UNIT TITLE: Celebrating Black History
Author: Melissa Hackett
School: Dearborn
Heights Elementary: Oak Lawn, IL
THEME: Black History
BROAD CONCEPT: Diversity and Courage
GRADES: 5th grade
INTEGRATED SUBJECTS: Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Character Education, and Computer Education
UNIT GOALS AND PURPOSE: Through
this unit students will learn about and gain an appreciation for the history of
African Americans. They will learn how to graph and read data, determine
area and perimeter, find an average, search on the web, and use Kid Pix Studio,
Inspiration, PowerPoint, Excel, and Microsoft Word. Several of the
activities and assignments will be displayed around the classroom. Some of
the activities will be graded as a group and some will be graded individually.
Most of the assignments will be graded using a rubric.
TIME FRAME:
12 days
OBJECTIVES:
In this lesson, students will:
General materials and equipment-
rulers, “Follow
the Drinking Gourd” video, calculators, graph examples, Illinois map overhead,
graph paper, Great Negroes Past and Present by Russell Adams, Sweet
Clara and The Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson, North Star to Freedom
by Gena K. Gorrell, and Go Free or Die: A Story About Harriet Tubman by
Jeri Ferris
Software Used in this Unit
_X_ Desktop Publishing-Microsoft Publisher _X_ Brainstorming -Inspiration
_X_ Word Processing- MS Word _X_ Spreadsheet- Excel
_X_CD-ROM Encyclopedia- Encarta __ Database
_X_ Multimedia- Kid Pix Deluxe 3, PowerPoint
__Other software pertaining to
unit
STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:
1.C.2f Connect information presented in tables, maps and charts to printed or electronic text.
1.C.2b Make and support inferences and form interpretations about main themes
and topics.
2.B.2c Relate literary works and their characters, settings and plots to current and historical events, people and perspectives.
3.A.2 Write paragraphs that
include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of
speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies
(e.g., mapping, outlining, drafting).
3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a
variety of forms including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository
(e.g., reports, essays) and persuasive writings (e.g., editorials,
advertisements).
4.A.2b Ask and respond to questions related to oral presentations and messages
in small and large group settings.
4.B.2b Use speaking skills and procedures to participate in group discussions.
5.A.2b Organize and integrate information from a variety of sources (e.g., books, interviews, library reference materials, web- sites, CD/ROMs).
5.C.2b Prepare and deliver oral presentations based on inquiry or research.
6.B.2 Solve one- and two-step problems involving whole numbers, fractions and
decimals using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
6.C.2b Show evidence that computational results using whole numbers, fractions and decimals are correct and/or that estimates are reasonable.
6.D.2 Describe the relationship between two sets of data using ratios and
appropriate notations (e.g., a/b, a to b, a:b).
7.A.2a Calculate, compare and convert length, perimeter, area, weight/mass and
volume within the customary and metric systems.
7.B.2a Determine and communicate possible methods for estimating a given
measure, selecting proper units in both customary and metric systems.
7.C.2b Construct or draw figures with given perimeters and areas.
10.A.2a Organize and display data using pictures, tallies, tables, charts, bar
graphs, line graphs, line plots and stem-and-leaf graphs.
10.A.2c Make predictions and decisions based on data and communicate their reasoning.
10.B.2b Collect, organize and display data using tables, charts, bar graphs,
line graphs, circle graphs, line plots and stem-and-leaf graphs.
14.F.2 Identify consistencies and inconsistencies between expressed United
States political traditions and ideas and actual practices (e.g., freedom of
speech, right to bear arms, slavery, voting rights).
16.A.2c Ask questions and seek answers by collecting and analyzing data from historic documents, images and other literary and non-literary sources.
16.B.2d (US) Identify major political events and leaders within the United States historical eras since the adoption of the Constitution, including the westward expansion, Louisiana Purchase, Civil War, and 20th century wars as well as the roles of Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
16.C.2a (US)
Describe how slavery and indentured servitude influenced the early economy of
the United States.
16.D.2c (US)
Describe the influence of key individuals and groups, including Susan B.
Anthony/suffrage and Martin Luther King, Jr./civil rights, in the historical
eras of Illinois and the United States.
17.A.2b Use maps and other geographic representations and instruments to gather
information about people, places and environments.
18.A.2 Explain ways in which language, stories, folk tales, music, media and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture.
