The lesson focuses on the first Asian Americans to run for Congress - Patsy Mink and Daniel Inouye - who paved the way for future generations of Asian Americans to be politically active.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 7.5, 8.2, 8.7, 8.8, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9, HS.11
Historical Knowledge: 8.25, 8.27, HS.52, HS.60, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.67, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 7.27, 7.29, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, H.73, HS.78

For Asian Americans living, working, and growing up in the margins in the United States during the 1960s and 70s, participating in social activism played an important role in advancing justice for them as citizens of the United States. Asian Americans worked in partnership with other ethnic and racial groups to overcome unfair treatment. Through the examples of the United Farm Workers Movement and the student strike at San Francisco State College, and at the Peace Rally after the L.A. Civil Unrest, students will learn how Asian Americans spoke out against injustice and stood up for the better treatment of all Americans.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 3.2
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: 1.12, 5.22
Historical Thinking: 2.21
Social Science Analysis: 1.12, 3.18, 3.19, 4.21, 4.24, 5.28

During the 1970s, arts and culture became vehicles for elevating the narratives of Asian Americans, a term first used in 1968 during the struggle to establish ethnic studies at San Francisco State College. Under this new pan-Asian identity, a generation of young Asian American organizers, academics, and artists emerged and ready to define themselves and their history to the rest of America. Musicians, artists, writers and filmmakers helped to increase the visibility of Asian American identities and cultures across various media.

Civics and Government: HS.11
Historical Knowledge: 8.25, HS.63, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 7.28

Asian American histories or contributions are often left out when students study the development of the nation up to 1850, which could inaccurately lead students to believe that Asian American communities did not exist during this time period. In fact, Asian Americans were here at the formation of the United States. Specifically, Filipino Americans settled in the U.S. as early as 1763, and Filipino sailors had arrived in California as early as 1587. In 1763, Filipino sailors settled in a Louisiana bayou, and became the first Filipino immigrants to settle in the United States, known as “Manilamen.” Along with enslaved people and other people of color, the Filipino immigrants built a small fishing village called Saint Malo. These Manilamen made many contributions to Louisiana and the U.S., including revolutionizing the shrimping industry.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Geography: 5.13, 8.20
Historical Knowledge: 8.27, 8.28
Historical Thinking: 8.31, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 4.21, 4.24, 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.27,6.28, 7.29, 7.30, 8.36

Stereotyping is a form of systemic racism for Asian Americans, who have historically been stereotyped in the United States through “Yellow Peril” fearmongering—economic and societal threats. Viewed as perpetual foreigners, no matter their duration living here or whether they were American-born, Asian males are often characterized as scheming, weak, ignorant, and undesirable, while Asian females are exotic, cunning, and subservient. This perpetual foreigner stereotype is maintained by institutions from Hollywood, private and public sectors to elected public servants. Asian Americans have been fighting against stereotypes since the 1920s, and continue to do so, on- and off-screen.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 6.4, 7.5
Historical Knowledge: 6.20, 6.21, 8.25, 8.27, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 6.26, 6.27, 7.29, 8.34, HS.71, HS.73, HS.74

Asian Americans who served in the U.S. military during war in Vietnam were confronted not only by the harsh realities of war, but also with their racial and national identities. Asian American military service officers faced racism from their superiors and fellow U.S. soldiers, and were challenged by Vietnamese citizens and soldiers who saw a connection to them. This lesson explores some of the ways in which Asian Americans in the military experienced the war in Vietnam and the ways they negotiated their identities with being seen by both sides as “foreign invaders.”

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Historical Knowledge: HS.60, HS.64
Historical Thinking: HS.70
Social Science Analysis: HS.72, HS.74, HS.76, HS.77

Perpetual foreigner stereotyping is a form of systemic racism used against Asian Americans. They have historically been stereotyped as foreigners in the United States no matter their duration of time living here or whether they were American-born. The perpetual foreigner stereotype is maintained by institutions such as Hollywood, private and public sectors, to elected public officials. Throughout U.S. history, Asian Americans have been scapegoated as the cause of the country’s various problems and catastrophes including economic despair, wars, terrorism, and coronavirus pandemic.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.8, HS.2, HS.9
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, 7.27, 7.29, 7.30, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75

