Semester 1: Unit 2 At-A-Glance: How African Americans Persisted: Slavery and Freedom Stories of Resistance and AgencyIn this unit, students will:• Analyze how Africans, African Americans, and their descendants have struggled to gain freedom, equality, and social justice.• Explore the ways in which slavery was embedded in legislation.• Investigate how multiple racial and cultural perspectives influence the interpretation of slavery.Compelling Question: How were some Africans from the global diaspora able to assert their agency to resist slavery; why were other Africans unable to do this?Pre-Assessment: Before beginning this unit, students complete a poll to survey understanding of local and global slavery that existed, the prevalence of slavery in Connecticut and the Caribbean, and the importance of slavery to the U.S. and local economies

Developed By: Dr. Stacey Close and Paquita Jarman-Smith This unit focuses on the period of Reconstruction (1865-77), Black Settlement, Towns, and Settlers in the West (1865-1915), and the struggle against the Jim Crow System. This unit will also go into detail on the political contributions of African American politicians to the passage of the Reconstruction era: acts and laws that brought the right to citizenship, the right to vote, and public education. In addition, this course will focus on the African past as it relates to the development of the African American culture in the western hemisphere. In this unit, students will:• Examine how Africans and African descendants worked individually and collectively to spark revolutionary change to their existence.• Explore the Reconstruction politics through literature and other accounts from primary documents and impact on Whites and Blacks.Compelling Question:  How was the Reconstruction a success or failure? 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Impacts of the Reconstruction on the Black Family Reconstruction Amendments Black Codes Vocabulary:   Reconstruction, Amendments, sharecropping 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms African Americans in United States Government Afro-Caribbean Immigration Black Migration to Kansas Great Exodus 1879 Plessy vs. Ferguson  Spanish-American War  Vocabulary:  constitutional rights, segregation, presidential accountability Movement, Exodus, Migration Artwork: Nat Love, African-American cowboy and former slave, pictured circa 1900.

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Jim Crow/Segregation: White Nationalism and Supremacy Multiple roles of Black Americans in Black empowerment and agency, beyond servitude (e.g., W.E.B. DuBois vs. Booker T. Washington) Racial violence, and trauma White Supremacy Resistance and activism against Jim Crow Vocabulary: Racial Trauma, Jim Crow, Activism, Lynching, Resistance, Racial Apartheid, Freedom Dreaming 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Growth and development of both Historically Black Colleges and Public Education as a conduit for greater freedom  Black Wall Street Business Entrepreneurs Vocabulary:  Entrepreneur, HBCU, Education of Blacks 

In this unit, students will:• Examine how Africans and African descendants worked individually and collectively to spark revolutionary change to their existence.• Explore the Reconstruction politics through literature and other accounts from primary documents and impact on Whites and Blacks.Compelling Question: How was Reconstruction a success or failure?Pre-Assessment Poll or KWL: How did Reconstruction impact Africans, African Americans, and Blacks?

Developed By: David Canton and Paquita Jarman-Smith This unit examines African American history from the political, economic, and cultural impact of Black Power to Black Lives Matter. During this era, African Americans used the vote to demand reform, created organizations such as the Black Panther Party to address police brutality, and created independent social programs. Since 1965, African Americans have made major progress, such as an increase of college graduates and decrease in poverty rate; however, institutional racism continues to undermine the progress of African Americans and African and Black Caribbean immigrants as well as an expanding Black middle class. In this unit, students will:● Examine how the Black community is shaped by a variety of identities, communities, and perspectives.● Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.● Reimagine new possibilities and more just futures for our country and our world drawn from the legacy of African American, Black experiences, intellectual thought, and culture.Compelling Questions: What are the greatest issues facing Blacks and African Americans in the U.S. today? What does radically reimagining new possibilities and more just futures look and sound like now?

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Radical, reform Revolutionary Africa, Apartheid, the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. Survival Programs, Health Care, Breakfast Programs Black & Brown Power Organizations Black Panthers Young Lords Rainbow Coalition Civil Rights Activists Vocabulary: Radical, Reform, Revolution Artwork: By Angelo Cozzi (Mondadori Publishers) - This file has been extracted from another file: John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Peter Norman 1968.jpg

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms  Black Politicians and activism, 1967-Present: Radical, Reform, Revolutionary National Black policy development, Congressional Black Caucus 1974 Women in politics -Shirley Chisholm Bayard Rustin, “From Protest to Politics”  CT local and state political agendas for equity and social change (mayors, state legislators) 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Impact of cultural expression through the Black Arts Movement (music, poetry, theater, literature and film) Black Aesthetic and its influence on the media and world culture Black Studies/Black Pride Hip-Hop Cultural influences Vocabulary: Black Cultural Production 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Revisit Systemic Racism Housing Segregation/Fair Housing Act 1968 Education, 1989, Sheff v O’Neill Health Care (Health Disparities/COVID-19) Voter Suppression, Shelby v. Holder 2013 Vocabulary: Racism, Prejudice, Stereotype, Radical, Reform, Revolution, Revolutionary 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Police Brutality Founders of Black Lives Matter, Trayvon Martin to George Floyd and local Reparations Kaepernick- Taking the Knee 2020 Protests Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd (Local movements/protests)  Vocabulary: Protest, Black Media, Reparations, Radical, Reform, Revolutionary 

