Units on African American Culture

Famous African Americans

by Jennifer Semmler

Overall Objective:
The students will be able to display their learning of famous African Americans in a variety of ways. Students will be giving oral reports, putting together a class book, dramatization, and through music. The use of mathematical skills is used to determine distance, writing skills to display thoughts through poetry and artistic abilities as they work cooperatively to make a "peanut state."

Unit Theme:
Famous African Americans
This unit will touch on such famous people as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Strategies Taught:
Strategies included in the unit are K-W-L and brainstorming.

Display Table/Learning Center:
In the back of the room on a table, various books will be available for the students to look at and read. (The books on the display table are from the book list.) Posters will also be hung up by the display table/learning center. Students will be encouraged to visit the display table/learning center when free time allows it.

Web Sites:
This is just a very brief listing of possible web sites for the students to look at. I would rather have the students get into the Internet and look for their own sites to help them with their research. The following are just some students may want to look at for their own benefit.
http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/Today_B_History.html http://www.etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/brow...mages/modeng&data=/1v1/Archive/eng-parsed

List of Books:
My Dream of Martin Luther King, Jr by Faith Ringgold
Talking to Faith Ringgold by Faith Ringgold, Linda Freeman, and Nancy
Roucher
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Meet Martin Luther King, Jr by James T. DeKay
The Dream Keeper & Other Poems by Langston Hughes
Escape from Slavery: The Boyhood of Frederick Douglas in His Own Words
Edited & Illustrated by Michael McCoy Forwarded by Coretta Scott King
A Pocketful of Goobers: A Story about George Washington Carver by Barbara
Mitchell
Famous African Negros by Langston Hughes
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter


To start off each day, I will have either on the board or verbally tell the students something that happened on that particular day in black history. (I will use the information found on the Internet. Address: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/K-12/Today_B_History.html. With this information, the class will make a railroad to go around the room that displays the historical events in black history.(timeline) This will be displayed in the room so all students and visitors can see what the students and myself are working on. Each student will have a turn to write an event on the a car from the railroad. (I will previously have the cars ready to use at the beginning of the day. For instructions on how to make the cars, refer to the back cover of Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold.) (cooperative learning).

Day 1
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to determine what they already know about African
Americans.
Materials Needed:
-3 X 5 cards (enough so each student can use at least 2)
-bulletin board ready for the students to put up their cards (one column of "What I Know" second "What I Want to Know" third "What I Learned")
Pre-Lesson:
Explain to the students that February is African American month. Make sure all students know what an African American is. Describe to the students how the bulletin board is going to work. Example: what each column is for.


Lesson:
Ask the students what they already know about African Americans. (This will be the "What We Know" part of the K-W-L strategy.) List ideas on the board. After all students have shared something, each student will take a 3 X 5 card and put their "knowledge" on the card. Students can use as many cards as needed.
Post-Lesson:
Students will put up their "knowledge" card on the bulletin board.

Day 2
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
Students will be able to determine what they want to learn/know about African Americans.
Materials Needed:
-3 X 5 cards (enough for each student to have at least 2)
-bulletin board ready for the students to put up their card (also see Day 1 on materials needed)
Pre-Lesson:
Briefly go over with the students what was covered in Day 1. Explain that we are going to build on it for today.


Lesson:
Have the students brainstorm (strategy) what they want to learn throughout the month about African Americans. List the ideas on the board. Make sure each student contributes at least one idea. Have each student take a card and write what it is they want to learn. (This will be the W in K-W-L strategy.) Students can use as many cards as needed.
Post Lesson:
Students will put their cards on the bulletin board. (The teacher will make sure to write down the things the students want to learn. If the ideas are not in the unit, try to fit them in and give the students the knowledge they want.) Students will be encouraged throughout the month to add to the list of things they want to learn and put it on a card for the bulletin board.