This lesson will cover the story of the Tape family, Chinese immigrants and their American-born children residing in San Francisco, California. Joseph and Mary Tape attempted to enroll their daughter, Mamie, at Spring Valley Primary, an all-white school, and were denied based on their race. Students will learn about the Tape family, Joseph and Mary’s California Supreme Court case, Tape v. Hurley (1885), and the greater connections their story lent itself to anti-Asian sentiment in the United States at that time and fight for school desegregation.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 7.5, 8.2, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2
Geography: HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.58, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.67, HS.68, HS.69
Social Science Analysis: 8.34, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

With the United States and the Soviet Union in a Cold War, fears of Southeast Asia falling to communism led to America’s increasing involvement with political and military matters in Vietnam, which was split between the communist North and anti-communist South in 1954. This lesson will address the U.S. government’s economic and tactical support of the conflict in Vietnam, and atrocities committed by American troops against Vietnamese civilians, which later became public. Domestically, an anti-war movement in the U.S. began to grow, with people questioning America’s involvement overseas—the money spent and the lives lost—which later impacted the war itself, including the withdrawal of troops and policies passed to prevent future U.S. military action without congressional approval.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.10, HS.10
Historical Thinking: 7.25
Social Science Analysis: 7.29, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, HS.74, HS.77, HS.78

As students study the impact of immigrants and the development of the United States, regionally and as a whole, early South Asian immigration should be discussed. Early South Asian immigrants played a significant role in the nation’s economic and agricultural development, especially in California. Early South Asian immigrants formed their own communities and created unique communities with other marginalized communities around them, such as Black, Mexican, and Puerto Rican communities. This lesson focuses on the experiences and impact of these early South Asian Americans.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 5.4, 6.4
Economics: 4.4
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21
Historical Thinking: 5.23, 5.24, 6.23, 6.24, 6.28
Social Science Analysis: 4.21, 4.24, 5.26, 5.27

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 marked a turning point in American policies toward immigration, privacy, and the ways South Asian Americans were perceived and treated after. Students will learn about the various ways South Asian Americans have experienced disproportionate and targeted racial profiling, hate crimes, and other acts of discrimination. They will also learn about the ways in which South Asian Americans responded to the 9/11 attacks and the aftermath, providing insight into how immigrant communities are often caught between the pressures of representing themselves in a way that appeals to the expectations of the status quo, and the desire to practice their culture and traditions in a way that allows them to fully embrace their cultural and ancestral identity.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 6.4, 7.5, 8.8, 8.9, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9, HS.10, HS.11
Geography: 5.13, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 5.25, 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 7.27, 7.29, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75, HS.76, HS.78

Organized around the compelling question "How have Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders engaged civically and contributed to U.S. culture?" and grounded in inquiry-based teaching and learning, this lesson brings history, civics, and the arts together to learn about the experiences and perspectives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in U.S. history. Primary sources, literature, and works of art created by AAPI individuals and related organizations provide an historical as well as contemporary context for concepts and issues including civic participation, immigration, and culture.

Students will explore Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) women’s poetry in order to craft and inspire their own poetry, studying central idea and six different poetic elements over the course of the unit. After analyzing and interpreting poems, students will recognize poetry as a vehicle to express untold stories about events small and large. Students will learn about the experiences of and challenges faced by AAPI women, including topics of retaining culture, climate change, and more.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 7.5
Economics: 4.4
Historical Knowledge: 5.22
Social Science Analysis: 3.19, 4.21, 4.24, 5.26, 52.27, 6.26, 7.28, 7.29

This online database of our Asian Ethnographic collection includes artifacts that were found throughout the continent of Asia, from Russia to Indonesia, from Turkey to Japan. The database allows you to see all artifacts for a country by clicking on a map or list of country names, search by object type, culture, and keyword, find out what items are currently on display and learn about recently acquired artifacts. There are two ways to search the collection as a picture-only gallery, or as a catalog that describes each artifact's provenance (country, locale, culture), materials, dimensions, and year of acquisition.

The American Yawp constructs a coherent and accessible narrative from all the best of recent historical scholarship. Without losing sight of politics and power, it incorporates transnational perspectives, integrates diverse voices, recovers narratives of resistance, and explores the complex process of cultural creation. It looks for America in crowded slave cabins, bustling markets, congested tenements, and marbled halls. It navigates between maternity wards, prisons, streets, bars, and boardrooms. Whitman’s America, like ours, cut across the narrow boundaries that strangle many narratives. Balancing academic rigor with popular readability, The American Yawp offers a multi-layered, democratic alternative to the American past.

