Browse lesson plans

African American college students: Classroom activity

In this lesson plan, students will read a primary source document about African American college students in 1906 and answer a series of questions as they assume the role of a young African American woman in the early 20th century.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Social Studies)

By Jamie Lathan.

Brown versus Board of Education: Rhetoric and realities

In this lesson, students will listen to three oral histories that shed light on political and personal reactions toward the 1954 Supreme Court ruling Brown versus Board of Education. Includes a teacher's guide as well as the oral history audio excerpts and transcripts.

Format: lesson plan (multiple pages)

Race in her lifetime

In this lesson, students will use oral histories to trace the life of Rebecca Clark, an African American who was born in rural Orange County just before the Depression and witnessed the changes in civil rights over the years.

Format: lesson plan (multiple pages)

Understanding Charlotte Hawkins Brown's rules for school

In this lesson plan, students read a primary source document that lists rules for proper school behavior, written by Charlotte Hawkins Brown, a teacher who dedicated her life to improving the educational opportunities of African Americans in North Carolina in the early 20th century. Students analyze the rules in the context of the racial politics of the era and in the context of progressive education.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–10 Social Studies)

By Jamie Lathan.

Resources on the web

Colonial Williamsburg

This extensive website features access to the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library collections, primary source materials, videos of what life was like in the 18th century in Williamsburg, Va. and much more. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation