Celebration of African-American Heritage

Teaching Team:

Entire Faculty, Administration, and support staff

Alexander Hamilton Academy

Grade Levels:

Academic Focus/Core Curriculum Standards:

Language Arts Literacy: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4

Technology; 8.1 Internet Usage

Core Ethical Values:. Responsibility, Civic-Mindedness

Encouraging students to work at home, after school, and during Specials

Developing activities so that every student will be involved with the program in some capacity

Students in grades K-8 will reinforce their knowledge of African American history and culture by researching information about specific historical figures, events, and symbolism from the time of The Middle Passage to the present. During the research stage, students will learn about the connections between The Middle Passage and The Diaspora. Lessons and instruction will lead to students' increased knowledge of some of the events that come out of the historical references presented which helped shape American culture. The culmination of the project will rest in a Black history program that will include every student in the school. The program will direct its community audience and students who will take part in the production to a depiction of the invaluable contributions people of African decent have made wherever they have lived or visited.

This project will take approximately two and a half months to prepare and then present.

During special classes, some lunch periods, Extra Learning Time, and after school are the targeted times for scheduled rehearsals. Planning periods will be used for teachers and other staff members.

Internet access for computer-generated research, art supplies, speeches, costumes, camera, camcorder, books referencing Black history and the Black experience, power point presentation, auditorium stage, food and other incidentals.

Language Arts Literacy: Some of the areas of language arts literacy that will be explored in this project will include students enriching their knowledge and understanding of literacy skills such as oral fluency, voice projection, correct pronunciation, enunciation, speech articulation, vocabulary, intonation, tone, characterization.

Social Studies: Students study the historical periods of change as well as the development of Africa in terms of geography, colonization, and uprooting to America.

Visual Arts: Students use a variety of art supplies to create props for the Black history program, i.e. flags, banners, wall hangings, maps, etc.

Career and Technical Education: Students use critical thinking skills to create dialogs that represent the characters being portrayed in the program.

Character Education: Students build on their self-esteem from learning about their ancestors. They also experience what community involvement is by presenting their program to the community and by demonstrating school spirit.

Black History Month Celebration,

Certificates of Participation

Performance-based Education: Students participate in the development, organization, and performance of a program involving speaking, singing, dancing, and acting.

Cooperative Learning: Students work collaboratively and cooperatively with each other to perfect all the parts of the program in an effort to deliver a "flawless" performance.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Students will engage in activities that involve language arts literacy, social studies, art, music, and drama.

Personal Growth Outcomes: Students become more aware of their history. They also understand the importance and relevance in studying their history which is a predictor of personal growth.

Photographs of students, taken by students will be on display during the program/project presentation, as well as hanging in the main lobby of the school.

Students enjoy being a part of a collaborative project and they openly display their lack of knowledge of the African-American Heritage, but truly demonstrated a willingness to learn from the experience.

Community Involvement:

Community involvement will include, but not be limited to Alexander Hamilton Academy, grades K-8, parents, staff, and board members.

Parents and Volunteer Involvement:

Parents and volunteers provided extra support during rehearsals. Parents and volunteers will assist in the set-up and clean-up of the African-American Feast which will follow the performance.

Reflection Activities:

Written and oral reflections on what has been learned, how attitudes have changed, and how this study relates to core values..

Means of Assessment:

Teacher observation of student performance during the formal production of the program, as well as audience response to the program will be used as part of the assessment. Rubric assesses performance as well as written work.