Alabama Department of Archives and History
The Wrong Side of History: How One Group Justified Its Opposition on the Freedom Riders and Civil Rights for African Americans
Designed as a supplement to the study of the Freedom Riders, this resource uses primary sources to reveal the views of those who opposed the Freedom Riders. After careful study of the arguments presented by the members of the Montgomery...
Curated OER
History in Literature - The House of Dies Drear
Hook your learners with a great project. They research the underground railroad and civil rights movement through literature, view the video The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery, and read the book House of Dies Drear in...
Curated OER
They're Only Children
Third graders compare how the lives of African American slave children differed from children's lives today. In this analysis of slavery lesson, 3rd graders evaluate and discuss the conditions of slavery in collaborative groups....
Curated OER
Between the Rivers
Second graders compare and contrast historical American cultures. In this American history lesson, 2nd graders participate in reading, writing, oral, and hands on activities. Students discuss the similarities and differences...
Curated OER
Creating an Ethnic Student Newspaper
Students examine the role of the Black Press. In this African American history lesson, students watch segments of a video titled, " Too Long to Have Others Spoken for Us." Students respond to discussion questions regarding each of the...
Curated OER
A Divided Community
Students work in teams to research the history of African migration and immigration in the U.S. They present their research in a town hall discussion format and then write a paragraph about their experiences.
Curated OER
Women's Achievements
Third graders read the passage in their textbook about Mary McLeod Bethune and discuss why education was important to her, and why she beleived that education allowed African American children to reach their potential. They then discuss...
Curated OER
Zora Hurston Teacher's Guide
Students explore American culture by reading classic literature in class. In this African-American history lesson, students read the story Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree while identifying the work and contributions of the real life...
Curated OER
A Lesson on Reconstruction Legislation and Amendments
Learners 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...
Curated OER
The Rise of Segregation
Eleventh graders describe the foundation for legal segregation in the South and identify three key African American leaders' responses to discrimination. They also find and copy the definition of sharecropper and answer a variety of...
Curated OER
Where Life Is Too Short
Students study the impact and implications of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa and beyond. They explain how the AIDS pandemic is affecting multiple aspects of life in South Africa and why life expectancies differ dramatically among...
Curated OER
John Jones and the Fight to Repeal the Black Laws
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...
Curated OER
Living Under the Illinois Black Codes
Learners 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...
Curated OER
Need for Reconstruction: Devasation and Liberation in the South
Eighth graders examine the amount of destruction in the South following the Civil War. They explore the reasons why Reconstruction was needed.
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Let Your Motto Be Resistance: African American Portraits
Students compare and contrast historical and contemporary photographs of important figures in African American history. In this photography analysis lesson, students learn key photography vocabulary and use a Venn Diagram to explore...
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"A Costly Prosperity", South Carolina during World War II
Eleventh graders study the history of South Carolina during World War II. In this American History lesson, 11th graders analyze the economic growth of this state through primary sources. Students interpret many different...
Curated OER
Chapter 10: "Currents of Change in the Northeast and the Old Northwest" Chapter 11: "Slavery and the Old South"
Students use the indicated text and the internet to compare and contrast the North and South. They discuss the social and political implications of the two predominant economic systems (slavery and factory). They are introduced to the...
Curated OER
A Nation of Nations Lesson Plan: Charting African Ethnicities in America
Pupils read a portion of the narrative, The Transatlantic Slave Trade, to explain the ethnic origins of enslaved Africans brought to the US. They create charts and bar graphs comparing ethnicities in the lowlands and tidewater regions.
Curated OER
Did Southern Free Men of Color Fight for the Ideals of the South?
Young scholars explore how to read and interpret various primary and secondary sources and how to use them to draw conclusions about motivations of African American soldiers in the Civil War. They evaluate the quality of primary sources...
Curated OER
Reconstruction and the 1868 South Carolina Constitution
Pupils, through lecture and group discussion, explore the American Civil War Reconstruction and how it affected the development of the 1868 Constitution of South Carolina. They discuss its impact on South Carolina even today.
Curated OER
The Old South In Children's Books
Students discuss what is meant by the "Old South". In groups, they read stories about the Old South and discover this was not how the area actually was in that time period. They use a database to examine the covers of books and...
Curated OER
Botanical Diversity in South Africa
Ninth graders explore the history and culture of South Africa. In this South African lesson, 9th graders create individual art pieces to be joined in the construction of a quilt.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Fred Seibel, the Times-Dispatch, and Massive Resistance
A lesson challenges scholars to analyze editorial cartoons created by Fred Seibel, illustrator for the Times-Dispatch, during the Massive Resistance. A class discussion looking at today's editorial pages and Jim Crow Laws leads the...
Crafting Freedom
George Moses Horton: Slavery from a Poet's Perspective
After reading about the life of George Moses Horton, the first slave to publish anti-slavery poetry, learners will recall his major accomplishments, provide a summary of the obstacles he faced, and identify common aspects of the...