CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideThe African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Course of Studies is a one credit, year-long elective in which students will consider the scope of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/ Latino contributions to U.S. history, society, economy, and culture. It utilizes Connecticut’s Social Studies Framework themes and inquiry-based approach already familiar to social studies teachers to deliver a content rich and personalized learning experience.The course is an opportunity for students to explore accomplishments, struggles, intersections, perspectives, and collaborations of African American/Black and Puerto Rican/Latino people in the U.S. Students will examine how historical movements, legislation, and wars affected the citizenship rights of these groups and how they, both separately and together, worked to build U.S. cultural and economic wealth and create more just societies in local, national, and international contexts.Coursework will provide students with tools to identify historic and contemporary tensions around race and difference; map economic and racial disparities over time; strengthen their own identity development; and address bias in their communities. This course will contribute to the critical consciousness and civic-mindedness competencies of a twenty-first century graduate, and ultimately facilitate students’ interest in pursuing further ethnic, anthropology, or human rights studies in the future.

In this unit, students will:• Identify tactics, mission, and accomplishments of major groups involved in the movement for equality• Investigate the causes, consequences, and historical context of key events in this time period• Evaluate how individuals, groups, and institutions in the United States have both promoted and hindered people’s struggle for freedom, equality, and social justice;• Analyze the role of the federal government in supporting and inhibiting various 20th century civil rights movements;• Analyze the role of women of color in the women’s rights movement.Compelling Question: How successful have Black Americans’ movements for equality been in transforming the dreams, status, and rights of Black Americans in the United States?Pre-Assessment: Student Identity: Imagine you are a student during the time period. Describe your school day in a onepage journal entry.

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

Semester 1: Unit 1 At-A-Glance: Where We Come From: Introduction to African Origins and Contributions of Ancient African Empires to World Civilizations and the African DiasporaIn this unit, students will:•Examine the impact of various aspects of African culture world civilizations in the past and present.•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 ones’ membership inmultiple 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?Pre-Assessment: Students complete a course self-assessment to gauge interest, comfort level, and current knowledge.

In this unit, students will:● Explore different perspectives on how the Natives were treated by the Europeans and the voices like Bartolomeo de las Casas, who left a single perspective of this historical encounter behind.● Explore various forms of anti-Latino treatment such as scientific experiments in Puerto Rico and Guatemala, and language suppression.● Become more aware of contributions of Latino people to American history in spite of oppression.Compelling Questions: How has the persisting narrative of the voyages of Columbus held long and short-term consequences for the formation and evolution of the identity of Puerto Ricans and Latinos?Pre-Assessment: Teachers will facilitate review of prior knowledge using multiple True/False statements via Kahoot or Human Line-Up (Note: these are examples. Teacher can use any other APP.)