Source: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Recount how racial violence was employed against African-Americans during the Jim Crow era. Consider the way a variety of documents were gathered and disseminated in the 18th and 19th centuries to educate people about the problem of lynching.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Frontline
Examine how ethnic groups experience racism differently, and discuss to what extent negative labels and stereotyping become self-fulfilling prophecies. Investigate the concepts of privilege and meritocracy, and identify ways to prevent racism.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Sociology.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Consider the various influences on musicians' creations, understand the musical contributions of Skip James and Robert Johnson and explore the creation of personae by musicians, past and present.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Do You Speak American?
Explore the roots of African American English, the role it plays in American culture and the inaccuracies and implications of language-based stereotypes in society. Identify some of the linguistic features that characterize African American English.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Vocabulary. Anthropology/Cultures. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The West
Examine documents and statistics to understand the treatment of African and Native Americans by the U.S. government and other westward migrants. Explain how the selection of evidence by historians influences perceptions of later generations.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Cultural Studies: Native American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Culture Shock
Develop a deep understanding of the history and culture of African-Americans. Recognize the historical roots and present-day manifestations of stereotypes and critically examine how Twain used these stereotypes in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Literature: American. Reading: Reading Comprehension. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Identify some of the motivations for the creation of separate black communities that often freed African-American families from the violence of the Jim Crow south. Understand the steps involved in building these movements.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore events of African American history since the Civil War, understand political and social issues involved in African Americans' struggle for equality and evaluate how these events and issues influenced and are reflected in blues music.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore regional geography and culture while also learning about the effects of different environments on musical styles, the relationships between natural resources and social organization and the cultural legacies of migrations of people.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Geography. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Investigate the origins of the blues, and practice mapping out a blues song. Explain the difference between the use of floating verse and the violation of copyright law.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore urbanization, technology and their effects on everyday life in the 20th century through a study of blues music. Examine the experiences of African Americans who moved to the city during the Great Migration.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1929-1945. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Point of View
Research the process of presidential elections, and assess the role of political campaigns in a democracy. Describe the historical significance of Chisholm as an African American woman running for national office and the challenges she faced.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: United States Government. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Journey To Peace
Learn about different perspectives on the issue of race in one's own community. Design, plan and administer a forum.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Community & Citizenship. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Not For Ourselves Alone: The Story Of Elizabeth Cady Stanton And Susan B. Anthony
Debate the key issues surrounding women's rights and the rights of African Americans during and after the Civil War. Analyze the split in the women's rights movement, and explain what impact this had on the movement and the desire for suffrage.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Womens Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: KQED: The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Analyze current and historical news articles and features covered by ethnic newspapers and identify the audiences for which they were created. Create a school newspaper focusing on topics that are important to ethnic students.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Critical Thinking Skills. Journalism. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Media Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: KQED: The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Identify marketing strategies employed by advertising agencies and examine how they market products for different ethnic groups. Design two different advertisements for one product, each targeting a different ethnic group.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Critical Thinking Skills. Media Studies. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Describe what is meant by the "color line" in the Jim-Crow era South, analyze the results of crossing the color line and determine how Jack Johnson's victory undermined the theory of white racial supremacy.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Examine the history of interracial marriage and anti-miscegenation laws in the context of Jack Johnson's life.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Experience
Explore points of view in a mock interview between two young white men and a confrontation during a civil rights demonstration. Compare hip hop music of today with African American music of the past, describing their influence for both good and ill.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Experience
Research Martin Luther King, Jr.'s opposition to the Vietnam War to determine why civil rights leaders shifted focus to the war on poverty at that time. Graph and compare poverty levels of white and black Americans against one measure of prosperity.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Economics. United States History: 1945-early 1970s.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Experience
Draw editorial cartoons depicting how the Civil Rights Movement drew strength from the fact that its cause was just. Conduct Internet research to investigate math achievement among minority groups and how algebra skills can predict college success.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: College Planning. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Journalism.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: KQED: The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Analyze current media for examples of racial stereotyping and identify possible causes for the practice. Look for stereotyping in movies and television and reflect on its personal and societal effects.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Media Studies. Critical Thinking Skills. Film.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Point of View
