Slavery is a common history topic, though one difficult to exhaust. Many students know that today's African Americans are the descendants of former slaves. But few have heard the experience of slavery from the mouth of a former slave. From 1936 to 1938, over 2,300 former slaves in the United States were interviewed in an endeavor undertaken by the U.S. government. Under the guise of the Works Progress Administration, these stories were collected, in print and audio, and remain intact today. The Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia provides samples of this testimony online. A lesson surrounding the day-to-day life of a slave would be enhanced with excerpts from these collections.
It's reasonable to assume that African Americans fought in the Civil War, but history doesn't address how they were treated in America's bloodiest war. The 180,000 free blacks and runaway slaves received lower wages, a lesser clothing allowance and other discriminatory treatment until, by way of their protests, Congress granted them equal pay in 1864. An even more fascinating story is the role of Black Confederates. Lesson plans can discuss why Blacks served on either side and document their experiences.
Who, or rather what, was Jim Crow is a question that can be posed to students. Better still, ask them to consider how separate yet equal are neither truly separate nor equal. The Jim Crow era is a rich subject for a lesson plan. Students can learn about a world of racial segregation made real with the aid of a multimedia presentation. PBS.org offers a series of interactive maps aimed at highlighting the effects of the Jim Crow south. In addition, the website offers photographs, narratives, suggestions for lesson plans and rare documents that can supplement your teaching.
There's a wealth of information on the Internet concerning the accomplishments of African Americans through the years. Websites sponsored by PBS, Scholastic and The History Channel are just a few that offer lesson plans, interactive tools and other aids to assist in teaching African American history. From Jackie Robinson and Louis Armstrong, to Marcus Garvey and Maya Angelou, there are many resources available to enhance your lesson plan.