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Who Killed Vincent Chin: Civil Rights Activism From the website:
"In this lesson, students will:
(1) investigate evidence to determine how the killing of Vincent Chin was racially motivated,
(2) demonstrate how to stand up for a civil rights issue, and
(3) analyze the mistakes of the American justice system"
The lesson takes place over two 50-minute class periods with optional homework in between.
PBS and History Toolkit Cautions:
Please be advised that this lesson plan contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Also, referring to anyone of Asian descent as “oriental,” a Japanese or Japanese American person as a “Jap,” or that someone might be "handicaped" because they are Chinese is inappropriate and racist.
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Integrating Asian Pacific Islander Desi Americans (APIDA) in Your Everyday Teaching These slides are from a webinar by the Asian American Education Project aimed to help teachers integrate APIDA histories into their existing teaching. The slides share examples of APIDA inclusion into existing curriculum, pedagogical strategies to do so, and reflective questions to help K-12 history teachers probe their own teaching.
Example teaching strategies/historical moments are:
- Angel Island and Ellis Island
- Japanese Incarceration during WWII, Treatment of Muslim Americans and South Asian Americans post 9/11, and U.S. Detention Facilities at the Border
- Tape vs. Hurley and Brown vs. Board
- Immigration Patterns of Southeast Asian refugees as a result of the Vietnam War
- Lue Gim Gong saves Florida's Citrus Plants
- Colonization of Hawai'i
Standards for each example are below.
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Chaldean History: Who are the Chaldeans? A brief article outlining the over 5,500-year history of Chaldean people: from their beginnings in Mesopotamia to Metro Detroit becoming the second largest community of Chaldeans worldwide.
The article also includes information about language, religion, and demographics.
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American Dreaming Lesson Plan From the lesson overview by the Arab American National Museum:
"In this lesson, students will engage in interactive exercises in the classroom and in the museum to better understand the history of the American Dream, how it applies to their own lives and the lives of Arab Americans. This lesson can be used in Social Studies classrooms as well as English classrooms discussing the theme of the American Dream."
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Understanding Arab Refugees Unit Plan From the unit overview by the Arab American National Museum:
"This unit is designed for upper elementary students. In this unit, students will read a picture book about an Arab refugee family that tries to escape a conflict in their country and head to Europe. Students will learn what it means to be a refugee and how a refugee differs from being an immigrant. Students will also learn how other countries have tried to help refugees and then examine what they would do to help a new refugee student."
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End of the Twentieth Century Women and the American Story History Unit (1977-2001): A Conservative Turn Key ideas from the unit:
"1. The progressive social movements of the 1960s and 1970s were met with a conservative political and social backlash. Women, especially white women, played a major role in promoting and supporting these conservative ideas.
2. Despite the rise in conservatism, the gains of feminist activism led to major achievements for women in politics and the workplace.
3. Women from different backgrounds challenged the rise of conservative thought and stood up for progressive ideals.
4. Women contributed extensively to American culture and society, shaping the new perceptions of what American womanhood looked like."
As with all WAMS unit plans, "each resource includes background information and vocabulary lists to provide context. Resources also include suggested activities and how to combine different resources on a certain topic. You can easily integrate these materials into current lesson plans or structure new lessons around them. Many resources in this unit allow you to teach historical themes and topics in your curriculum by including the perspective of women in this era."
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Growth and Turmoil: U.S. History Unit (1948–1977) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. The federal government and popular culture sought to promote the
superiority of democracy over communism by celebrating the suburban family, which was held together by the American housewife. This middle-class ideal, however, excluded most Americans.
2. Ongoing racism and segregation led to a wave of civil rights activism, including and extending far beyond the African American community. Women played a significant role in leading this work.
3. The Vietnam War provided women with new opportunities for service and activism. Women were vocal participants in both the pro- and anti-war movements.
4. The activism of the 1960s was a major catalyst in the growth of the women’s liberation movement. Feminists from diverse backgrounds fought for equality, but they did not always agree on the best way to achieve it.
5. Not all American women supported gender equality and progressive feminist ideals."
As with all WAMS unit plans, "each resource includes background information and vocabulary lists to provide context. Resources also include suggested activities and how to combine different resources on a certain topic. You can easily integrate these materials into current lesson plans or structure new lessons around them. Many resources in this unit allow you to teach historical themes and topics in your curriculum by including the perspective of women in this era."
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Confidence and Crises: Women and the American Story History Unit (1920-1948) Key ideas from the unit:
"1. Major social, economic, and political shifts in this period forced Americans to once again question what it meant to be an American.
2. Women of all backgrounds continued to feel the tension between traditional expectations of domesticity and expanding opportunities in work, education, social interaction, and politics.
3. After the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, women activists lacked a unifying issue. Instead, they focused on an increasingly diverse array of social and political issues.
4. Although women’s experiences varied depending on age, race, ethnicity, geography, and economic status, women across all these categories actively contributed to reform and activated their citizenship in creative ways throughout the era."
As with all WAMS unit plans, "each resource includes background information and vocabulary lists to provide context. Resources also include suggested activities and how to combine different resources on a certain topic. You can easily integrate these materials into current lesson plans or structure new lessons around them. Many resources in this unit allow you to teach historical themes and topics in your curriculum by including the perspective of women in this era."
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Settler Colonialism and the American Revolution: Women and the American Story History Unit (1692-1783)
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Early Encounters: Women and the American Story History Unit (1492-1734) Key ideas of the unit:
"1. Women were integral to the formation and evolution of early colonial settlements in the Americas.
2. The experiences of women in the early colonial period varied widely based on race, class, age, gender identity, and geographic region.
3. The full story of the early colonial period cannot be properly understood without considering the experiences of women."
As with all WAMS unit plans, "each resource includes background information and vocabulary lists to provide context. Resources also include suggested activities and how to combine different resources on a certain topic. You can easily integrate these materials into current lesson plans or structure new lessons around them. Many resources in this unit allow you to teach historical themes and topics in your curriculum by including the perspective of women in this era."
