Curated OER
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Learners 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'"...
Curated OER
Recruitment
Fifth graders analyze and then draw recruitment posters. In this Revolutionary War lesson, 5th graders analyze recruitment posters and discuss the attitude towards African Americans. Students analyze primary documents from...
Curated OER
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Ruby Bridges' walk into the William Franz Elementary broke racial barriers and propelled the Civil Rights Movement forward.
Curated OER
An Analysis of Jim Crow Laws and their Effects on Race Relations
First graders analyze the role of the Jim Crow laws on race relations. As a class, they are segregated based on the color shirt they have or some other simple criteria and wear either a square or circle sticker representing the majority...
Curated OER
Re-Examining Brown
Students explore and describe the impact of segregation on African Americans and other non-white minorities. In this segregation lesson plan students identify, research and report on the legal cases that led to the Brown vs. Board...
Curated OER
Afro-Caribbean Americans and the Sugar Economy
Students read the narrative, Caribbean Immigration and examine how sugar production and migration of people of African origin have been intertwined for centuries. Working in three groups, they present oral reports on the three eras of...
Curated OER
The Power of Protest
High schoolers explain how Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. They discuss how her actions were heroic and how they affected the civil rights movement. They reflect on the lesson in journal entries.
Curated OER
Attitudes Toward Emancipation
Learners read the Emancipation Proclamation and investigate steps that led to its signing. They read and discuss period news articles from both sides of the argument and create portfolios of documentation supporting both sides.
Albert Shanker Institute
Economic Causes of the March on Washington
Money can't buy happiness, but it can put food on the table and pay the bills. The first of a five-lesson unit teaches pupils about the unemployment rate in 1963 and its relationship with the March on Washington. They learn how to create...
Curated OER
Perspective on the Slave Narrative
Students examine narratives of two slaves: iam W. Brown and Frederick Douglas. They produce an essay explaining how Brown's narrative challenged the prejudices of readers in his own time and how it challenges prejudices today.
Curated OER
Rosa Parks
Second graders discover who Rosa Parks was and the significance of her role in Black History. Students place events in Rosa Park's life in chronological order.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Marketing a Bad Idea: Why So Many People Joined the Klan in the 1920s
How did the Klu Klux Klan manage to gain so many members during the 1920s? Class members examine Klan documents and promotional materials to gain an understanding of the propaganda techniques used to attract members.
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Vocabulary
In this Martin Luther King worksheet, students analyze 10 words that pertain to Martin Luther King. Students match the words with their meanings.
Curated OER
What is a Biography?
Investigate biographies with your class. Compare autobiographies and biographies of Martin Luther King, Jr. as an example. Learners explore the factual components that make up a biography and locate several biographies of notable...
Prindle Institute for Ethics
My Dream of Martin Luther King
Conduct a book study of the story, My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold. Followng a read-aloud, scholars take part in philosophical discussions covering the topics of freedom, equality, race, and heroes.
National Park Service
The Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March: Shaking the Conscience of the Nation
Travel back in time to examine how tragic events can spur positive change. Scholars explore the impact of the Selma Voting Rights March, including the tragic loss of life and the later signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Academics...
Scholastic
Lesson 1: What Are Barriers?
Scholars discuss the concept of a barrier with a short passage on Jackie Robinson. The writing process begins with a paragraph and several other sentences about Robinson's unique traits that made breaking a barrier...
PBS
Out of the Shadows | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
Two powerful video clips launch a study of race relations in the United States after the Selma, Alabama riots, the passage of the Votings Rights Act, and the riots in Watts, California.
Digital Public Library of America
The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
Center for History Education
Brown v. the Board of Education: Success or Failure?
Desegregation does not mean equality. An eye-opening lesson focuses on the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education decision to end school segregation. Scholars review a series of political cartoons to understand how the public viewed...
Digital Public Library of America
The Fifteenth Amendment
Fifteen primary sources provide a context for a study of the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The packet captures the excitement for the changes promised by the amendment as well as the backlash against it.
Teaching Tolerance
Slavery as a Form of Racialized Social Control
An engaging activity delves into the effects of slavery on society. Young historians read text excerpts, complete handouts, and participate in group discussion to understand how slavery was a means to control society and establish a...
Curated OER
Black Panther Party Lesson Plan
Why did the Black Panther Party feel colonized, and what methods did they employ to achieve empowerment? Your class members will engage in an online PowerPoint presentation, analysis of several documents, and discussion in order to...
Digital Public Library of America
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Despite the passing of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, as well as the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the struggle to ensure fair voter registration and election procedures continues. Young historians...