the influence of...
Curated OER
The AME Church in U.S. History
Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. For this African American history lesson, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy members. Students...
Center for History Education
The Freedmen's Bureau: Success or Failure?
What is freedom? The United States grappled with the question at the end of the Civil War after four million enslaved people were freed. Using circulars and images from the Reconstruction period, individuals examine how successful the...
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Facts and transcripts of Rosa Parks are transcribed in this 9-slide PowerPoint. The slides include a brief biography, history of racism, which lead into Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat. What follows are slides about her feelings...
Curated OER
Frederick Douglass Expository Reading Guide
Help your high schoolers navigate the cross-curricular text Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with this reading guide. The questions guide learners through composing a summary of any given chapter in the text. In addition,...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning - Bases Divided
Baseball is a relatively high-interest topic through which social studies classes can explore racial prejudice in the US. Video clips provide much of the background information that groups record on their handout and then share with the...
Curated OER
Jazz Music and the Crisis Over School Desegregation
High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Lyndon B. Johnson, Excerpt from “To Fulfill These Rights”
"Equal opportunity . . . is not enough." Johnson's 1965 commencement address to the learners at Howard University provides an opportunity for participants to see how education was a key element in his vision for civil rights.
Stanford University
Observing Human Rights Day
How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...
Curated OER
Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement
Students analyze Martin Luther King's message of nonviolent protest discover how individuals adapted his message to their own communities and situations.
Curated OER
Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America
Students examine the role music played in African American history and research events of the Civil Rights movement.
Curated OER
City Upon a Hill: Urban Centers and African-American Migrants
High schoolers examine why fugitive slaves migrated to cities and towns rather than rural areas. In this lesson, students consider the social, economic, and political benefits provided by cities and towns in comparison to rural areas.
Curated OER
Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate
Students examine the life of Jackie Robinson and the ways in which he and they can influence government policy.