This lesson focuses on early Asian immigrants to the United States, their reasons for immigration, successes they experienced, challenges they faced, and the changing reception they received in their host country. Students will learn what an immigrant is, what it means to be an “American, what the American Dream is, and how primary sources and secondary sources provide varied perspectives that inform a deeper understanding of an event.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: K.1, 3.2, 5.1
Historical Knowledge: 2.16, 5.22
Historical Thinking: K.17, K.18, 2.22
Social Science Analysis: 1.19, 1.21, 3.18, 3.19, 4.24, 5.27

The estimated number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States in 2018 is 11.3 million. Of these, about 3.6 million entered the U.S. before their 18th birthday. This latter group, the Dreamers, have been advocating for a path towards legal residency and citizenship since 2001. This lesson will explore the origins of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) and connect the story of Tereza Lee, the first DREAMer, and the current struggles of others like her against possible family separation and deportation.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 6.4, 7.5, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, HS.1, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9, HS.10, HS.11
Economics: HS.24
Geography: HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 8.22, 8.25, HS.58, HS.61, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 8.32, HS.67, HS.69, HS.70
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, 7.27, 7.29, 7.30, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.75, HS.77, HS.78

Signed on May 6th, 1882 by President Chester A. Arthur, the Chinese Exclusion Act was the first law to explicitly limit immigration based on race. This lesson is designed to go further in exploring the causes and effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act through analysis of primary and secondary sources. The purpose is to showcase the conditions in the US that led to a rise in xenophobia, and in turn, race-based policies that defined the Chinese American and Asian American experience in the United States. The lesson will also have students engage in critical thinking through research and a class discussion comparing and contrasting the Chinese Exclusion Act and current immigration policies or proposed immigration policies.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 6.4, 7.5, 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2, HS.9, HS.10
Economics: 7.8
Geography: 5.13, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 6.26, 8.34, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

This lesson covers four important lawsuits brought by Asian Americans with important consequences for American citizenship, equal protection, and racial identity: Yick Wo, Wong Kim Ark, Takao Ozawa, Bhagat Singh Thind.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 6.4, 7.5, 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2, HS.6, HS.11
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.58, HS.63, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 5.24, 6.23, 7.25, 8.31, HS.69, HS.70
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 7.27, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.78

Japanese Americans suffered terrible injustices as a result of governmental policies during World War II that discriminated against them by treating them like enemies. In this lesson, students examine what happened to Japanese Americans during WWII, what constitutional rights were violated in the process, and why such a massive injustice happened.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 2.4, 3.2, 5.1, 6.4
Economics: 1.4, 4.4
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: K.14, 1.12, 2.16, 5.22, 6.21
Historical Thinking: 2.21, 2.22, 6.23
Social Science Analysis: 1.19, 2.23, 2.25, 3.18, 3.19, 4.21, 4.24, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.27, 6.28

The incarceration of Japanese Americans in World War II was a grave failure of our democracy and highlights the dangers that can result when the three branches of government failed to uphold the Constitution, and certain communities are excluded from political power. Until the 1950s, Asian Americans were not allowed to become naturalized citizens and did not have the power to vote or engage in many of America’s political processes. In this lesson, students will investigate how citizenship and voting rights have evolved throughout history and reflect critically on how the rights and privileges conferred by citizenship impact political power on both an individual and community level.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: HS.53, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.30, 8.31, HS.67, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 7.27, 7.29, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.77, HS.78

A selection of Library of Congress primary sources exploring Japanese Internment during World War II. This set also includes a Teacher's Guide with historical context and teaching suggestions.

This lesson covers personal narratives from victims and descendants and highlights how the American government forced Japanese Americans and the Aleuts of Alaska into incarceration camps under President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. It additionally covers the forced removal process, conditions and lives in the camps, and the eventual release of prisoners. The lesson analyzes the incarceration of Japanese Americans and Aleuts as a violation of their constitutional rights. Students discuss examples of incarceration and connect instances of incarceration with current social and political events pertaining to the concept of “families belong together.”

