In this lesson, students will survey the extent of and experiences of African Americans in military service during US war efforts from the Revolution to the Vietnam Conflict using a Hyperdoc (see attached) that can be assigned using your LMS system.

Students will investigate through primary and secondary sources the dynamics of the development of race relations in early colonial Virginia from court cases between 1640 to 1656. The story and cases of John Punch (1640), John Casor (1655), and Elizabeth Key Grinstead (1656) are known to be some of the first freedom suits in the Virginia colony. Students will then investigate slave codes from 1705 to determine how colonial officials justified the treatment of enslaved people.

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 apply social science skills to understand how the nation grew and changed from the end of Reconstruction through the early twentieth century by e) evaluating and explaining the social and cultural impact of industrialization, including rapid urbanization; Great Migration.

Students will be presented with foundation knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance, experience some sights and sounds of this movement, then gain deeper knowledge by creating a virtual “museum exhibit” of a famous artist or author to share with others. At the end of the lesson, students will evaluate the impact and significance of the Harlem Renaissance, and consider how the arts can serve as vehicles for social change.

 Before the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery in the United States, free and enslaved African Americans fought for their liberty, society’s recognition of their humanity, and the promise of equality. A variety of methods were used by enslaved African Americans to resist the conditions they experienced while in bondage. In this lesson plan, students will learn about three individuals whose actions are a representation of the bravery of African Americans who fought for their freedom and equality. 

 In 1865, the ratification of the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. After fighting for their liberty before and during the Civil War, enslaved African Americans saw their dreams of emancipation realized. In the years that followed the end of the war, Virginia and other southern states had to reconfigure their social, economic, and political systems during a period called Reconstruction. During this era, newly freed Black Virginians experienced advancements but also encountered barriers to achieving true equality. This lesson explores whether African Americans were truly “free” following the passage of the 13th Amendment.

 Throughout the four centuries of history covered in Determined, access to education was at the heart of the African American struggle for equality. While slavery was legal, enslaved Americans were prohibited by law from being taught to read and write, and had no access to formal education. Following emancipation and the 13th Amendment, Black Americans temporarily enjoyed increased access to education, but those rights quickly evaporated under new Jim Crow laws.  Under those provisions, Virginia and other southern states established “separate but equal” schools that segregated students by race, which resulted in unequal conditions for Black and White children. Despite these setbacks, African Americans continued to aggressively pursue their right to an education.

Students will look at an overview of the rise of mass news media in the U.S.. They will then study the Civil Rights movement through the lens of media coverage to determine the impact news coverage of violence against peaceful protestors helped lead to social change.

Students will complete an IDM (Inquiry Design Model) Lesson to guide them through the social and political discrimination, segregation, and violence against African Americans during the “Jim Crow Era.” They will evaluate the effectiveness of the Reconstruction Amendments based on three supporting questions that help guide them to constructing and providing evidence for a final argument that addresses the compelling question.