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Langston Hughes and the Blues
Learners explore the connections between Langson Hughes and blues music. For this African American culture lesson, students compare and contrast blues music with poetry and short stories by Langston Hughes.
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Karen Hesse's Witness; Tolerance and Non-Discrimination
Students complete a graphic organizer depicting character views regarding African Americans during the early 20th century in America. In this graphic organizer of views instructional activity, students read the book Witness and become...
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Gwendolyn Brooks
Students write a poem. In this writing lesson, students learn about Gwendolyn Brooks, a famous poet. Students discuss shape poetry and how it is written. Students choose an object from nature and write their own shape poem.
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Literature Overview: February
Third graders examine the phrase Touch and Go, and analyze the poem, Dream Variation by Langston Hughes. They read an African-American folktale and write interpretive paragraphs about the story.
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Investigating Langston Hughes
Third graders read and appreciate the writing of great American Authors. use technology to garner information about famous American authors. They have selected sites to explore. The information they save be used for a future Powerpoint.
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Writing With Punch
Students watch the series "Unforgiveable Blackness". They examine the media's response to Jack Johnson in the film. They role-play the role of reporters to compose poems of headlines.
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Exploring the Life of a Slave
Eleventh graders explore importance of abolitionists who worked to advance freedoms of black Americans prior to/during Reconstruction era, read and identify key concepts in Frederick Douglass's narrative, recognize how Douglass's slave...
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Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
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Lincoln, Douglass, and Black Emergence (Literature and Politics, 1840-1865)
Students examine the ideas of Lincoln and Douglass. In groups, they compare and contrast writings from each man and how they formed the nation with their ideas. After watching "Glory", they discuss how people like Lincoln and Douglass...
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Paper Vests
Second graders listen to background information on designated Black Americans and read some books about them. They choose one of the persons studied and create a paper vest relating the person's contributions.
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Sampling the American Dream
Students, after viewing a variety of different and unique websites, write a short paragraph on each one that describes their reactions to specific information on unfamiliar subjects. They react to each website as personally as they can.
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Hearing the Poetry of Langston Hughes Through the Sounds of Jazz
Students have an appreciation of Langston Hughe's poetry and his use of jazz rhythms, have the ability to read poetry closely, and freewrite to gain a fresh perspective on music and literature.
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Still I Rise: Maya Angelou
Students read the poem, Still I rise, by Maya Angelou. They examine how language, poetic devices, and format contribute to the poet's message. They identify poetic devices used in the poem.
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Read My Expression
Students 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 instructional activity suitable for the Laqnguage Arts or Art classroom. National...
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Early Jazz
Learners gain an understanding of early jazz. They study Dixieland and the Roaring Twenties. They examine the American historical significance and cultural implications of early jazz.
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Jazz In America
Young scholars explore the Jazz Era in America not only by answering questions but listening to music as well.
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Duke Ellington
Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...
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Pictures from Korea: Shards of an Almost Forgotten Past
Students explore the Korean War through photography. In this Korean War lesson, students examine photographs taken by a soldier and respond to question about them.
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In Daddy’s Arms I Am Tall Teacher’s Guide
Young scholars read the book I Am Tall and complete several reading response activities relating to the poems in the book. For this reading response lesson, students focus on the subject of fathers and make speculations about what the...
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Reading and Writing About Boxing
Students analyze the life of Jack Johnson and his relationship with other boxers. They write about his life by using the same style as Muhammad Ali, his taunts and boasts using rhyming.
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Crossroads Blues
The crossroads, and the decisions made and entities met there, are a common theme in literature, pushing readers to examine the choices and encounters that shape life experience. The theme has also been explored in blues music, most...
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Am I Really Free?
Fourth graders write about slavery and freedom. In this freed slaves lesson, 4th graders read historical information about free blacks during slavery and explore books, objects and slave narratives to learn more. Students...
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Fredrick Douglass...A Digital History
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...
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ARKANSAS SLAVES AND THE CIVIL WAR
High schoolers discuss African American troops throughout the country during the Civil War. They, in groups, write a skit for a situation given to them by the teacher.