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.2, 8.5, 8.8, HS.1, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: 6.20, 6.21, 8,22, HS.52, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, HS.67
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 6.28, 7.27, 7.30, 8.33, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

Following the bombing of Pearl Harbor 120,000 Japanese Americans and 881 Aleuts were incarcerated in camps for over three years during WWII. Nonetheless Japanese Americans and Native Americans had shown their loyalty to the United States in various ways. The no-no boys who responded ‘no’ to a loyalty questionnaire, the ones who served in the U.S. military, the legal challengers who tried to uphold the U.S. Constitution, and those who fought for redress and repatriation are all loyal Americans. They fought for democracy, the rule of law, and to defend their country, America. They are all loyal Americans.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: HS.1, HS.2, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: HS.52, HS.61, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Social Science Analysis: HS.71, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75

Asian Americans have contributed greatly to the Silicon Valley high tech boom beginning in the 1980s to present day. The technological innovations that came out of Silicon Valley enabled the United States to become a global IT leader as the region in San Francisco Bay Area became the birthplace for many high tech companies, such as the search company Yahoo! While some high-profile Asian American entrepreneurs were able to build highly lucrative companies, the contributions of Asian immigrants who performed the piecework labor that made these new innovative machines function was also an important factor to Silicon Valley’s growth and success.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Economics: 7.8, 8.14, HS.17, HS.24
Geography: HS.42
Historical Knowledge: 8.27, HS.64
Social Science Analysis: 7.29, 7.30, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

These short films by Stourwater Pictures are accompanied by activities for classroom and remote teaching and learning about the story of Japanese American WWII exclusion and incarceration on Bainbridge Island and Washington State.

Asian Americans have been in the U.S. for over 170 years yet common stereotypes and myths persist. Even today, Asian Americans are often regarded as “perpetual foreigners” or the “model minority.” Unfortunately, the Asian American experience is overlooked, forgotten, or misrepresented in history texts and in the K-12 curriculum. The COVID-19 pandemic has evoked a disturbing surge in racist and violent acts targeting Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) that has its roots in ignorance, xenophobia, and mistrust. These actions have galvanized the AAPI community into action and promoted solidarity between AAPI and other groups.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, HS.2, HS.9
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: 6.21, 8.25, HS.52, HS.60, HS.61, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.69
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 5.29, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, 7.29, 7.30, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75, HS.76, HS.77, HS.78

Consider the need for home education for Black and African-American families in Southern Maryland in the 1870s through 1920s, when public education was unavailable or inaccessible. This resource combines 3D models and 2D interaction to introduce students to Alphabet Wares/Alphabet Plates as found at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum when excavating "Sukeek's Cabin," a late-19th century home by a newly-freed family on the park grounds. Themes include unjust limitations, archaeology as a primary source, and home life in the 1870s-1920s. The resource includes simple prompts and resources for hypothesizing about archaeological findings, researching them, drawing conclusions, and suggestions for further reflection.

This resource uses Genial.ly, an online-presentation service, with additional tools by S'CAPE to increase the interactivity. Public Genial.lys may be remixed into new presentations after signing up for an account with the service.

This resource is part of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s open educational resources project to provide history, ecology, archaeology, and conservation resources related to our 560 acre public park. More of our content can be found on OER Commons, YouTube, and SketchFab. JPPM is a part of the Maryland Historical Trust under the Maryland Department of Planning.

The history of Asian American Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) in the United States is an integral part of American history. Since the day Asian immigrants arrived in America, they have contributed to and shaped the way the country is today. From labor activism to fighting for school integration and citizenship rights in the courts, APIDAs have faced adversity and opportunities to create roots in the U.S. Building coalitions together with other minority groups, APIDAs have been a part of historical achievements including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, and Title IX. Today, as one of the fastest-growing minority populations, APIDAs have a choice to make on how they will make positive and effective changes towards the future of the United States.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 6.4, 7.5, 8.7, 8.9, 8.10, HS.2, HS.9, HS.11
Geography: 5.13, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.58, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, 7.27, 7.29, 7.30, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75, HS.76

After the Philippine-American War ended in 1902, Americans became fascinated by the natives of the newly acquired territory, which led to the development of anthropological exhibits showcasing what “primitive” life was like in the Philippines. During this time period, anthropologists adopted an evolutionary perspective rooted in white superiority. One of the exhibits featured the Igorot people, who anthropologist Albert Jenks believed were the most uncivilized tribe in the Philippines. These exhibits/human zoos sparked the creation of negative stereotypes of both the Igorot people and the Filipino community. Students will view the video segment from Asian Americans and engage in activities and discussions to explore the power of perception and its impact on shaping the identities of Asian Americans. Students will also examine the U.S. politics and scientific theories that shaped the perception of Americans and sought to justify U.S. colonization in the Pacific and the mistreatment of the Filipino community.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: HS.2, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.63, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 5.24, 7.25, 8.31, HS.67, HS.70
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 7.27, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.78

