Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Celebration

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research the role of the Catholic church in the experiences of Haitian immigration. They organize a celebration of African and African-American cultures around the feast day of St. Martin de Porres, a saint of African descent.
Lesson Plan
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Studying the Haitian Immigration

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research the Haitian immigration of the 18th and 19th centuries. They research modern life in the state of Louisiana and write about the influence of Haitian immigrants on politics, people and culture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eli Whitney's Patent for the Cotton Gin

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review the U.S. patent laws by researching Eli Whitney's petition for a renewal on his cotton gin patent. They examine documents to assess the impact of the cotton gin, role-play the patent hearing and discuss the effects of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Amistad Case

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the case of The Amistad and the individuals involved with the case. They write editorials, compare the movie version to actual historical documents and write a one-act play presenting their findings.
Lesson Plan
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Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty and Secession

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.
Lesson Plan
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The Dred Scott Case (1857)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and discuss Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court case, describe in writing Constitutional principles and results of case, explain how Supreme Court decision may have helped further tensions between states, and answer...
Lesson Plan
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Gullah People of the Sea Islands

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students examine the history and culture of the Gullah people. They study the geography, impact of industrialization and effects of tourism on the people of Gullah. They view films, use a large map of West Africa,. Students will listen...
Lesson Plan
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Making the Connection With Quilts

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore history of Underground Railroad in Indiana and discover how slaves were assisted on their journey using codes displayed in different quilt blocks. Students examine connection quilts have to ancestry and family...
Lesson Plan
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Development of the English Colonies

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners research one of the original 13 colonies using the included worksheet. They also record their findings on a poster board to use during a class presentation. Students then take notes on the presentations using the provided...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet Tubman

For Teachers K - 4th
Students sing the song "Harriet Tubman" by Walter Robinson. In this African-American history lesson, students review code words that were used during the slave trade and listen to the song "Harriet Tubman". Students create movements to...
Lesson Plan
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Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners explore the Underground Railroad.  In this U.S. history and technology lesson, students research an assigned topic related to the Underground Railroad, such as "abolitionist," "conductor," or "station houses." ...
Lesson Plan
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Drawing Conclusions - Is This a Map of the Underground Railroad?

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students complete activities to study potential maps of the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad activity, students watch a video about map collector Anne Zorela's Underground Railroad map. Students complete a graphic...
Lesson Plan
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Examining Slave Auction Documents

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students compare the social and cultural characteristics of the North, the South, and the West during the antebellum period, including the lives of African Americans and social reform movements such as abolition and women’s rights.
Lesson Plan
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African Americans after the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore the events of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  In this US History lesson plan, students complete several activities and worksheets that reinforce challenges and social upheaval experienced in the South after the...
Lesson Plan
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Call and Response Singing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate call and response singing.  In this fine arts and U.S. history lesson, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil War. ...
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Civil War: Face Jug

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine African American art. For this African American history lesson, students research face jugs created by African American freedmen after they watch a video about the artifact and its significance. Students then create...
Lesson Plan
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Plessy V. Ferguson: "Separate but Equal," Equal Protection

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the details and impact of the Plessy vs. Ferguson U.S. Supreme Court case.  In this U.S. History lesson, students participate in several group discussions and group activities that examine both sides of the...
Lesson Plan
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Underground Railroad Newspaper

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders write an Underground Railroad Newspaper. In this writing lesson students collaborate with their classmates to create an Underground Newspaper. Students each write a different portion of the paper: ads, feature articles,...
PPT
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The Brief American Pageant: American Life in the Seventeenth Century

For Teachers 9th - 11th
While chapter 4 of The American Pageant might be about American life in the 17th century, this presentation only includes one slide (beyond the title slides), which displays the sources and trade routes of African slaves. An...
Lesson Plan
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Human Trafficking & Modern Day Slavery - Debating the Fundamentals

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students research the trafficking and slavery issues in a country of their choice. In groups, they prepare arguments which support their point of view. They reverse their positions to make the debate more interesting.
Worksheet
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Writing Your Own Spiritual

For Students 4th - 8th
In this slavery worksheet, students brainstorm words that describe slavery and then write their own spiritual about slavery. Students may write as many words as they would like.
Lesson Plan
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Music, Slavery, and the Civil War

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the role of the spiritual played during the period of slavery and the Civil War. They listen to and analyze various forms of spirituals They gain an awareness of how music reflects cultures and social issues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Was the Inside vs. Outside Paradigm Created?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders write notes from a teacher lecture on Slavery and Exploitation. They review process for notetaking, symbols and abbreviations. They read three web articles about slavery and create a rubric for evaluating the quality of a...
Lesson Plan
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The Early American Contradiction

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students use the Constitution and Declaration of Independence to investigate the apparent contradictions between slavery and freedom. The activity looks at the reasons for the incorporation of slavery into early colonial life even with...

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