In this unit, students will examine African American history from the political, economic, and cultural impact of Black Power to Black Lives Matter. During this era, African Americans used the vote to demand reform, created organizations such as the Black Panther Party to address police brutality, and created independent social programs. Since 1965, African Americans have made major progress, such as an increase of college graduates and decreasing the poverty rate; however, institutional racism continues to undermine the progress of African Americans and African and Black Caribbean immigrants as well as an expanding Black middle class.In this unit, students will:• Examine the impact of class and gender on how the Black community is shaped by a variety of identities, communities, and perspectives.• Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.• Reimagine new possibilities and more just futures for our country and our world drawn from the legacy of African American/Black experiences, intellectual thought, and culture.Compelling Questions: What are the greatest human rights issues facing America today and in the future? What does radically reimagining new possibilities and more just futures look and sound like now?Pre-Assessment: Poll students’ knowledge of political and cultural accomplishments during this time

Developed By:  Dr. Benjamin Foster, Jr. and Paquita Jarman-Smith Introduction of the basis of course, overview of scope and sequence of content, and orientation of students to expected dialogue and community for learning will be the opening for this unit. The content of this unit will focus on African Origins of humanity and contributions made by peoples of our greatest civilizations on the continent such as Kemet, Ghana, Songhai. The legacy of African Empires Kings and Queens will provide students information that will accurately paint a picture of the vast contributions to world civilizations.  It is through the history of African Origins and the exploration of African Civilizations and religions that we engage students in knowledge construction about the majestic breadth of great people in government, academic and technological innovation, and the arts, from whom African Americans and peoples from the Diaspora descended.  This exploration will allow students to evaluate and analyze false narratives of inferiority and inhumanity of Africans and Black people which are deeply ingrained in modern society worldwide.  As students begin the semester on African American history, they will have opportunities to embark on an exploration of a people who were made captives and brought to distant shores—and their long history of affirmation, resistance, reform, and radicalism. In this unit, students will:  Examine the impact of various aspects of African culture on world civilizations; Analyze the factors that have contributed to racialized global conflict and change in the modern world; and Develop a positive and accurate identity, including an awareness of and comfort with one’s membership in multiple groups in society.  Compelling Questions:  What impact did the people of Ancient Africa have on early and modern civilizations, and why has this impact been largely ignored through much of history?  How has the concept of race been socially constructed over time? Introduction of course projects:  Throughout the lessons in the course, students will have opportunities to build their own portfolio of artifacts to demonstrate new learning.  Responses, poems, video reflections, visual displays, infographics, and other forms of expression created by students should reflect the course objectives and essential questions. With EQ6 in mind, students will participate in developing a class project entitled Radical Imagination Through the Arts, in which students create a representation of learning depicting their own ideas about reimagining new possibilities and justice, based on African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino history. Teachers and students will co-create criteria for the project starting in Semester 1. Engage in reflection and collaborative planning with other departments of the school: history, teachers, art, media, music, English Language Arts and others in the school or community. Students add artifacts to their portfolios throughout the school year which may include a social justice action, idea or plan; artistic representation; or other inspired by the student’s creative process. Class will organize and curate the project pieces for the project. Culminate the year with a showcase Semester 2 for the school community. Optional Be the Change Project (see Semester 1 Unit 5 and 6 and 2 Unit 5):  This project requires consistent dedicated class time.  See link for resources and materials for implementing Be the Change... | Learning for Justice 

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Safe Spaces for learning  Race and racism are words that have been socially constructed Anti-racism Social Justice Identity Diaspora (Who is African American and who is Black?  Who is Puerto Rican and who is Latino?  Who is Afro-Latino?)  Vocabulary:  Culture, Identity, Ethnicity, Social Justice, safe space 

(Historical context/background knowledge for teachers https://bit.ly/2Ud0fxy.  This may be pre-recorded and archived in lesson repository or a speaker may be invited to class.  Teachers should be creative in differentiated delivery from multiple sources and perspectives.)  Big Ideas Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Africa is the birthplace of all humanity and civilization Yoruba, Nigeria, Ga, Ghana, Wolof, Senegal Patrilineal, Matrilineal Societies.  Discovery of Lucy in Hader, Ethiopia affirms that mankind originated in Africa and therefore we are all Africans Africa’s ancient civilization have documented many firsts in technology, literature and structural    Developments (i.e. pyramids, books, numerical systems) Anthropology- The study of human, cultures and their evolution Archeology- the study of human history and prehistory through excavations, artifact analysis and physical remains. 

(Historical context/background knowledge for teachers https://bit.ly/2Ud0fxy.  This may be pre-recorded and archived in lesson repository or a speaker may be invited to class.  Teachers should be creative in differentiated delivery from multiple sources and perspectives.)  Big Ideas Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Various African civilizations developed differently over time. The history of Africa’s civilizations contradict the false narrative of African inferiority and racial stereotypes. Ancient West Africa was filled with wealth and geographical and ethnic diversity.   

Big Ideas Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms• Understand the characteristics and achievements of the people discussed.• Understand the different forms of conquest.Artwork:  Moorish Prince, Elizabeth Nourse, 1897, photograph, New Britain Museum of American Art

Big Ideas/Topics to be Addressed, including Key Concepts and Terms Turtle Island, Indigenous Peoples Goree Island-Role in Transatlantic Slave Trade Maps of Transatlantic Slave Trade, Africa, Caribbean, North/South America Forced Migration in the Caribbean and Americas Social Constructs Race, Racial Identity, Anti-Racism, Implicit Bias