This lesson will explore how the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin galvanized the Asian American community, resulting in increased visibility for Asian Americans, an organized response to racism and xenophobia, and the birth of a new generation of activists. In addition, the lesson will explore the legal impact of Vincent Chin’s murder and how it has shaped how we view and define hate crimes today.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.10, HS.2, HS.11
Historical Knowledge: 8.22, HS.52, HS.58, HS.60, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 8.32, HS.70
Social Science Analysis: 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.77

The Stages of Genocide Toolkit contains six case studies of historical genocide:• Armenian Genocide• Genocide in Cambodia• Genocide in Guatemala• The Holocaust• Genocide of Native Americans in the United States• Genocide in RwandaThese specific case studies were chosen for their wide geographic range and their place in modern historical chronology. It is important to note that these genocides are not the only examples of genocide that one can find throughout history, nor do the authors of this toolkit consider them to be “worse” or more important than those that are not included in this toolkit. We believe strongly that there is no place for a “hierarchy of suffering” in genocide education. Additionally, these summaries are not meant to be comprehensive histories of each genocide. They were written to align with Dr. Gregory Stanton’s Ten Stages of Genocide and as such, there are many historical details that are not included in the summaries.

This interactive Padlet map allows students to click on pins to discover acts of violence against Black Americans (red pins) and acts of resistance by Black Americans (blue pins). It could serve as a catalyst for research or class discussion about race in America.

Much of this information was compiled from articles by the Zinn Education Project and Blackpast.org.

Openendedsocialstudies.org created this collection of background readings, images, and questions on William Walker and U.S. imperialism in the years between the War with Mexico and the U.S. Civil War. The College of Wooster also hosts a webpage dedicated to Willam Walker's adventurism which includes primary documents, timelines, an historical context essay, discussion questions, and additional resources. https://williamwalker.voices.wooster.edu/

The period between the end of the Mexican-American War and the U.S. Civil War included numerous attempts by U.S. business interests to expand into Central America. William Walker was interested not only in the mining, banana plantations, and possible canal, rail, and steamship routes to connect the East and West coast of the United States but also in the expansion of slavery into the tropical climate of the region.

This lesson will explore the model minority myth, introduced in the 1960s by publications such as The New York Times Magazine and U.S. News & World Report, applied on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and examine the realities and experiences of this non-monolithic community. Students will use data from the U.S. Census to compare and contrast AANHPI communities. Students will then look at the 2018 lawsuit against Harvard University’s admission policies as a case study to investigate the ways the model minority myth can be used as a wedge between different communities of color.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.57, HS.60, HS.61, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 5.24, 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 6.27, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

This lesson provides an overview of Hawaiʻi’s history as a kingdom, the development of the plantation economy in the 19th century, and the shift to statehood in the 20th century. Since the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, Native Hawaiians have been seeking sovereignty from the United States. And with the gradual influx of Asian immigrants to the island as laborers to work on sugar plantations, Native Hawaiians have seen their island’s population change, and with it, a shift in the economic and political dynamics between the indigenous people and Asian Americans.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 6.4, 7.5, HS.7, HS.9, HS.10, HS.11
Economics: 7.8, 8.14, HS.17
Historical Knowledge: 6.20, 8,25, HS.53, HS.60, HS.61, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 6.23, 7.25, 8.31, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 6.27, 6.28, 7.27, 7.29, 7.30, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.74, HS.78

This unit provides an overview on the presence, influence, and stories of Oregon's Latino community. Your students will be given a chance to challenge thier skills as aspiring historians while celebrating and discovering my beautiful community.

Students will examine Anne Frank’s diary as both a historical and a deliberately created literary text and will understand how the Holocaust affected the lives of the Frank family.

