This guide for eighth grade teachers was the product of a Title IX ethnic studies project. The guide was designed to supplement the regular South Carolina state history textbooks and place in a more positive frame of reference the ethnic contributions that specific ethnic groups have made to South Carolina history. Written by teachers, the guide…

Exploits of 20 black men, slave and free, who fought in battles of the American Revolution in New York state are recounted. At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, colonies did not allow slaves or free blacks to join the Continental Army. Only after the British Army offered freedom to slaves who joined the royal ranks did the Continental Army…

Reviews a fascinating lesson plan designed to acquaint students with the methods and devices used to deny blacks the right to vote in the pre-Civil Rights era south. Students take the same test that Alabama required of resident blacks to vote. Includes a copy of the exceptionally difficult test. (MJP)

Presents a lesson plan for teaching about the role of African-American religious leaders in the U.S. civil rights movement. Provides scripts with which students play the roles of various members of a community. Explains that students decide which speakers would be most likely to lead the local civil rights movement. (SG)

One of a series of pamphlets about the American Revolution in Georgia, this document explores the role of the black population during the Revolutionary War. Designed for junior and senior high school students, it can be used as supplementary reading or a one-week unit. A teacher's guide is included. Black life in the Revolutionary era, for both…

Briefly outlines the ways race and technology shaped: (1) the early enslavement of African Americans; (2) the work of bondsmen and women during the antebellum era; and (3) the increasing urbanization of the African American population during the industrial age. (CMK)

Although the Underground Railroad has been an integral part of U.S. history and folklore for well over 150 years, the recent past has seen an increased public interest in the identification of historic sites associated with the experiences of fugitive slaves. This booklet is part of a National Park Service initiative to design research methods…

This essay discusses the shift during the 1930s of black voters form the party of Lincoln to that of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. A select list of books and articles on blacks is also provided for secondary and college teachers who wish to treat this theme in the classroom. (Author/RM)

Looks at how young people use historical knowledge, gained from media sources, to deal with current situations. A group of young African Americans draw on behavioral examples from the film, "Panther," instead of school-based learning, to give them ways to deal with the Ku Klux Klan in their neighborhood. (DAJ)

Discusses the history of the black baseball experience. Describes formation of the black leagues, the players, and the discrimination they faced in baseball in the United States. Explains how the early black players introduced new aspects to the major leagues that transformed and improved the quality of play. (DK)

Presents a lesson plan in which students explore the impact of industrialization on agriculture, the experience of William Ellison, a free black cotton gin mechanic, and the skills that Ellison needed. Students discuss handwritten documents, diagrams, and census information related to the cotton gin. Includes a bibliography and four handouts. (CMK)

Contends that poetry is a particularly useful and engaging vehicle for revealing the complexities of a historical moment. Outlines three exercises on poetry and history designed as adjunct activities that may be used with the specified historical periods. Focuses on the experiences of African Americans. Includes three handouts with reading…

Provides an historiographic overview of the North American Spanish borderlands, focusing on changes and various topics, such as defending or attacking missionaries. Addresses what teachers can do who are in search of a point of entry into the borderlands literature. (CMK)

An analysis of 11 contemporary secondary U.S. history textbooks showed that the sentences per page devoted to the Black experience represents a substantial increase over more dated textbooks. Not only has the quantity improved, but the range of coverage suggests an improvement in quality as well. (RM)

Suggests a history lesson using a petition written by prominent African Americans objecting to the coverage of African Americans at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Explains that African-American citizens were largely ignored in the exhibits. Includes questions for class discussion, writing activities, a copy of the petition, and research…