Lesson Plan
Curated OER

“And Still I Rise” Proud Black Women

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the experiences of African American women. In this poetry lesson, students use their literary analysis skills to compare the poetry of Maya Angelou to rap music performed by Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Suffragist

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine one woman's impact on a nation. In this suffragette activity, students are introduced to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and examine her involvement in both the anti-slavery and woman's movement. Middle schoolers...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Hawk Island Hike

For Teachers K - Higher Ed
Students explore Wisconsin's natural and cultural history through hands-on exploration of Upham Woods. They are shown the basic paddling skills and they work in teams to paddle across the river on barge. Students describe cultural...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black Women in Delaware's History

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study the number of slaves in the US in 1790 by state and answer questions. They imagine that they were an enslaved African American women and determine how their life changed when slavery ended.
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Ida B. Wells: Suffragist and Anti-Lynching Activist

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Suffragette, investigative journalist, and civil rights activist Ida B. Wells is the focus of a instructional activity that has young historians study the work of this amazing woman. Scholars watch a video biography of Wells, read the...
Lesson Plan
Academy of American Poets

Teach This Poem: "When Fannie Lou Hamer Said" by Mahogany L. Browne

For Teachers K - 12th Standards
After watching an excerpt from a video of Fannie Lou Hamer's testimony before Congress, pupils do a close reading of Mahogany L. Browne's poem "When Fannie Lou Hamer Said," annotate words and phrases that draw their attention and list...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While many have heard of Harriet Tubman, few are aware of the many ways this remarkable woman was involved in the United States Civil War, the abolitionist movement, and the Underground Railroad. Young historians examine primary source...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Toni Morrison's Beloved: For Sixty Million and More

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Complex, disturbing, and challenging, Beloved is the focus of a activity that provides three activities to guide a close reading of Toni Morrison's novel. Readers create chapter titles based on key plot elements or themes,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Middle Passage

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore slavery conditions by viewing a video clip on the Internet. In this slave ship lesson, 5th graders discuss the transportation of black men and women from Africa to the United States in the 1700's and how poor the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speaking Up and Speaking Out: Exploring the Lives of Black Women During the 19th Century

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars learn how to read and interpret various primary and secondary sources and how to use them to draw conclusions about the issues that the authors faced during the nineteenth century. They read historical narratives...
Lesson Plan
Carolina K-12

Group Project: Freedom Parade

For Students 5th Standards
Parades are a great way to celebrate. Get young historians into the festivities by asking them to create an informational float for a Freedom Parade. Picking a topic from the provided list or suggesting one of their own, class members...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Counts as History?

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the question "What Counts as History?"  In this Philosophy lesson, 8th graders pretend that they are going to interview a historian.  Students read a primary source and answer the questions that follow.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the music, and...
Lesson Plan
Anti-Defamation League

The Gender Wage Gap

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Equal pay for equal work!" may sound logical but it is not the reality. High schoolers begin a study of the gender wage gap with an activity that asks them to position themselves along a line that indicates whether they strongly agree...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gilbert Stuart and Presdidential Portraits

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students read passages about the context of paintings for artist Gilbert Stuart. In this art history lesson, students study paintings by artist Gilbert Stuart and learn about the context of his art. Students then complete a presidential...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine female artists who perform in the genres of rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop/rap. They compose lyrics and melody in one of these genres.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fredrick Douglass...A Digital History

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders research the life of Fredrick Douglass. In this Fredrick Douglass lesson, 7th graders read about his life and discuss it. They write poetry describing his experience as a slave and create their own monument for Fredrick...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Do You Know?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students research and describe the contributions of African-American men and women. They write their notes in a Microsoft Word document. They present their information to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pulsar Stars And Black Holes

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore the discovery of pulsar stars, and the characteristics of pulsar stars. Theories and ideas behind black holes are discussed. The issues of women's historical role in science are also touched on.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fighting for Whose Freedom? Black Soldiers in the American Revolution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students analyze primary sources about black soldiers in the American Revolution. They apply independent conclusions to create a piece of historical fiction. Students come to understand that as soldiers, scouts, or spies,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Hall of Fame

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students create an American History Hall of Fame for various cultures that have been forgotten in American History.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Race and Voting in the Segregated South

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the history of African American voting rights. In this voting rights lesson, students listen to a lecture on African American voting rights between the years 1890 and 1965. Students respond to discussion questions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Participation in Wars and Conflicts

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the enlistment of African Americans, including particular divisions and individuals, in different conflicts. They, in groups, research past American military conflicts, and report on the experience of African Americans...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Segregation: From Jim Crow to Linda Brown

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the African American social, economic, and political conditions between 1896 and 1953. In this segregation instructional activity, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the plight of African...