In this lesson, students will consider the importance of learning ethnic studies in the classroom and engaging with the lived experiences of their own families and communities, particularly as people of color. They will also learn and discuss concepts of intergenerational trauma in the context of mass incarceration and its effects on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by examining the ROOTS (Restoring Our Original True Selves) program at San Quentin State Prison. Lastly, students will learn about the current impact of incarceration on youth of color and relate it to the experiences of ROOTS program participants.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.8, HS.2
Economics: 7.8
Historical Knowledge: 6.20, 6.21, 8.25, HS.63, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, 8.32, HS.68, HS.69
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 6.28, 7.29, 7.30, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.76, HS.78

The documents and questions may be used for classroom investigation or as a unit assessment. Documents can be distributed and assigned as a jigsaw or as a complete set. Students read the document and apply historical investigation skills. Students should have access to prior learning about the nature of Indian and white settler contact.Updated video link for Broken Treaties

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the Immigration and Nationality Act which replaced the quota immigration system that had been in existence since the 1920s, with a preference system based on labor skills needed by the United States, and those who had a pre-existing family tie in the country. This lesson will explore past U.S. immigration laws that affected Asian immigration and naturalization, how the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 came about because of the Civil Rights Movement, and how the 1965 Act changed the demographics of the country over the next twenty years and beyond.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 6.4, 7.5, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.57, HS.58, HS.61, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 5.24, 7.25, 8.30, 8.31, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 6.27, 7.29, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75

From 1774 to 1871, the U.S. government negotiated hundreds of treaties with individual NativeAmerican tribes. These negotiations were conducted on a government-to-government basis,with the understanding that tribes were sovereign nations with an inherent right to self-governance and self-determination. This lesson will provide students with an understanding of the history and impact of treaty-making between Native American tribes in Oregon and the U.S. government. Thereare six activities.  

Indigenous people have been forming governments and building nations for hundreds of years. The formal treaties that were made between the first colonists and the First Peoples of America was nothing new to the native communities as they had already had treaties in place between other tribes.

Through this unit, students will explore Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) women’s poetry in order to craft and inspire their own poetry. After analyzing and interpreting poems, students recognize poetry as a vehicle to express their own untold stories about events small and large.
This unit will expose students to voices of AAPI women poets. Their experiences will help facilitate a dialogue of identity, beauty, tradition and activism. Many students face these issues during this pivotal time of their development.
Furthermore, this unit will help students explore their viewpoints as they craft and design their own poems and explore the readings. This unit allows students of all abilities and intersectionalities to make their voices heard and draw from their unique perspectives.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 7.5, HS.2, HS.11
Geography: 6.14, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 6.27, 7.28, 7.29, 8.36, HS.78

A Lesson Plan based on The Armenian Genocide – News Accounts from the American Press, 1915-1922This curriculum extracts articles from the book, “The Armenian Genocide: News Accounts from the American Press,” compiled by Richard Kloian (available from GenEd and can be ordered for $25 by emailing). Including 200 New York Times articles, other journalistic accounts, U.S. Ambassador Morgenthau’s personal account of the genocide, survivor accounts, telegrams from the genocide perpetrator, photographs, and more, the book presents a compelling chronicle of the systematic deportations and massacres of the Armenians of the Ottoman Empire, perpetrated by the Turkish governing authorities between 1915 and 1922. The lesson allows students to:Discuss the significance of the language used in the articles as it relates to a modern definition of genocideComprehend the extent to which American readers/public were aware of the persecution against Armenians by Ottoman rulers.Understand the importance of media in exposing and preventing human rights abuses

This lesson explores the concept of survivance in contemporary Native American culture, particularly as it relates to the nine federally recognized tribes of Oregon. The term survivance is unfamiliar to many people, but in recent decades it has become an important way of talking about how Indigenous people express and carry forward their cultural identities and traditions in contemporary life. Acts of survivance are those that demonstrate the ongoing and dynamic presence of Indigenous people in contemporary times. These acts of sovereignty and self-determination can take many forms, including tribal efforts to revitalize a language or open a new business; a Native student winning a scholarship or achieving public recognition; or a cross-tribal group advocating for land, treaty, or fishing rights. News media outlets, in a variety of forms, are one of the ways the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon attempt to both inform and communicate with tribal members and the general public about current events and tribal participation in local, state, and national events. Each of the nine tribal nations in Oregon produces its own unique news outlet that is available to all tribal members. Many of these are also available to the general public. The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with the opportunity to identify examples of survivance in action—through the reading analysis of tribal news outlets.