Day 3
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will become familiar with the Underground Railroad and know the relationship Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass have with it.
Materials Needed:
-Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
-Famous American Negroes by Langston Hughes (information on Frederick Douglass)
Pre-Lesson:
Ask the students what they know about Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.
Lesson:
Read from the book, Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, the information about Harriet Tubman. Read the information from the book Famous American Negroes about Frederick Douglass. (social studies)
Post Lesson:
Discuss with the students the significance Tubman and Douglass had with the Underground Railroad. Instead of the teacher leading the discussion, can any students come up with answers as to the significance of Tubman and Douglass?

Day 4
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to verbalize what the Underground Railroad is and its relationship to our history.
Materials Needed:
-Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold
-calculators
-distance (length) of each state (from the south to north and east to west)

Pre-Lesson:
Read to the students the information inside the front cover of the book. Some of the terms will help the students understand the book and the Underground Railroad a bit better.
Lesson:
Read the book Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky. (listening)
Post Lesson:
Discuss the book with the students. What did they learn from the book? Divide the students into 5 groups. Take the map at the end of the book and assign each group a route taken by the Underground Railroad to reach freedom. Have the students determine how far the people were from freedom; how many miles did they have to walk? All students share their answers. (math)

Day 5
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to dramatize one of the evenings as the Underground Railroad was underway.
Materials Needed:
-play The Douglass ‘Station’ of the Underground Railroad by Glennette Tilley Turner
-information from Cobblestone on "Working on the Railroad" by Gloria A. Harris.
Pre-Lesson:
Assign parts for the play. Note: The play calls for only 12 participants. Modify the play by making more fugitive slaves, and with the rest of the class, they can either hum or sing "I’ve Been Working on the Railroad." (music) Explain to the students African Americans use to sing this song as they were working on the railroads in the pre-Civil War era. (Have available the information from Cobblestone.)
Lesson:
The students act out the play (drama) Other students not in the play directly will be humming or singing "I’ve Been Working on the Railroad." (music)
Post-Lesson:
What did the students learn about the Underground Railroad? How were Tubman and Douglass connected to the railroad? What were their roles?

Day 6
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to name two things/contributions George Washington Carver made to our country.
Materials Needed:
-photocopied sheet on Carver (enough for each student in the class)
-A Pocketful of Goobers by Barbara Mitchell
Pre-Lesson:
Share with the students "More about George Washington Carver" pg. 63 of Pocket/Goobers book. Make sure the students know Carver invented the peanut butter (this will be used the next day as a science project ). Make sure students know goobers are what African Americans called peanuts.
Lesson:
Give the students the handout on Carver. Allow students about 10 - 15 minutes to read and complete the questions on the bottom of the page.
Post-Lesson:
Have students share their answers to the questions at the bottom of the page. Ask the students to list two things Carver contributed to our country.

Day 7
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to, with the help of the teacher, make peanut butter; an invention of George Washington Carver.
Materials Needed:
-recipe of peanut butter (any)
Pre-Lesson:
Get the ingredients out and ready for the science project to begin.
Lesson:
Make peanut butter. If it is not possible to make the peanut butter in the school, students will brainstorm (strategy) what goes into it. Share with students the ingredients. What would happen if some ingredients were deleted or added to the list?
Post-Lesson:
We will sample the peanut butter with crackers.

Day 8
Time:
one class period (students may need to have extra time to complete this art activity)
Objectives:
The students will be able to (with a partner—cooperative learning) display a state from the Underground Railroad with the use of peanuts.
Materials Needed:
-one jar of peanuts per two students (ask students to bring small jar of peanuts)
-paper
-pencils
-map of the states used with the Underground Railroad
-glue
Pre-Lesson:
Divide the students into pairs. Together, the students need to decide what state they want to represent in this project. Draw that state on the piece of paper provided.
Lesson:
Together the students will then take the peanuts and glue them onto the picture of the map. When finished, the whole state will be represented by peanuts. (art)
Post-Lesson:
Ask the students why did we do this project? What famous people and inventions did we use when completing this project? What other ideas from African Americans have we incorporated in this project?

