Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...

Students study the legislation and Amendments of Reconstruction period in America. In this Reconstruction lesson, students work in groups to dissect the Black Codes, an article in the US Constitution, as well as the 13th, 14th, and...

Students explore slavery by reviewing the written laws intended to keep African Americans subservient. In this U.S. slavery lesson, students analyze a time-line of the history of African Americans. Students discuss the patterns of the...

How did Ku Klux Klan develop and flourish in the US? How did the government respond to acts of terrorism conducted by the KKK following the Civil War? How does the government respond to acts of terrorism today? This resource...

After viewing a short PowerPoint about Nat Turner's rebellion, class groups examine Alabama's 1833 slave codes. Individuals then develop a mini-legal brief arguing against one particular slave law.

Message sending has come a long way since the days of Morse code's dots and dashes. Young scientists study the research of optical physicist Anthony Johnson and his work in fiber optics, lasers, and the principle of total internal...

Students examine the role of John Jones and his fight to repeal the Black Laws of Illinois. Using the text of the law, they explore his reasoning for repealing the laws and the arguments he used to support his beliefs. They draw their...

The Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted citizenship to all males in the U.S., resulted in the first African Americans to be elected to Congress. Class members research 11 of these men, the challenges they faced, and craft...

Students research and retrieve information from the Internet. They participate in an online quiz. They identify areas of cultural diversity in United States history.

High schoolers examine the Reconstruction programs instituted following the American Civil War, the potential for change these efforts offered, and the realities that occurred. Guided by a PowerPoint presentation, class members read a...

Eleventh graders gain an awareness and an appreciation of slave spirituals as part of their American Literature/American History heritage.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery in the United States. However, neither document defined freedom. The second lesson in the Reconstruction Era series examines...

First graders read a book about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. In this underground railroad lesson, 1st graders learn songs and code words that the slaves used to communicate with one another. Students discuss how all...

Students identify, summarize and present facts about cultural, educational and political inequalities of Reconstruction, explain hidden codes of slave spirituals and their importance in slaves' communication, and create poetry based on...

Students examine the role of signal corps during the Civil War and explore the technique of 'wigwag.' In this Civil War lesson, students discuss the way they communicate long distance today, they research how a civil war soldier...

Students discover the multicultural contributions to New Orleans gumbo through participation in cross curriculum activities. For this multicultural diversity and New Orleans history lesson, students shade regions of a map according to a...

First graders discuss Black History month and read a book about The Underground Railroad. In this history lesson, 1st graders discuss and answer questions as the book is read, and complete a worksheet about their feelings and reactions...

Fourth graders conduct online research to create a timeline of ten US Presidents. In this historical events lesson, 4th graders find online information about the birth dates and birth states of ten US Presidents. This information is...

Students cite evidence gathered from magazines about how much Blacks are accepted into the mainstream of American life. They support their conclusions by writing an answer to an essay question.

Students receive instruction to answer the question "What is coal?". They then participate in several puzzles and problems to explore the subject of coal. They solve addition and subtraction problems and match letters with the letter...

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.

Students listen to the story, "Harriet Goes to the Circus," to launch into a lesson on positional words, such as over, under, and behind. After clipping out and coloring pictures of circus animals, students place them into a parade line...

Students describe the period of Reconstruction. Then students describe the concept of sharecropping. They complete a vocabulary prediction confirmation activity for the vocabulary words from the passage.

Fifth graders create a Freedom Quilt and learn how many African Americans escaped to freedom.  In this Underground Railroad lesson, 5th graders complete a KWL chart on the Underground Railroad, read a book about the Underground...