New R.I. African Heritage Civil Rights Lesson Plans
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 5, 2019) – New curriculum unit plans on the topic of Rhode Island African American Civil Rights have been released to the public and are freely available through the Rhode Island Historical Society website. Although the unit plans were developed for elementary and middle school classrooms, high school teachers may find the materials useful in their teaching. Unit plans utilize primary sources from the Rhode Island Historical Society, Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and other organizations including digitized documents, photos, and audio and video files.
This work is supported by a $49,557.76 grant from the National Park Service (NPS) through its African American Civil Rights Grant Program, which assists projects that “document, interpret, and preserve the sites and stories related to the African American struggle to gain equal rights as citizens in the 20th Century.” The grant was announced in January of 2017. Project partners include the Rhode Island Historical Society, the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society, and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.
Rhode Island’s project spans three major efforts. In Phase 1, RIBHS researchers conducted oral history interviews, studied primary and secondary sources, and produced a comprehensive study of the state’s 20th-century African American Civil Rights history. For Phase 2, Public Archaeology Lab (PAL), working primarily with the RIHPHC, is surveying historic sites, preparing survey sheets, and writing a narrative report that includes a context statement, analysis of the group of sites, and recommendations for National Register eligibility. Phase 2 is slated to be completed in June of 2019. A public exhibit, teachers’ workshop, and the release of new educational materials are part of the third and final phase of this multipart project. A second exhibit, teacher workshop, and the development of a high school-level curriculum will occur in the fall of 2019.