List the attributes of a good father, explore and discuss the difficulties and importance of communication across generations and write a letter to someone who has influenced your life.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Writing: Composition. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Family Life.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore the blues as a form of African American folklore, including its language, imagery and function, define and explain the nature of oral culture and understand the ways in which cultural traditions develop over time.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Folklore. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Study the life and work of Muddy Waters to learn about the Great Migration of black Southerners to the North and about the relationship between geography, transportation, history, music, culture, and civil rights.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Roots Music
Identify some of the leading figures in post-war gospel music. Compare the differences in style and approach of several gospel musicians and analyze how music has different meanings in different social contexts.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore life for African Americans during the Jim Crow era, consider terms of respect and disrespect and analyze the effectiveness of different forms of cultural protest.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1890-1930. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Study the life and work of James Brown and his impact on American music.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Understand Jim Crow laws and their effect on African-Americans and the importance of jazz music in American life during the Depression. Contrast the ways in which America's jazz music depends on collaboration whereas segregation valued separation.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1929-1945. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Learn about lynching, its relationship to racism in American history and strategies that were used to stem the tide of lynchings that engulfed the South. Examine the ways that jazz contributed to the political awareness of the American public.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Africans In America
Analyze the militant phase of anti-slavery activism inspired by the pamphlets, newspapers, speeches, and organized campaigns of early 19th-century abolitionists.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1801-1861.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Slavery and the Making of America
Investigate the distinct forms of knowledge that enslaved Africans brought with them to America or developed while enslaved. Construct a contest in which participants will be queried on different topics related to slavery in America.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1585-1763. United States History: 1754-1820s.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Masterpiece Theater
Explore Hughes' work and the film through its major themes: race and class. Compare and contrast literature and film using examples from Cora Unashamed and other film adaptations.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Film. Literature: American. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Examine the role of race and discrimination in the entertainment world through connections to the life story of Lena Horne.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Experience
Participate in a mock Supreme Court hearing of Plessy v. Ferguson to explore the Court's opinions in 1892 about race relations. Consider whether segregation must always lead to discrimination and whether diversity always leads to tension.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: United States Government. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1870-1900.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Explore the African American oral tradition and the relationship of this tradition to the blues. Identify the oral traditions that exist within one's own family.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Folklore. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Cultural Studies: African Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Mark Twain
Identify and describe the influence slavery had on Mark Twain's writing, and consider the powerful impact Twain's vernacular storytelling ability had on his audience. Determine the current status of race relations and ethnic differences.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Storytelling. Writing: Composition. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Explore the theme of invisibility in Ralph Ellison's book, "The Invisible Man", in their own lives, and in their communities. Write an essay on the theme of the personal experience of invisibility.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Literature: American. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: African American Lives 2
Examine the subjective and fluid distinctions that support categorizations of people according to race. Explore ways that these distinctions have been used to the detriment or advantage of groups of Americans over time.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Historical Perspective.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Culture Shock
Connect and analyze the institution of slavery, conditions under which slaves lived, the varied ways in which they resisted these conditions, and stereotyping to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Literature: American. Reading: Reading Comprehension. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Consider how religious faith influenced the Civil Rights Movement and whether the influence of religious faith on social movements somehow violates the separation of church and state.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Religion.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Point of View
Investigate the six-day urban rebellion in Newark, New Jersey in 1967 and compare the city then with conditions today. Apply lessons learned in Newark toward positive changes in your community or state.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: NewsHour Extra
Discuss ways artists express points of view in their creations, discuss social themes prevalent during the Harlem Renaissance period and compare and contrast them to social themes today. Create a mixed-media collage expressing a social concern.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1890-1930. Visual Arts.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Wonders Of The African World
Investigate the claims that the ruling classes of Ghana supported the slave trade by selling their own people. Explore journalism and ethics while creating a class newspaper which explores the economics and ethics of Ghana's African trade routes.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Journalism. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Cultural Studies: African Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Slavery and the Making of America
