9-12 Lesson Plans and Activities | Western Maine Anti-Racism Education Advisory

Lesson Plans and Activities

Because it only works if we work together.

What are Reparations and Should We Enact Them?

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the history and rationale for reparations and reflect on their own point of view as well as consider the opinions of others.

GOAL: Students will define and describe reparations. Students will learn about the rationale for reparations for slavery and its historical context. Students will reflect on their own and others' opinions about reparations and express their views.

Athletes and Activism

This high school lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about and reflect upon athletes who have taken stands on political issues.

GOAL: Students will explore different opinions about the role that professional athletes should play in politics and activism.

Elections and the Youth Vote

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the role and importance of the youth vote, consider barriers to the youth vote, and propose ideas for taking action to increase the youth vote.

GOAL: Students will understand more about the historical context of “the youth vote.” Students will reflect on a series of interviews with teenagers about elections and voting and then consider their own thoughts and ideas.

A Time to Speak: A Speech by Charles Morgan

In this lesson, students will study Morgan’s speech to better understand the civil rights movement and the value of speaking out against injustice.

GOALS: Understand the significance of Morgan's speech as part of the civil rights movement and make the connection that modern events and issues are directly tied to past events.

Racial Profiling

Racial profiling occurs when law enforcement agents impermissibly use race, religion, ethnicity or national origin in deciding who to investigate. This lesson focuses on racial profiling. Students learn what the term means, discuss why it matters, conduct research and present their insights.

GOAL: Define racial profiling, identify instances of racial profiling, explain why it matters, and present their understanding in an informative manner.

Music and the Movement

In this lesson, students will identify political issues that are important to them, choose a song and then rewrite the words to support the issue and fit the music’s rhythm.

GOAL: Recognize and discuss the role of protest songs in the Birmingham youth movement.

What Counts as History?

This lesson asks students to think about what counts as history. It is divided into two parts. Part 1 gets students thinking about what’s included in the history they study, and what’s missing. Part 1 can stand alone as a complete lesson. Part 2 extends the project. In it, they compare how a U.S. history book and an African-American history book address the same time period. They also reflect on how including new groups alters the study of history.

What is the School-To-Prison Pipeline

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to understand more about the School-to-Prison Pipeline, learn about its history and evolution and begin to plan some activities to teach others about it and take action.

GOAL: Students will understand what is meant by the term, reflect on the history of school discipline policies and the evolution of the School-to-Prison Pipeline, and identify strategies in order to teach others and take action.