Native American people have lived in the area “now known as Oregon since time immemorial (long predating European contact and beyond human memory). During the era of colonialism— and even into the 21st century—non-Native people often portrayed the North American continent as a vast wilderness that was virtually unpopulated when they arrived. This could not be farther from the truth. In Oregon alone there were dozens of tribes, each with its own ancestral territory and rich cultural history. There was not a single region of Oregon that did not have an Indigenous tribe or band living within it. Despite disease, genocide, forced assimilation, and cultural suppression, many of these tribes managed to survive, and they continue to carry their cultural traditions forward as sovereign tribal nations. To survive, however, required giving up vast areas of their ancestral territory, sometimes by way of treaties and sometimes as a result of force. The two activities in this lesson will give students an essential understanding of the rich diversity of Native American tribes that existed in Oregon prior to European settlement, the current territory of the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon, and the inseparable bond between Native people and the land.

Sparked off by the acquittal of four officers in the Rodney King police brutality case, the 1992 Los Angeles Civil Unrest took place over several days and led to rioting and destruction of the city. The unrest represented a boiling point of underlying issues including systemic racism, police brutality, failure of the criminal justice system, economic disparities between communities of color, and racial tensions. The perceived racial tensions between Korean and Black Americans, further complicated by the shooting of Latasha Harlins by a Korean storeowner, led to some targeting of Korean American neighborhoods/businesses for violence and looting. Students will explore the history, conditions, and tensions that led to the 1992 civil unrest in L.A.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 6.4, 7.5, 8.6, 8.8, 8.9, HS.2, HS.9, HS.11
Economics: 7.8
Geography: 5.13, HS.42, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.53, HS.61, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 5.25, 6.23, 7.25, 8.30, 8.31, 8.32, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.24, 6.26, 6.27, 7.27, 7.29, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.75, HS.76, HS.78

With dreams of having a better life, thousands of Chinese risked their lives across the Pacific Ocean to join in the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad from 1863 to 1869. These Chinese laborers worked under extreme and hazardous environments. Due to their ethnic appearance and language barriers, the Chinese were greatly taken advantage of by their employers. These Chinese laborers became pioneers in the collective labor actions of American labor history, while also contributing to the economies of the U.S. and China.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 5.1, 7.5, 8.7, 8.8, HS.2, HS.10
Economics: 7.8, 8.14, HS.17, HS.24
Geography: 5.13, 6.14, HS.42, HS.51
Historical Knowledge: 5.22, 6.20, 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, 8.27, HS.52, HS.60, HS.61, HS.64
Historical Thinking: 5.25, 6.23, 7.25, 8.31, HS.68
Social Science Analysis: 5.26, 5.27, 6.24, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.78

Students will examine injustice in history and in current times when Asian Americans, specifically Japanese Americans in Oregon, experienced government sanctioned racism. Students will also explore contemporary examples of anti-Asian racism and share ways they can act against injustice they see or experience in everyday life. Students will draw comparisons between approaches to resistance across identities and experiences.

During the 1950s, the United States was gripped by McCarthyism, a period of accusations against individuals and groups for treason without just evidence. Heightened by fears of communist spies hidden among the U.S. population, Senator Joseph McCarthy gained prominence after presenting a list of possible Communist Party members working within the U.S State Department. This lesson discusses how McCarthyism abused the First Amendment rights of Americans, how it targeted Chinese Americans during the Korean War, and the modern day racial profiling of people in the name of national security.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.2, 8.8, 8.10, HS.1, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9, HS.10
Historical Knowledge: 8.25, HS.52, HS.61, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.31, HS.67, HS.68, HS.69
Social Science Analysis: 7.30, 8.33, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, H.73, HS.74, HS.78

Overview
Thousands of high school students walked out of classes in East Los Angeles in 1968 to protest unequal treatment of Mexican Americans in the public education system. Among the students' concerns were classes that omitted Hispanic history, a lack of bilingual teachers and a system that steered Chicano students to vocational training rather than college-prep classes.