Locate and draw inferences from statistical information related to American slavery using census data from the United States Historical Census Data Browser. Connect episodes in the history of slavery with larger demographic trends.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Math, Social Studies
Topics: Data Analysis/Probability. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1754-1820s.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Understand the musical and cultural importance of African drumming. Recognize the role of the backbeat in blues music, and demonstrate steady rhythms in a variety of blues styles.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Cultural Studies: African Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Great Performances
Analyze various musical clips to determine the attributes that make them blues, gospel, country, jazz, rhythm and blues, funk or soul tunes. Explore the lives, careers, musical contributions and social contributions of Stax recording artists.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: NewsHour Extra
Identify major historical figures and publications of the black press, and relate them to national civic issues and broader historical themes. Formulate ideas about the role of the press in a democracy, and identify various jobs in the media.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Journalism.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Homecoming
Understand the past and present-day plight of the African-American farmer. Examine the valuable contributions black farmers have made in America, but consider why the black farmer is disappearing from the American landscape.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Science & Tech, Social Studies
Topics: Agriculture. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Examine the economics of the North and South during the Jim Crow era. Understand how Jim Crow laws sustained black economic dependency and why the rise of a black middle class challenged white supremacy.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: African American Lives 2
Explore the experience of African American soldiers in the Civil War. Analyze discrimination against African Americans in the U.S. military through the end of World War II and how desegregation of the armed forces set a precedent for U.S. society.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Historical Perspective.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Race - The Power of an Illusion
Explore how structural racism - in the form of a history of discriminatory government housing policies and practices - helped create the racial wealth gap in the United States today.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Economics.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow
Understand Jim Crow laws as a system of discrimination and segregation based on race and as a legal system. Examine the political violence that accompanied the changing legal status of African Americans and the strategies of civil rights activists.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Research the impact of racism in the second half of the 20th century and how theater affected the Civil Rights Movement. Prepare a ceremony that includes performance of dramatic readings and other artistic expressions.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s. Cultural Studies: Asian American Studies. Drama/Dramatics.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Examine the correlation between blues music and African American literature, understand what life was like for African Americans in the Jim Crow South and explore the literature produced by African Americans throughout the 20th century.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Literature: American. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1929-1945. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Africans In America
Examine how race-based slavery developed in the early 17th century, shifting from bond labor to slave labor in the British American colonies. Trace the development of laws that enforced the slave status of Africans and their descendants.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1585-1763.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Investigate the Civil Rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. Reflect on how Louis Armstrong and other jazz musicians contributed to American music and expressed the zeitgeist of the Civil Rights era through their music.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Explore poetry, jazz, rap and hip hop music, and discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Examine how the themes and subject matter of the poetry and music reflect the lifestyle of the period.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Literature: American. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Point of View
Examine the history and intent of hate groups in the U.S. Define the concept of privilege, and identify the impact of privilege on ones' own life and the daily activities of others.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Connect themes of literary forms and art to Harlem Renaissance jazz. Compare and contrast historical and fictionalized versions of the jazz scenes of the Harlem Renaissance, and describe the impact of jazz on African-American literature.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Literature: American. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Freedom: A History of US
Identify the Allies' goals for D-Day and discuss the obstacles the Allies faced and advantages they had on D-Day. Examine the role of the Tuskegee Airmen and describe their achievements in World War II.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1929-1945. World History: 1900-1945. Cultural Studies: Asian American Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Freedom: A History of US
Examine the crisis situation that existed in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963 -- its causes and outcomes -- and determine how students might respond to similar situations. Discuss how incidents in Birmingham moved our country toward freedom.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Freedom: A History of US
Explore the inequalities in the rights extended to women and minorities in the context of the women's suffrage movement and understand that early reformers were working toward voting rights for women and African Americans.
Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies
Topics: Civics: Civil and Human Rights. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Womens Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: The Blues
Examine issues of black or white ownership of music in the U.S., explain the relationship between marketing of blues music and its target audience and identify ways that Southern African-American culture has had meaning for white audiences.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Analyze the media's responses to Jack Johnson. Role-play reporters to compose headlines and subheadings that capture an African-American perspective.
Grade Level: 9-12
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies
Topics: Journalism. Writing: Composition. Cultural Studies: African American Studies. Media Studies.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