Day 9
Time:
one class period
Objectives:
The students will be able to verbalize what they have learned about Langston Hughes.
Materials Needed:
-photocopied sheet on Langston Hughes (enough for each student in the class)
-information from African Americans Voices in History and Culture pg. 61
Pre-Lesson:
Read to the students the information from African Americans Voices in History and Culture pg. 61 on Langston Hughes. (listening)
Lesson:
Give the students the handout on Hughes. Allow about 10 - 15 minutes for the students to read the information and answer the questions at the bottom of the page. (reading)
Post-Lesson:
Students share their answers for the questions on the bottom of the page. (listening)

Day 10
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to express themselves through writing poetry.
Materials Needed:
-book I Wonder as I Wander by Langston Hughes
Pre-Lesson:
Brainstorm (strategy) with the students what comes to their mind as they hear the phrase "I wonder as I wonder." Share some of the poems in the book by Hughes.
Lesson:
Have the students write their own poems titled "I Wonder as I Wonder." Give the students 15 minutes to work. (writing of poetry)
Post-Lesson:
Students will share with the rest of the class their poems they created. Students will have the option of passing if they like. I will try to encourage all the students to read theirs outloud. (listening)

Day 11
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to retell the life of Martin Luther King, Jr (cooperative learning) and be able to tell the significance he had in African American history.
Materials Needed:
-My Dream of Martin Luther King Jr by Faith Ringgold
Pre-Lesson:
Point out to the students Faith Ringgold is the author of several books we have read throughout this month. (highlight an author)
Lesson:
Read to the students My Dream of Martin Luther King Jr . (literature)
Post-Lesson:
Have the students retell the story of King’s life. One student starts, go around the room so all students have the chance to participate. Ask the students if they notice any similarities in the books by Faith Ringgold. What about similarities in the pictures? Way of writing?



Day 12
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to write out their own dream, as King had a dream of his own.
Materials Needed:
-King’s speech of "I have a Dream..."
-paper
-pencils
Pre-Lesson:
Read to the students King’s "I have a Dream..." speech. Discuss with the students what does it mean? How do they interpret it? Has his dream come true in today’s society? Why or why not?
Lesson:
Students will create their own dream. The students need to write about a dream they have, either for themselves or their family. (writing)
Post-Lesson:
Pair students up and read their dream to each other. Anything they want to add/delete?



Day 13
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to take their revised copy of their dream and put it onto the computer.
Materials Needed:
-students’ "I have a Dream.." poems
-computer lab
Pre-Lesson:
The students will again, with someone different from the previous day, read their poems to each other. Is there anything that needs to be added/deleted?
Lesson:
The students will go to the computer lab. Each student will put their poem onto the computer and print it out. Students should be careful that all words are spelt correctly and have complete sentences. (technology)
Post-Lesson:
Students will print out their dream papers and give to the teacher to keep. If there are some students not quite finished, either later in the day or sometime the next day, the students can return to the computer lab and finish their poem. **Encourage everyone to finish in one day, the students who are not finished in the one given day, will need to find time of their own (either after school, or at a recess) to complete the assignment.
Day 14
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to take their poems and get them ready to be put into a class book titled "Our Dreams."
Materials Needed:
-construction paper (2 students will share one piece)
-copies of students’ poems
-glue
-cover page for the book titled "Our Dreams" (this will be made previously by the teacher)
Pre-Lesson:
The students will pair up with one other person in the class. The two students, together, will decide on what color construction paper they want to have their papers on.
Lesson:
The students will work together to create a page of the class book. Each student will glue his/her paper onto the construction paper, one on each side. When it is finished, it will be handed into the teacher.
Post-Lesson:
The teacher will take all pages, have them laminated, then bound together. Each student will then read their dream to the class. (extended project) The book will then be displayed on the display table in the back of the room.
Day 15-16
Time:
two class periods
Objective:
The students will be able to gain more knowledge about a famous African American person. Students will share their findings to the class in a report fashion.
Materials Needed:
-resource materials (library, Internet, Encarta, various books from the learning center)
-paper
-pencil
Pre-Lesson:
Explain to the students about the "Wall of Fame". Each student will pick a famous African American person and do a little more research on him/her. It can be a person already covered throughout the month, or someone new. A section of the hallway by the classroom will be designated as the "Wall of Fame."
Lesson:
Give students two days to research on their famous person. Students are encouraged to use the Internet and Encarta (technology) as much as possible to get the information they need.