N.C.T.M. STANDARDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT:
Number and Operations
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STUDENT ACTIVITIES WHICH WILL PROMOTE ENGAGED LEARNING:
Lesson 1
As an introduction to the unit, we will read several excerpts from the book, Great Negroes Past and Present. We will begin a KWL Chart on black history by discussing what the children know and want to know about black history. We will discuss several topics, such as: slavery, the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, and famous African-Americans. I will then introduce the video, “Follow the Drinking Gourd” with an explanation of why slavery existed and why others opposed it. Following the video, I will group the students together in groups of three and they will determine two positive and two negative effects of slavery. We will share their conclusions with the class and discuss the “war between the states.”
Lesson 2
Partner the students and assign each pair a month. In the computer lab, the students will research black history. Instruct the students to discover events that occurred during the dates assigned to them. Record the information on paper and check it over. Using Microsoft Publisher, have the groups open a calendar. Choose the month assigned and enter the research into the appropriate days of that month. Remind the students to include the year for each event. Compile the twelve months to make a classroom black history calendar.
A good start: http://toptags.com/aama/events/events.htm
Lesson 3
Read Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt. Discuss the use of quilts by the Underground Railroad and the great significance that these quilts had. Using the computer lab, research the different patterns that were used to create quilts and the meaning behind the pattern. Discuss area and perimeter. Area is the number of square units needed to cover a surface and perimeter is the distance around a figure. Using Kid Pix Deluxe 3, have the children create their own quilt patch. The patch must have an area of 25 inches and a perimeter of 20 inches. The children will use their rulers to determine the length and width of their patch. The patch must have some significance to the struggle and meaning of the quilts to the slaves.
Lesson 4
Continuing with Black history calendar, the students will create a timeline of events for an assigned month. Using the dates and years, the students will put the events in order on a timeline using, Timeliner.
Lesson 5
Put the students in cooperative groups and distribute copies of the Illinois state map. Also show the Illinois map on the overhead projector. When students are in their groups, they must map out a course to free territory which you, the teacher, will determine. Give a starting point and final destination.
Each group must:
Draw out their route on their map.
Calculate the distance for each route using the distance key on the map. (Measure distance with yarn then use mileage key to add up the total miles of the route.)
Estimate how long the trip will take. (Time how long it would take to walk a mile. Multiply that time with the total miles of the route to get total hours. Also add in minutes/hours you would need to sleep or rest. Total up all the hours for the journey and find the total number of days as well.)
Explain why they chose this route. (Example: What barriers were in the way? Would you use roads? Is their too much traffic to risk being caught on this route?)
Have the groups get together with another group and share the results explaining why they chose their particular route. Then have each group share their route with the class, the distance and time for the route, and reasons for choosing it. Discuss what route would be best. This activity helps the children appreciate how far some people had to travel on foot to reach free territory.
Lesson 6
Read the book, North Star to Freedom. Discuss the many fascinating and courageous facts that were mentioned in the book. Discuss how the Underground Railroad was so significant in the rescue of thousands of slaves. In the computer lab, assign the children a predetermined “safe house” location from the website, http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/states.htm. Go onto the website and allow the children time to read about their safe house. Then they must research how many miles the safe house is from their city and how long it would take to walk there. (Use the timed mile from the previous day’s activity.) When everyone knows how long it would take to get their safe house, discuss averages. Explain how averages are used in real life, such as grades and baseball. The teacher will list everyone’s time on the dry-erase board. Have the children to average the miles walked by the slaves- add them all up and divide by how many averages there are all together.
Using Microsoft Excel, the students are going to graph each person’s mileage. They are then going to average them using Excel and determine if they found the same average as the computer program did.
Lesson 7
The students are going to research a famous black inventor using Encarta. They may also use the Internet if there is not enough information on Encarta. They must record important facts about that person. Using Inspiration, the students are going to create a character web of their African American inventor. They must have at least three main topics and three details for each topic. The children will then use that character web to compose a persuasive essay on Microsoft Word. The children are to write an essay persuading the reader to vote for their inventor as the “Most Influential Inventor.”
Helpful website: http://toptags.com/aama/events/events.htm
Lesson 8
As a whole group, we will discuss how many slaves were in the South and where they traveled form. We will compare that number to the population of our state and the population of surrounding states. This will provide them with a visual representation of the total number of slaves in the Southern United States at that time. Using Microsoft Excel, the students will create pie charts demonstrating what they have learned about the total number of slaves in the Southern United States and compare it with the population of their state and surrounding states. We will compare and discuss the graphs in class.
