As a historic unit of the National Park Service, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The site also is within the boundaries of the Logan Circle Historic District. This lesson is based on the Historic Resources Study for Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, as well as other materials on Bethune and the National Council of Negro Women. The lesson was written by Brenda K. Olio, former Teaching with Historic Places historian, and edited by staff of the Teaching with Historic Places program and Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site.

In this unit, students begin to explore African-American history and the civil rights movement by studying Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and their influence on the nation. Students will begin the unit by thinking about the ways in which people are similar and different, including skin color, and how those differences should not define who we are or how we are treated. In the second part of the unit, students will learn about the discrimination and injustices faced by African-Americans during the civil rights movement and why it was necessary to fight for change. Finally, students will explore Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. and study how their influential leadership drove the civil rights movement and influenced and inspired others to fight for change. It is our hope that this unit will help instill the values of diversity and fairness, and that it will serve as a launch for further discussions around discrimination, fairness, and valuing individuals. This unit also falls during the month of February. Therefore, it will give students a chance to explore and deepen their understanding of Black History Month and why studying and celebrating black history is an important part of our nation's history.

In reading, this unit exposes students to the genre of biography. For each influential leader, students will read multiple biographies, noticing the ways in which authors use specific details to support points in a text. Students will also be pushed to think about which details are key details, how details are connected, how illustrations connect to particular points and ideas in a text, and the meaning of unfamiliar words. After reading multiple biographies, students will then compare and contrast the ways in which the authors present points in both texts. Students will also be challenged to think about the themes that develop across the biographies, particularly in regards to what makes the person an influential leader and the lessons that can be learned from studying each person.

In writing, this unit pushes students to begin answering questions using words and sentences, and, therefore, rely less on picture support. Students will also continue to work on answering the question and including an inference or critical thinking that shows a deeper understanding of the text. At this point, all structure focus correction areas should be taught; therefore, the focus of this unit should be on providing individualized feedback to students who are not at a 3 or 4 on the rubric.

In this lesson students learn how Birth of a Nation reflected and influenced racial attitudes, and they analyze and evaluate the efforts of the NAACP to prohibit showing of the film.

This is a remixed version to include the lesson activities within the Table of Contents.

Original: https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/birth-nation-naacp-and-balancing-rights

Jackson Ward in Richmond, VA was one of the most active and well known centers of African American life in this country by 1920.  Other examples of cities such as this one include Alexandria, VA and Church Street in Norfolk, VA. African Americans were able to create vibrant communities with businesses, churches, and entertainment venues despite the challenges they faced in this country.

In this historical fiction unit, students learn about the Great Depression through the eyes of a ten-year-old African-American boy by reading the core text Bud, Not Buddy. In Bud, Not Buddy, students join Bud on his quest to find his father. In doing so, students are exposed to what life was like during the Great Depression, especially for African-Americans. Over the course of the novel, students will grapple with lying, and if lying is always bad or if it can sometimes be a good thing, as they witness Bud lying as a way to survive. Students will also analyze and explore the idea of maturity and what it means to act one's age versus acting more mature as Bud finds himself in situations most ten-year-olds will never experience. The theme of compassion and kindness also arises over the course of the novel. Students will analyze how the compassionate actions of others help Bud on his journey, while deepening their understanding of why it's always important to help others, even when times are tough. It is our hope that this unit, in conjunction with the rest of the fourth-grade sequence, will help students develop empathy and understanding for the experiences of others.

As readers, this unit serves as the culminating unit for the year. Therefore, the majority of the unit focuses on spiraling strategies. Students should be pushed daily to summarize key events, analyze characters and setting, and figure out the meaning of unknown words. Students should also be pushed to use the information they learn from the nonfiction text about the Great Depression to confirm and deepen their understanding of what life was like during the Great Depression.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking Virginia Studies through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking Virginia Studies through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

This activity was originally developed by the teachers in the pilot program for the African  American History elective course (state-developed).  It can be modified for any American History course.

This capstone project can be used for students taking United States History to 1865 through Virginia and United States Government.  The project was written specifically for the state-developed African American History Elective course, but can be easily modified for any course.

Racism began to evolve during the second half of the 17th Century, around 1640.  African Americans made up a few thousand of the total population in the new colonies. Many of those early African Americans experienced life much like their fellow European settlers. The reversals they experienced were subtle at first but then became drastic. Those changes occurred because slavery was being used in the Caribbean to produce sugar so those ideas about labor traveled north easily.  It was also harder to import labor from Europe because the Civil War and the plague had reduced the population there. European colonists were realizing that enslaving African Americans would be more efficient and profitable. 

This resource presents a variety of digital resources hosted by Virginia Museum of Fine Arts that students can use to explore the life and work of renowned African-American photographer Louis Draper.  

In this unit, students learn about United States history by reading the core text, Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African-Americans, and excerpts from Let It Shine: Stories of Black Freedom Fighters and Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America. Throughout the unit, students grapple with the discrimination and broken promises African Americans faced, paired with the endless determination and perseverance that fueled countless triumphs to overcome unfair and unjust treatment. Through a study of slavery up through the civil rights movement, students will be challenged to think critically about different events, influential people, and how they have had a lasting impact on the America we know today. This is incredibly important for helping students not only understand America's past, but also to understand the realities of America's present. It is our goal that this unit, combined with others in the curriculum, will inspire a passion within students to stand up for what is right and to fight for civil rights in order to attain equality and justice for all human beings, regardless of race. The goal of this unit is not depth; rather, the focus is more on exposure and building student understanding of the history behind the civil rights movement while simultaneously building a sense of empowerment and empathy. In fifth grade, students will study the civil rights movement in depth, learning about a wider variety of influential leaders, groups, and events, especially those in which youth advocacy and fight inspired and drove change. It is our hope that the combination of both units will equip students with the tools necessary to begin to challenge injustice in their own lives.

The unit requires students to deeply analyze a text to see how an author develops different ideas and points using vivid evidence in both the text and illustrations. Students will analyze author's word choice, the different details an author includes, and the way in which an author presents information in order to build a deeper understanding of the time period and the text. Students will also be challenged to carry information across multiple texts in order to build a deeper understanding of content and themes.

This activity activates prior knowledge while developing insight into historical perspectives. Use this activity to help students broaden their horizons and explore diverse ideas.