Students create traditional African art pieces. In this visual arts activity, students use modeling materials to craft Gabon clay masks that represent beauty.

Students write their own dream poems in the style of African American dream poetry.  In this African American poetry lesson plan, students discuss the dreams of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement  and read...

Students explore African cultures by creating a holiday collage. In this Kwanzaa art lesson, students identify the popular colors associated with the African holiday and create a collage using them. Students present their art work for...

Students read African folktales. In this literature lesson, students share prior knowledge about South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria. Then students work in groups to read an assigned African folktale and answer response questions about...

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.

Students find compare an African, Native American, and European folktale. In this folktale lesson plan, students listen to three different folktales before finding the similarities and differences in them. They complete a worksheet of...

Students research the origination of the expression "The Real McCoy." In this economics research instructional activity, students read the book The Real McCoy. Students examine Elijah McCoy and his invention of the oil cup and how it...

Learners create a facial expression in clay using slabs of clay and coils that convey a feeling inspired by a poem in this excellent cross-curricular lesson suitable for the Laqnguage Arts or Art classroom. National Standards met during...

Students create a faux ivory napkin ring using art supplies and knowledge gained from in-class discussions and teacher supplied information in this art lesson plan easily adaptable to a Social Studies or Language Arts classroom.

Students observe and identify examples of personal adornment in African art and recall how African jewelry relates to beauty, status, and wealth. They create their own clay pendants or other personal adornments.

Students explore African storytelling and the use of masks in telling stories in Africa. They create their own masks to represent characters in a story told to the class.

Students examine the inventions of African Americans and how their inventions contributed to the common good. In this African American inventions lesson, students research the inventions of African Americans and reflect on how that...

Learners prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...

High schoolers investigate African American history by researching culture. In this Harlem Renaissance lesson, students identify the teachings, music and art associated with African Americans in Harlem in the early 20th century. High...

Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...

Fifth graders utilize text features. In this text features lesson students read The Story of Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball by Margaret Davidson. Students use clues from the table of contents, illustrations, and timeline to...

Students reflect on how many board games they've played have African Americans, their culture or history incorporated within. They identify four street games and three card games that appeal to African Americans. They play the...

Readers are first introduced to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart by making a map of Africa. They will better understand the novel's historical and literary contexts, European and African literary traditions, and how...

Learners read information about the ancient origins of art and archaeology with a focus on the Malian culture. In this art origins lesson plan, students read background information for the topic and compare ancient and contemporary...

Learners explore Civil Rights by analyzing U.S. history. In this African American workforce lesson, students discuss the history of African Americans in Baltimore and the need for steady work that formed. Learners define vocabulary terms...

Students compare and contrast historical and contemporary photographs of important figures in African American history. In this photography analysis lesson, students learn key photography vocabulary and use a Venn Diagram to explore...

Students view and create art in several styles. They view African Masks, Picasso's portraits and self-portraits. They compare the two, then create a self portrait. In the second lesson, they view landscape paintings by folk artists....

Students examine and analyze struggle for racial and gender equality, influences on African-American culture during the 1920s, and economic boom and social transformation of post-World War II United States.

Second graders observe and describe several masks from different parts of Africa housed in the Smithsonian Institute (National Museum of African Art) Washington, D.C. They use the internet to view the Smithsonian's virtual exhibits.