Post-Lesson:
Students share with the teacher what person they are planning on researching, where they are going to go for their information, etc. Share with the whole class the criteria that will be used as a means of evaluation. (This is covered so the students all know what is expected of them.)

Day 17
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to ask the guest speaker questions about his/her life, or anything else they want to know about.
Materials Needed:
-guest speaker (A person dressed up as a famous African American. This person must know a substantial amount of information about the African American.)
-student generated questions
Pre-Lesson:
Students prepare questions before hand to ask the guest speaker.
Lesson:
Guest speaker (dressed up) comes to the classroom; he/she walks, talks, has about the same mannerisms as the famous person. Share with the students the life he/she led, some hard obstacles to overcome, things from childhood, etc.
Post-Lesson:
Students ask questions they have previously prepared to ask the guest speaker. (extended classroom experience)
****Instead of having a guest speaker, you can call your city or town’s historical society and ask if there are any locations that can be visited nearby related to any topics covered throughout the month. If a guest speaker or a location to visit can not be found, this day can also be used as a work day for the students’ "Wall of Fame."

Day 18
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will display their knowledge of a famous African American person by informing the class of their findings.
Materials Needed:
-Oral Communication evaluation
-tape (to display the report in the hallway)
Pre-Lesson:
Students will gather the information they need to give their presentation.



Lesson:
Each student will present their findings about the famous person they chose. (speaking) Students will be evaluated with the Oral Communication evaluation.. Put all students’ names into a bucket. Pick randomly a name out of the bucket; this will be the student to give their presentation.
Post-Lesson:
Students will put their reports on the "Wall of Fame." The teacher will go over, privately with each student, the evaluation that was completed.

Day 19
Time:
one class period
Objective:
The students will be able to display what they have learned by finishing the K-W-L bulletin board. (assessment)
Materials Needed:
-3 X 5 cards (enough so each student can use at least 2)
-bulletin board ready for the students to put up their cards (one column of "What I
Know" second "What I Want to Know" third "What I learned")
-list of the famous people studied on the board for students to see
Pre-Lesson:
Tell the students they need to be thinking of at least 2 things they learned throughout the month of February about African Americans. Hand out to each student at least two cards.
Lesson:
With no talking in the classroom, the students will write on their cards something they learned throughout the month. (This will be the L in K-W-L strategy.) This is going to be my form of assessing the students.
Post-Lesson:
When all students are finished with the above, have each student share with the class what they have written on their cards. (speaking) When the whole class is finished sharing, each student will put their "knowledge" cards on the bulletin board under the "What I Learned" column.
Bibliography
-Aunt Harriet’s Railroad in the Sky Faith Ringgold. Crown Publishers, Inc. New
York 1992.
-African Americans: Voices in History and Culture Adrian Chan. Frank Schaffer
Publication Palos Verdes Estates, California 1989.
-Cobblestone v13 n2 February 1992.
-Famous American Negroes Langston Hughes. Dodd, Mead & Company; New
York 1966.
-Famous Black Americans Gregory Hunter. Frank Schaffer Publication Palos
Verdes Estates, California 1989.
-A Pocketful of Goobers: A Story of George Washington Carver Barbara
Mitchell. Carolrhoda Books, Inc. Minneapolis 1986.