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Technology and the African American Inventor

The purpose of this lesson is to create an awareness and understanding that important technological advances within our culture, in a variety of areas, are the result of the work done by a diverse group of people, many of whom are African Americans. To this end, students will be actively involved in discussions, research, and sharing sessions. Between six and ten class periods will be necessary for this lesson.

Sharing African Culture

Students listen to an African American folk tale and draw pictures to illustrate the story.

Our Town’s Black Heritage

Students tour Boston’s Black Heritage Trail and create a black heritage tour of their own town.

Experiencing Slavery and Imagining Freedom

Students read a slave’s account of his or her life of slavery, then write accounts of what that person’s life might have been like after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Melba Pattillo and Ruby Bridges: Two Pioneers of School Integration

Students put themselves in the shoes of the students who integrated Little Rock High School in 1957-58. Note: The primary resources in this activity provide powerful and poignant descriptions of what those students faced.