Ms.+Dirda


 * 20th Century US History **

**The study of black history by all students is crucial not only during Black History month but throughout the entire academic school year. Students in 20th Century US History begin the curriculum by acquiring an understanding of the impact of the Triangular Slave Trade which began with the Portuguese and move on to attain knowledge of the struggles and hardships that slaves faced in the United States. Students are taught of the bravery and courage of former slaves such as Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass and about infamous abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and John Brown who all risked their lives to free slaves and see an end to slavery in the United States. An analyzation of the movement of suppression from the Slave Codes to the Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws is also performed. 20th Century curriculum goes on to study the progress of the Civil Rights movement up until the onset of WWII. The Harlem Renaissance, a time of cultural celebration, is examined and students are exposed to the art, literature, and music given to the United States by the African American community in Harlem. The students will learn about the Apollo Theater and pertinent individuals such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Claude McKay, and Langston Hughes to name just a few talented, amazing individuals who will be studied. **



**Students are taught to appreciate black history and the rich, beautiful culture that rose up from this strong, courageous group of people. Understanding of cultural differences, diversity and tolerance of others are at the root of the history lessons presented to the students. One cannot understand American history without studying about slavery, the Underground Railroad, and the Civil Rights movement. From the early slave narratives to contemporary African-American novels and poems as well as the huge contributions to music, the study of black history is a crucial part of the curriculum of 20th Century US History at Washington High School throughout the entire school year. **

= = Black History Month Projects: February 2018

Trading Card Project  20th Century U.S. History **Theme: Black History Month** Contributions of African Americans will be researched and presented to peers in the form of a Trading Card which is similar to a baseball card with a picture on the front and vital statistics on the back.


 * Assignment: **


 * A pair of 2 students will design a set of 4 trading cards on African Americans of their choice who provided an accomplishment to our nation’s rich history.
 * Each trading card will depict one African American that is selected by the group.
 * One chosen person to be researched by the pair must be selected from the website: [].
 * After selecting their four people, students must inform the teacher of their selection to avoid duplication by another pair of student

The front of the card will be a hand-drawn picture of the selected individual which may be in black/white or in color. The back of the card will list pertinent information on the individual’s life including their achievements.

Students must include at least one interesting, but true fact that is not widely known by the general population. Information may be bulleted or in paragraph form.

Minimum size will be 8 ½” by 11 per trading card.

Students will be graded on: **Each subdivision (1-5) is worth ten points each.**
 * 1) Quality of picture
 * 2) Quality of information
 * 3) Originality and creativity
 * 4) Mechanics of information (Few to no errors)
 * 5) Amount of information (minimum of 10 bullet points or 1 paragraph consisting of 8-10 sentences)
 * 6) Presentation to peers: 15 pts

Neatness counts!! Take pride in your work!!!

**For our second project in 20th Century US History, students will read and analyze the text, March by John Lewis. **

March is a New York Times Bestseller and is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. March is a graphic trilogy, part autobiography of John Lewis and part history of the Civil Rights Movement. Book One opens with the march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, during which 600 peaceful demonstrators were attacked by Alabama state troopers under the orders of then-governor George Wallace. The story then goes back and forth between shaping events in Lewis’ life that led to his being on the stage for Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration. Lewis tells his story as he answers questions of an admiring mother and her two sons. He provides insight into what life was like for black families in the 1940s and 1950s under Jim Crow and segregation laws. Lewis tells of growing up in rural Alabama, meeting Martin Luther King, Jr., the Nashville Student Movement, and nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins.

**After completing the lessons from March, students will be able to:**

 * ====Outline the challenges faced by African Americans seeking to vote in the Jim Crow South.====
 * ====Discuss the spiritual and religious dimension of the civil rights movement.====
 * ====Explain the philosophical and practical rationales of non-violent protest.====
 * ====Discuss the “grey” nuances which have traditionally characterized certain black/white race relationships in the South.====
 * ====Understand the different ways people find the courage to stand up and fight for their rights====
 * ====Analyze the concept of ‘separate but equal,’ it’s intent, it’s applications, and how it hurt so many.====

**Activities:**

 * ====Students will view a video segment from the PBS series, “Finding Your Roots,” which explores the life of John Lewis. Lewis discusses how he became involved in the Civil Rights movement with the Freedom Rides, the sit-ins in Nashville, and the March on Washington.====
 * ====Students will read and analyze the text of March and engage in a classroom discussion of the text followed by a daily exit reflection card.====
 * ====Students will complete a “Literacy Test” once administered to African Americans who tried to register to vote in the Jim Crow South. They then explore an interactive website to gain a wider understanding of voting challenges for African Americans during Jim Crow.====
 * ====Students will be given the following supplemental readings accompanied with higher level analytical questions:====
 * Ella Baker, “Bigger than a Hamburger,” delivered in April 1960 and published in The Southern Patriot, June 1960.
 * Atlanta Students, “An Appeal for Human Rights,” The Atlanta Constitution, March 9, 1960
 * 50 Years After the March on Washington, John Lewis Still Fights (Media clip and accompanied reading)

**Additional Resources:**
====//The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates, Jr //: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/classroom/==== ====//Finding Your Roots "Only in America" media clip:// https://wqed.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/fyr12.socst.us.1950pres.onam/only-in-america/?#.WnKWDaOZOjQ====