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Breaking Barriers
Students examine the context of a speech delivered by Barack Obama. In this African-American history lesson, students discuss the 15th Amendment and the American Civil Rights Movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More...
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Nonviolent Resistance: Gandhi and King
High schoolers use the internet to research the major events and dates of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. In groups, they use this information to create a poster to present to the class. They reflect on how these two men...
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Turning Historical Descriptions into Causal Claims
Eleventh graders study different political processes. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders read narratives about different political processes. Students write a sentence in their own words describing the concepts.
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Arguments Against Ratifying the Constitution
Young scholars define federalism, Federalist, and Anti-Federalist, debate issue of ratification in classroom convention, and take vote on whether to add bill of rights. Three lessons on one page.
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America's Civil Rights Movement, Activity Six
Students explore non-violence and investigate the difference between passive and active voice.
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America's Civil Rights Movement, Activity Seven
Students model the writing style of the author of a piece of literature and present them to the class.
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The African-American Experience During the Vietnam Conflict
Students examine the experiences of African-Americans in the Vietnam War. They illustrate their experiences showing how these events related to the Civil Rights movement. They compare and contrast the views of sailors and officers aboard...
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From Jim Crow to Linda Brown: A Retrospective of the African-American Experience from 1897 to 1953.
Learners research the American Memory collection to explore the African-American experience from 1897 to 1953.
Library of Virginia
Antebellum Freedom
From indentured servitude to involuntary race-based servitude, slavery has taken many forms in American history. Class members examine three manumission petitions that reveal how the rights of African Americans and African American...
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Change: Just a Matter of Time
Learners analyze the Declaration of Independence and primary sources to explain civil rights. Then, students write a Declaration of Change to express the grievances of African Americans, and their desire to participate fully in the...
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Brother Outsider
Students view the film "Brother Outsider" and read an article by Bayard Rustin as springboards to discuss the concept of civil rights in the United States. They follow a discussion guide.
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Confict, Consensus, and Conclusion
Students debate the key issues dealing with women's rights and the rights of African Americans during and after the Civil War. They analyze the women's rights movement in relationship to the desire for suffrage. They utilize the...
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The Role of Television in Social Justice
Students will discover the direct impact television coverage had on the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will employ listening, information processing, and critical thinking skills while watching the film clips and answering...
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History Repeats Itself
Students read about an event that occurred 140 years ago to ascertain
information (who? what? when? where? why?) and to compare this event to Rosa Parks arrest almost 50 years ago. They retell the story from your point of view.
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Individual Resistance & Social Change
Young scholars examine the Brown v. Board of Education case. In this segregation lesson, students study the details of the case and compare it the Mendez v. Westminster case.
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North and South - Impact of the Abolitionist Movement
Students examine history of slavery in United States, discuss abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass who worked to end slavery, listen to excerpts from Douglass' autobiography, and visit interactive Underground Railroad web site.
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Egypt's Nonviolent Revolution
Middle schoolers explore the nonviolent protests of the Egyptians. In this current events lesson, students watch a video and read articles about the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Middle schoolers compare the Egyptian protest to the...
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A New Birth of Freedom: Black Soldiers in the Union Army
Young scholars use primary documents to analyze the events surrounding black soldiers joining the Union Army. In this content area reading lesson, students view multiple primary documents, analyzing and answering questions about them.
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Analyzing the economic, political, social, and cultural transformation of the United States since World War II
Eleventh graders examine political issues in the United States between 1936 and 2000. In this American history lesson plan, 11th graders study the economy, education, government, civil rights, and sports of this time period. Students...
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Social Activism In The United States
Students explore justice issues. In this social activism instructional activity, students watch "Social Activism in the United States," and then locate newspaper articles from the 1960's and 1970's about events during the era.
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Muhammad Ali and his Vietnam War Resistance: Defining Nonviolent Action through Gandhi and King
Students research Muhammad Ali's act of civil disobedience. In this civil disobedience lesson, students research Ali's defiance of the Vietnam War draft and compare his reasoning to Martin Luther King's thoughts on the war. Students...
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Celebrating Martin Luther King Day
Students examine how Martin Luther King Day is celebrated in the United States. They practice treating others equally and respectfully. They also identify ways in which they can help King's dream of peace a reality.
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Rosa Parks
Students identify the heroic actions of Rosa Parks. In this African-American instructional activity, students read the book, Rosa Parks: My Storyand create a timeline of the events from the biography.