Lesson 9
Using the websites below, the children will read about how slaves were brought over to the United States. They will then determine the ratio of slaves to slave owners and the ratio of slaves to free people in several different states.
http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/south/charles/charles1.htm
http://www.tcmuseum.org/slavery/08_slave_records_of_1822_to_1834/
The students will then graph the ratios on graph paper and determine the fraction and percent of the ratios, as well.
Lesson 10
I will read the book, Go Free or Die: A Story About Harriet Tubman. Using Kid Pix Deluxe 3, the students are required to complete a slideshow containing seven slides that depict Harriet Tubman and her remarkable life. It must represent facts from her life and depict the courage she displayed to help many slaves get to freedom.
Lesson 11- Culminating Activity
The students must create a fictional character from the pre-Civil War days. This character must be a slave, and live in the south. Pre-writing exercises will include drawing a picture of their character, defining the character’s family members, age, job on the plantation, and a description of the plantation. The journal should be two weeks long. Each journal entry should be written from their character’s point of view and should include as much factual information as possible. It should also include an appropriate date. They should write about their plan to escape and how they are treated once they do escape. The student’s will then pull together all of their entries and create a Power Point presentation depicting their character’s life.
Lesson 12
The children will present their PowerPoint presentations to the whole class.
We will watch a video from Oprah’s special on Martin Luther King, Jr. The children will finish their KWL Chart by adding what we have learned to the chart.
SHARE YOUR IDEAS:
Throughout the unit the students are working cooperatively in groups to work towards gaining information and answers. They create individual projects, group projects, and whole class projects. The culminating lesson at the end of the unit allows everyone a turn to present their final project to the class. The children have an opportunity to share their PowerPoint presentation and what they have learned with the entire class. There are a wide variety of activities for the children to complete using a wide variety of media. The activities provide hands-on and real world applications of the content area. The unit allows the students to gain an appreciation for the courage, struggle, and history of black Americans.
Rubric
These projects and assignments will be placed in the student’s Black History folder to be presented throughout and at the end of the unit. The teacher grades several of the projects individually and the group grades some. The rubrics ill be given at the beginning of the unit and the teacher will put the graded rubrics back in the folders as the assignments are turned in.
Grading
A= 535 - 575
B= 494 - 534
C= 437 – 493
D= 403 – 436
F= 402 or below
Calendar
The month has as at least 20 days completed
20
Each event includes a year
20
Spelling is accurate
10
Information is accurate
10
Quilt Patch
The area is 25 inches
20
The perimeter is 20 inches
20
The patch is relevant to the struggle of the slaves
10
Timeline
The events are in the chronological order
20
The timeline is visually appealing
10
Spelling is accurate
10
Freedom Maps
The route is drawn on the map
5
The distance is calculated correctly
20
The estimation of travel time is reasonable
20
All of the mathematical computation is provided
10
Explanation includes why the particular route was chosen
10
Oral presentation provides the distance, route, and reasoning
5
Averages
The graph shows the class’ travel times
10
The average is computed correctly
15
The mathematical work is shown
5
The average on Excel matches the student’s average
5
Character Web
The inventor’s name is provided
5
There are 3 main topics
30
There are 3 details for each topic
90
Essay
The essay is persuasive
5
The essay includes an introduction
5
The essay includes a conclusion
5
The essay provides three reasons to persuade the reader
5
Slave Graphs
The graph shows a comparison
5
The student participates in discussion
5
Ratios
Ratio of slaves to slave owners is provided
5
Ratio of slaves to free population is provided
5
The graph shows the ratio for both
5
Conversion of ratios to fractions is provided
5
Conversion of ratios to percents is provided
5
Kid Pix Slideshow
There are seven slides
20
Slides include at least 2 facts about Harriet Tubman
10
Slides depict courage of slaves
5
Spelling is accurate
5
Slides are visually appealing
5
Journal
Fictional character who is a slave from the South
10
Picture of character
10
Character’s age, family, and job on plantation are included
10
Journal contains two weeks of entries
10
Dates are appropriate
10
Escape plan and description of treatment included
10
PowerPoint Presentation
Presentation is accurate with journal
10
Slideshow is visually stimulating
10
KWL
Completed 5
STUDENT AND TEACHER ROLES:
The teacher will facilitate the class by working with each group and individual
as they attempt the task at hand. The teacher will make suggestions,
remind the students of key aspects, and make sure the groups include all the
necessary information in their projects. The teacher will guide the
students by showing past examples of the many projects and by emphasizing the
creativity that can be expressed. The teacher will be open to new
discoveries and information from the students.