This lesson provides students with an introduction to Angel Island. The lesson begins with students completing a timeline of Chinese immigration to America. The progression of events will help them understand the escalation of anti-Chinese sentiment in America culminating with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the first law that restricted immigration based on nationality.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 8.7, 8.8, HS.1, HS.2
Historical Knowledge: 8.22, 8.25, HS.52, HS.63, HS.64, HS.65
Historical Thinking: 7.25, 8.30, 8.31, 8.32, HS.67, HS.69
Social Science Analysis: 7.28, 8.33, 8.36, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74

In this lesson, students will learn about the Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre of 1871. They will examine the attitudes and policies of the time which led to the Massacre. Students will learn about recent acts of anti-Asian violence and make connections between the Chinese Massacre and recent anti-Asian violence and attacks.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 3.2
Economics: 4.4
Historical Knowledge: 5.22
Historical Thinking: 4.19, 5.24
Social Science Analysis: 3.17, 3.18, 4.21, 4.24, 5.27, 5.28, 5.29

The Two Day plan is intended to be completed in two fifty-minute class periods, with 2 homework assignments, the lesson includes the definition of genocide, historical background on the Armenian case, a review of other major genocides, a short national TV news piece, and readings from survivor testimonies.The Ten Day lesson includes film, primary documents, and the UN Declaration of Human RightsPart II, examines the economic developments of competing empires with subsequent loss of territory and rise of state repression over time. The final product is a colorful timeline linking seemingly disparate elements into a visible pattern. Students will also gain the opportunity to place the Armenian Genocide next to other acts of genocide and human rights abuses throughout history.Part III builds on the basic information learned in Part I and the larger historic and political overview gained in Part II. Students can participate in a mock re-enactment of the 1921 trial of Soghomon Tehlirian, who assassinated the mastermind of the Armenian Genocide and was later acquitted. The mock trial allows students to develop historical empathy with the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide.

This unit will introduce middle and high school students to LGBTQ civil rights with an emphasis on the struggle for marriage equality. They will learn about ideas, events, and individuals that influenced George Takei and his decision to come out as an advocate for LGBTQ rights and contextualize the fight for LGBTQ rights as an extension of the Civil Rights Movement. The unit will culminate in an essay assignment in which students will analyze how the discussed events, people, and ideas influenced the struggle for marriage equality.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 6.4, 7.5, 8.2, 8.5, 8.6, 8.8, 8.9, HS.1, HS.2, HS.7, HS.9
Historical Knowledge: 6.21, 8.22, 8.25, 8.27, HS.52, HS.58, HS.60, HS.63, HS.64, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 8.32
Social Science Analysis: 6.24, 6.28, 7.27, 7.30, 8.33, 8.34, 8.36, HS.71, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.77, HS.78

These four lessons are provided by Echoes and Reflections. The lessons come from a new book, "Teaching the Holocaust By Inquiry" by Beth Krasemann. The book is scheduled for release at the end of May 2022.

This lesson explores the topics of Japanese American incarceration and redress, and its relation to the definition of an “American”, rights, and the Census. Definitions of race, nationality, ethnicity, and rights are explained to define “American”. The lesson also explains how Constitutional rights are basic human rights granted to all people regardless of citizenship as well as the differences that benefit an American citizen. To further analyze Japanese incarceration camps, studying the Census will explain its role in carrying out Executive Order 9066 as well as how the laws have changed to protect all Americans. Lastly, students will review the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to understand how the American government apologized for the treatment of Japanese Americans.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: 7.5, 8.9, HS.2, HS.6, HS.9, HS.11
Historical Knowledge: 8.25, 8.27, HS.58, HS.60, HS.65, HS.66
Historical Thinking: 8.31, 8.32, HS.67
Social Science Analysis: 7.27, 7.30, 8.33, HS.72, HS.73, HS.74, HS.78

Patsy Mink’s life story exemplifies advocacy for change and equality. She confronted discrimination when she wanted to become a doctor and lawyer. Then she joined the Democratic Party to fight for equality. Despite her initial setback in gaining the support of the decision makers in the party in being elected to the House of Representatives, she succeeded in her subsequent attempt. As an elected member of Congress, her actions and deeds led to progressive changes in legislation creating openness, fairness and equality.

2021 Social Science Standards Integrated with Ethnic Studies:
Civics and Government: K.1, 2.4, 5.1
Economics: 1.4
Geography: 5.13
Historical Knowledge: K.14, 2.16, 5.22, 6.21
Historical Thinking: 2.21, 2.22, 5.24
Social Science Analysis: K.19, 1.19, 1.20, 3.18, 3.19, 4.21, 4.23, 4.24, 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 6.27

An Excel booklist created by Multnomah County Library to support the Ethnic Studies Integrated 2021 Social Science Standards. The file is organized with tabs for Japanese American Internment, Holocaust, Indigenous Peoples, Genocides, Prejudice, Refugees, Misinformation, and Cultural Diversity.