Curated OER
Diverse Voices - African American Ventures
Students research African American history and the Underground Railroad. In this African American history lesson, students discuss the Drinking Gourd. Students read 'If You Traveled the Underground Railroad' and discuss. Students work in...
National Park Service
Lesson 2: Hope
There's hope in music. Pupils discover what gave enslaved people hope by examining lyrics and music during their time of bondage. A series of prompts helps individuals investigate songs of enslaved people. The cumulative assignment...
National Park Service
Lesson 1: Journaling with Songs of Freedom
There's more to music than a memorable tune. The songs of those who were enslaved reveal the harsh realities of their lives. Using both songs and slave narratives, historians uncover this hidden history. The lesson incorporates a variety...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Curated OER
The Importance of Storytelling
Students examine how African Americans escaping slavery used storytelling to communicate. They listen to and read the lyrics for the song, Follow the Drinking Gourd, view the Reading Rainbow video, and write and illustrate their own story.
Curated OER
Take a Ride on the Underground Railroad
Students explore the issues of American slavery, the abolitionist movements, and the pursuit of freedom that is found in art, literature, and music from that period in American history. Students determine the major personalities that...
Curated OER
What Does This Song Really Say?
Students investigate communication by analyzing lyrics from a song. In this music arts lesson, students discuss slavery, the Underground Railroad and African American traditions while listening to a song called "This Train." Students...
Curated OER
Looking at the Old South: Music and Culture
Middle schoolers use different styles of music to research society, history and culture in the American South. They, in groups, research an assigned piece of music and make a presentation to the class. They keep a daily journal as well.
Curated OER
Follow the Drinking Gourd
In this reading comprehension learning exercise, students read the story Follow the Drinking Gourd and then answer short answer questions about it. Students complete 6 questions.
Curated OER
PAINTING COLORFUL STORIES INFLUENCED BY JACOB LAWRENCE
Students research the background of Jacob Lawrence and study the music, poetry, and spirit of the Harlem Community that was present during Jacob Lawrence's formative and subsequent art productions. They create a piece of artwork...
Curated OER
Baroque Composers
Fourth graders study Baroque composers. In this music activity, rotate trough three stations, collecting information on particular Baroque composers. Worksheets, information cards, and procedure included.
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman Warns "Kill the Snake Before It Kills You"
Harriet Tubman developed a rich extended metaphor for slavery and the imperative for Lincoln to abolish it in this dictated letter from 1862. Young historians read the original document and interpret Tubman's allegory with a pair of...
Curated OER
TicTac Town
Thirty one possible tic-tac-toe games are included in this presentation. Students must answer a question in each x and o position. When the grid position is selected the question appears and the answer is generated on the next click....
Curated OER
Multiple Intelligences and The Illinois & Michigan Canal
Third graders engage in a wide variety of cross-curricular activities designed to give them a thorough understanding of the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. There are a very nice set of activities included in this plan!
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman
Students sing the song "Harriet Tubman" by Walter Robinson. In this African-American history instructional activity, students review code words that were used during the slave trade and listen to the song "Harriet Tubman". Students...
Curated OER
History: An African American Cultural Celebration
Students prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...
Curated OER
Master Spy
Young scholars explain that a code is a system of symbols, letters, words, or signals that are used instead of ordinary words and numbers to send messages or to store information. They practice deciphering a variety of secret codes used...
Curated OER
Tennessee Vocabulary
In this recognizing proper nouns about the state of Tennessee worksheet, students read the names in the word bank and match them with their descriptions. Students match 10 answers.
Curated OER
Incorporate Black History into Math
February is Black History Month. So why not highlight lessons that connect mathematics to Africans and African Americans?
Curated OER
This is Rosa Parks
Students observe the difference that one person can make. In this Civil Rights Movement activity, students discuss the concepts of segregation and boycotting. They compare and contrast two African American women who were pivotal to the...
Curated OER
Freedom Fighters
Students are introduced to the concept of segregation and explore its affects on society. They participate in a role-play about segregation, read books about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., create self-portraits, sing songs and participate...
Curated OER
Tennessee Crossword Puzzle
In this Tennessee crossword puzzle worksheet, students use the 10 clues to identify the words that belong in the word puzzle to correctly complete it.
Curated OER
Remember the Bridge: Poems of a People
Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...