The students will be researching many
different aspects of black history. They will be discovering the courage
of many black Americans and in turn become very aware of the diversity in the
world around them. The students will be exploring new information about
black history by utilizing all the available tools. Students will be
working in groups and presenting to the class. They will be encouraged to
help and share ideas with one another.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE PRINT RESOURCES STUDENTS MAY USE:
World Book Encyclopedia, student
textbooks, magazines (Time, Weekly Reader)
THE FOLLOWING BOOKS CONTAIN INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TOPIC:
Harriet Tubman: They Call Me Moses by Linda D. Meyer
Two Tickets to Freedom by Florence B. Freedman
Martin Luther King, Jr. by Lillie Patterson
Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks
Daily Life on a Southern Plantation by
Paul Erickson
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
Watsons Go To Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
Sojourner Truth- Ain’t I A Woman? By Patricia C. McKissack
FOR ADDITIONAL ONLINE INFORMATION AND MEDIA PERTAINING TO THIS UNIT, TEACHERS MAY WANT TO USE THE FOLLOWING INTERNET ARTICLES:
Title1: Black History Month
URL1: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-6602.html?s1
Description1: This site provides teachers with many lesson plans,
quizzes, literature connections, and activities to help teach the children about
famous black Americans.
Title2: Index of Narratives
URL2: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/index.html
Description2: This site provides a collection of narratives from the
American Studies Department at the
University of Virginia. It provides pictures along with narratives.
It works well with the slave journal the children will be writing.
Title3: Black History
URL3: http://members.aol.com/MrDonnLessons/USHolidays.html#BLACK
Description3: This site offers many links to readings, interactive
quizzes, and interactive searches. It also includes links to readings and units
on famous Black Americans.
Title4: A Black History Treasure Hunt
URL4: http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson052.shtml
Description4: This site contains four links to several age appropriate
black history treasure hunts for children.
Title5: Black History Month
URL5: http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/blkhistory/
Description5: This site contains wonderful links to biographies of
several famous black Americans, interactive exhibits at the Black History
Museum, and information on the Negro Baseball League
Title6: African Americans in History
URL6: http://www.uga.edu/%7Eiaas/History.html
Description6: This site lists many important African Americans and
a brief biography on each of them. It also includes pictures of important
people such as, George Washington Carver and Benjamin Banneker.
RELEVANT INFORMATION, STUDENTS WILL VISIT THE FOLLOWING WEB SITES:
Title1: Harriet Tubman and The Underground
Railroad
URL1: http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/tubman.html
Purpose of Use1: to become familiar with the Underground Railroad and
Harriet Tubman and to learn about the routes taken and different quilts made
Description1: A second grade class created this site, but it is very
effective for students of all ages. It includes Underground Railroad
vocabulary, word searches, maps of Harriet Tubman’s routes, and pictures of
freedom quilts.
Title2: Black History From A to Z
URL2: http://www.kulturezone.com/kidz/abc/index.html
Purpose of Use2: to be introduced to Black History vocabulary and famous
African Americans.
Description2: This wonderful site offers children the opportunity to
click on a letter from A to Z and to learn about important parts of Black
History. Each letter is either a black American or topic, such a Voting.
Several of the excerpts include a link for additional information.
Title3: Charleston Landscapes
URL3: http://www.uwec.edu/geography/Ivogeler/w188/south/charles/charles1.htm
Purpose of Use3: to research and determine the ratio of slaves to slave
owners and the ratio of slaves to the free population
Description3: This site tells about the traveling the slave had to do to
get to America. It tells about the different ratios, occupations, slave
quarters on the ships, and slave auctions.
Title4: Slave Records from 1822 to 1834
URL4: http://www.tcmuseum.org/slavery/08_slave_records_of_1822_to_1834/
Purpose of Use4: to determine the ratio of slaves to owners
Description4: This site allows the children to read about the slave
records that were kept and to view the numbers that were recorded.
Title5: Afro-American Almanac
URL5: http://toptags.com/aama/events/events.htm
Purpose of Use5: to research events that happened during a particular
month and to include the year
Description5: This site is an almanac of African American events that
occurred. It also provides links to certain historical documents.
Title6: Black Inventors A to Z
URL6: http://inventors.about.com/library/blblackinventors.htm
Purpose of Use6: to research a black inventor and to create a character
web on him/her, to get enough information on a black inventor to write a
persuasive essay on him/her
Description6: This site offers an alphabetical list of black inventors.
It provides a picture of the person, as well as, an article on what he or she
has invented and how it has contributed to society. It is a great source
doe the students.
