Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lawson's Many Roles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the life of John Lawson and his many roles he took on during his life. Using their text, they discover the area in which he traveled and lived. They write an essay about his movements and identifying his contacts in...
Article
Other

Wesleyan University: West African Music

For Students 9th - 10th
This site talks about the African harp, guitar and several other instruments.
Website
BBC

Bbc: Bitesize: Music of Africa

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is a part of the About Music site of the BBC, and this interactive site lets you explore various parts of Africa, their music, their instruments, their sounds. Requires Real Player.
Website
York University

York University: African Canadian Online: Music

For Students 9th - 10th
African-Canadian music encompasses the West Indies, Africa, the United States, South American and the Maritimes. This excellent reference resource provides information about the many kinds of music and the talented individuals who make it.
Website
PBS

Pbs: New Perspectives on the West

For Students 9th - 10th
This in-depth resource presents a history of the American West from pre-Columbian times until World War I with profiles, documents, and images. It encourages visitors to link these into patterns of historical meaning for themselves....
Article
Other

Afro Disc: Africa Music Reviews

For Students 9th - 10th
A radio host talks about new music from West Africa. While profiling four popular artists, the substance in this site describes the flavor of the popular music.
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Kpelle Kinship

For Students 9th - 10th
The Kpelle are the largest ethnic group in the West African nation of Liberia and a significant group in neighboring Guinea. They are arguably the most rural and conservative of the major Liberian peoples. The only significant kin group...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Slavery and Freedom: Sorrow Songs

For Students 9th - 10th
Sorrow Songs are examined as the music the African American slaves of the antebellum South to express both sadness and despair as well as well as hope for better. See "Sorrow Songs Activities" for related artifacts and activities.
Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Taj Mahal

For Students 9th - 10th
This entry from Encyclopedia Brittanica's Guide to Black History features Taj Mahal, an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and one of the pioneers of what came to be called world music. He combined blues and other African-American...
Lesson Plan
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Sierra Leonean Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Sierra Leonean Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Website
Other

Mad River Theater Works: The Ballad of John Henry [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Scroll down this study guide to find the lyrics to the Ballad of John Henry, which was collected from individuals in the West Virginia mountains in the 1920's. Discusses the different versions of the song and the history behind it.