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…

The current campaign to make American history palatable to Negro aspirations has reached proportions of hysteria and unrealism, which, if not arrested, threatens the intellectual autonomy of teachers and the scholarly integrity of historical writing. (Author)

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 use of novels and other works written by African American women as tools for teaching the history of black women in the United States in an undergraduate course. Focuses on specific works used in the course, such as Octavia Butler's "Kindred" and Terry McMillan's "Waiting to Exhale." (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…

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…

Presents a lesson on Betsey Sompayrac, a free woman of color living in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Focuses on her will and its contents and historical issues surrounding the will. Students transcribe the will and write a paper, drawing conclusions from the document. Includes a transcription of the will and the document assignment. (CMK)

Describes the book, "Amazing Grace: An Anthology of Poems about Slavery 1660-1810." Presents poems, written by 250 writers, that focus on slavery during the 150 year period. Provides examples of materials included in this book and how it can enable students to increase their understanding of slavery. (CMK)

Describes the migration of African Americans in the United States and the reasons why African Americans migrated from the south. Focuses on issues, such as the effect of World War I, the opportunities offered in the north, and the emergence of a black industrial working class. (CMK)

Discusses how to use music when teaching U.S. History. Provides examples such as teaching about the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the Vietnam War and showing the contributions of African Americans. Includes a discography. (CMK)

This lesson is based on the National Register of Historic Places registration file "Glen Echo Amusement Park," park planning documents, and newspaper and magazine accounts. The lesson can be used in U.S. history units on the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era to explore religious and educational reform movements (including the Chautauqua…

This packet contains student materials and a teacher's guide. The materials are designed to make complex international issues understandable and meaningful for students. The unit probes the political, moral, and racial issues raised by the Spanish-American War and the acquisition of an overseas empire. Students compare the values and concerns at…

Provides a collection of Web sites useful for teaching about slavery in the United States and the transatlantic slave trade. States that some Web sites include access to primary sources on slavery while others offer teaching materials on the topic. (CMK)

Asserts that all students should know that African Americans make up an integral part of U.S. history. Reviews two books, "In My Father's House: Africa in the Philosophy of Culture," by Kwame Anthony Appiah and "Lure and Loathing: Essays on Race, Identity, and the Ambivalence of Assimilation," by Gerald Early (ed.). (CFR)

This document reports on the "Great Migration" project at Harvard University that brought together scholars and teachers to study the roots, processes, and results of African Americans' urban migration during the period from 1900-1939. The primary purpose of the project was to enhance teachers' scholarly understanding of this aspect of…