The online resources featured below were curated by the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Collaborative in order to support the approved edits to the SOL curriculum framework made by the Governor’s Commission on African American History Education. The SOL standard and the approved edits appear in the first two columns of the spreadsheet followed by correlating links and a contextual overview of each resource. The final column identifies each link as open educational resources (OER) vs. copyrighted materials that cannot be edited. As there are few resources that are entirely free of cultural bias, we suggest that you refer to the Collaborative’s Support and Guidance in Selecting and Enacting Resources document in order to consider how these materials can best be utilized.

The student will use the poetry of Phillis Wheatley, Jacqueline Woodson, Countee Cullen, and Amanda Gorman to draw conclusions about the historic eras in which they wrote.

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.  

The Military Women’s Memorial commemorates the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 – a date that lives in infamy – through the story of Anna Urda Busby, a nurse who was stationed there and who experienced the attack firsthand. The Spotlight Series takes a look at stories from both our Register, an interactive online database of military women, and our world class collection.The Military Women’s Memorial, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the only historical repository documenting all military women’s service. It is located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and features an education center, interactive exhibitions, a world-class collection of military women’s stories, and engaging programs and events for all generations. Find out more about us at www.womensmemorial.org.Music: https://www.bensound.com

Gianna Fimbres drove fuel tankers in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. She shared her story with the Military Women’s Memorial and preserved it in our register - Hear her story in her own words. You can also preserve your stories by registering your service.The Military Women’s Memorial, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the only historical repository documenting all military women’s service. It is located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and features an education center, interactive exhibitions, a world-class collection of military women’s stories, and engaging programs and events for all generations. Find out more about us at www.womensmemorial.org.

In 1970, Aida Nancy Sanchez deployed to Vietnam as a physical therapist, where she treated Americans, Vietnamese, and even the president of Cambodia. The Spotlight Series takes a look at stories from both our Register, an interactive online database of military women, and our world class collection.The Military Women’s Memorial, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is the only historical repository documenting all military women’s service. It is located at the ceremonial entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and features an education center, interactive exhibitions, a world-class collection of military women’s stories, and engaging programs and events for all generations. Find out more about us at www.womensmemorial.org.Music: Mushroom Funghi, https://freemusicarchive.org

Students will read two secondary sources. The first is on Ida B. Wells and the second on Malala Yousafzai. Once they’ve read and analyzed these documents, they will create in collaborative groups a definition of “changemaker.” They will use that definition to identify and celebrate a changemaker in their world or in their community

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

Students will read General Order #3, the order that notified enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended and they were to be emancipated. They will then analyze a primary source broadside from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture related to the earliest celebrations of Juneteenth. They will then be asked to write a letter to a member of their division’s central office regarding the celebration of Juneteenth.

The students will learn the reason for the creation of HBCUs in the United States. The students will analyze primary resource image frames through the two Google Jamboards: KWL and drag and drop the Virginia HBCUs and Fraternities and Sororities. 

The students will analyze the rise of violent activities against African Americans after the Civil War which lead to the addition of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Begin with a KWL Jamboard (also attached, in a PDF format) which also includes an activity in analyzing primary resources about lynching.  Students will then develop their own 5-day trip itinerary using the Negro Green Book (see the list of free PDF versions for various years) as a travel reference guide. The objective of the lesson is to have the students understand the perils faced by US citizens of color during the Jim Crow Era and how prevalent the dangers were in some areas of the United States at that time. The teacher may wish to use a formative assessment in the form of an exit ticket (see attached). 

This program examines the contributions of American servicewomen to the Space Race. From the late 1950s through the 1960s, the United States engaged in the Space Race against the Soviet Union, each trying to become the first country to put a man on the moon. Early American astronauts were all men with a military background. NASA decided not to allow women to become astronauts during this period. Although they were excluded from space flight, women contributed to the Space Race in supporting roles, including Aerospace Nursing.

This activity is intended as practice for students learning about primary and secondary sources. Students should receive instruction on the differences between primary sources and secondary sources prior to completing this activity. Students will be given a random selection of artifacts. They will be asked to go through the primary source analysis process (adapted from the National Archives) to analyze and make sense of the artifacts. They will create a secondary source about the person represented by the artifacts. 

Have students step into the shoes of one of the individuals you are studying or have them time travel to an event in the past by having them create a mock instagram post using the website linked in the attached document.  The document has all of the instructions written in student friendly language.

Take a glimpse inside the Oval Office and discover the story of American diplomacy in Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team. When George H. W. Bush assumed the American Presidency in 1989, much of the world was in turmoil, and it was clear that American diplomacy was entering a new era. Learn about the Cold War struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States and how the foreign policy team of President George H. W. Bush guided the country and the world. Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team explores a series of major upheavals through the recollections of the individuals who faced them.  In this collection, you will find short-form videos from the original film about the team and the events that the George H. W. Bush administration faced from 1989 to 1991. These media resources help educators to learn more about the individuals and the rapid changes that they faced. Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team is a co-production of VPM and the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. 

 Take a glimpse inside the Oval Office and discover the story of American diplomacy in Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team. When George H. W. Bush assumed the American Presidency in 1989, much of the world was in turmoil, and it was clear that American diplomacy was entering a new era. Learn about the Cold War struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States and how the foreign policy team of President George H. W. Bush guided the country and the world. Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team explores a series of major upheavals through the recollections of the individuals who faced them.  In this collection, you will find short-form videos from the original film about the team and the events that the George H. W. Bush administration faced from 1989 to 1991. These media resources help educators to learn more about the individuals and the rapid changes that they faced. Statecraft: The Bush 41 Team is a co-production of VPM and the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

This three-day lesson is intended to guide students through the difficult history topic of lynching through the Billie Holliday song “Strange Fruit.”

This teaching guide and activity seeks to introduce primary sources to students so that theyT can understand how to analyze and interpret them to make conclusions about the past. The primary sources the students will analyze are from the John Marshall House’s collection. All of the sources presented, both objects and written, focus on the theme of clothing during the Early Republic (1780-1820), the period in which John Marshall lived. This teaching guide and activity follow the Virginia Standards of Learning from 4th-6th grade, but may be applicable for other grades/ages.

In this Thematic Exploration, students will explore the different ways artists represent individuals in portraits. They will learn to gather clues about the time period in which the portrait was created, the lives of the subjects, and the thoughts of the artists.

Using portraits from the VMFA's collection, students will explore the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of portraiture. Guiding questions are woven throughout the activity, alongside a close examination of seven different portraits from a variety of different eras and cultures. Students are encouraged to observe, interpret, analyze, and reflect thoughtfully in each step. This activity also includes summative reflection questions to wrap up the conversation, as well as an optional "Create Your Own Portrait" activity.