Just because slavery was illegal doesn't mean it went away ... Jim Crow Laws took its place. An eye-opening instructional activity focuses on how Jim Crow Laws were used as a form of racial social control against African Americans in the...

Mass incarceration: A result of a tough stance on crime or racial discrimination, you decide. Academics explore the history and reasons behind mass incarcerations in the United States and its impact on ethnic communities. The...

Scholars closely read Justice John Marshall Harlan's dissenting opinion in the Plessy v. Ferguson case, seeking to understand why he disagreed with the court's decision that racial segregation laws for public spaces were constitutional....

Young people played significant roles in the Civil Rights movement. Class members examine the contributions of Barbara Johns, Claudette Colvin, Mary Louise Smith, and the children of Birmingham,...

Students analyze various kinds of music.  In this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.

Review one of the most memorable cases in the history of the United States. After reading To Kill A Mockingbird, young scholars read and select court transcripts and other primary source material from the Scottsboro Boys Trial of 1933....

How are short stories from South Africa connected to issues of civil rights in the United States? A unit plan uses South African short stories to discuss issues such as apartheid, colonization, and civil rights. Questions and activities...

Students read a New York Times article in order to explain how American courts and communities are dealing with the unanimous Supreme Court decision to end "separate but equal" education. They analyze how this affects the nation's youth.

When Ruby Bridges entered an all-white school in New Orleans in 1960, she also entered history. Scholars consider what the experience must have been like for the young girl using two books that document her experience as well as a double...

Young journalists analyze how The Topeka State Journal, the Jackson Daily News, and The Providence Journal reported on the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v Board of Education. Scholars scrutinize the headlines, photographs,...

Students analyze writings of famous authors and record their positions on lynching and segregation. They research arguments to explore the attitudes of people in the South and the North during the 19th century.

Students examine the impact of racial discrimination. For this equality lesson, students identify examples of discrimination, analyze its impact, and examine strategies to overcome racial stereo typing and discrimination.

Young scholars examine the Brown v. Board of Education case that ended segregation. They role play to re-enact the case and discuss why it was important. They discover its impact on public education.

Middle schoolers read and discuss the story "John's Dilemma". As a class, they answer discussion questions related to peer pressure and responsibility. They compare a quote by Anne Frank to the situation John is going through in the...

Students read letters written by Evans and Gunton regarding race relations. In this Progressive Movement lesson, students interpret the intentions and tone of the letters to understand contemporary racial beliefs. Students discuss the...

Second graders read The Piano and become familiar with racial discrimination.  In this racial discrimination book lesson, 2nd graders answer comprehension question to focus on the importance of the book.  Students discuss the...

In this online interactive grammar skills lesson, learners examine 10 sentences and identify the part of each sentence that is grammatically incorrect.

Young scholars investigate the racism elements after the election of President Barack Obama. In this racism lesson, students read a recent article about 'post-racial' society. Young scholars compile a list of achieving a post-racial...

After reading a series of primary source documents detailing the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, class members craft newspaper columns assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each man's vision, and present their...

Students read and respond to the book, Dear Mrs. Parks. In this African-American literature lesson, students read the text and examine several vocabulary words from the text. Students answer 11 discussion questions and participate in...

Students complete a group research project on the Harlem Renaissance. In this Harlem lesson plan, students pick from a list of topics all related to the Harlem renaissance. They create a PowerPoint presentation, topic outline, and...

Students examine and respond to the text, The Bus Ride. In this African-American literature lesson, students explore pre-reading questions that focus on fairness of laws. Students read the text based on Rosa Parks and answer 11...

Fifth graders explore the positive and negative consequences of choosing to fight against discrimination. They read the story of Rosa Parks. Students discuss the movement against segregation. Students read other books about...

The work of Langston Hughes opens the door to research into the origin and legacy of the Harlem Renaissance and how the literature of the period can be viewed as a commentary on race relations in America. In addition, groups are assigned...