LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE

Subject U.S. History: Progressive Era Discrimination Date_9/11/2013_

Period _6________

Lesson Goal: The goal of this lesson is to help students construct a more complete understanding
of the discrimination and racism African-Americans faced during the Progressive Era. By
analyzing statistics on lynching and viewing the slideshow featuring Billie Holidays Strange
Fruit, students should be better able to empathize with the plight of African-Americans during
this time.

Learning Objectives:
Construct a definition for lynching
Analyze statistics on lynching
Interpret reasons for lynching
Analyze and evaluate Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday

Ohio Academic Content Standards:
American History- Industrialization and Progressivism (1877-1920): 14.The Progressive
era was an effort to address the ills of American society stemming from industrial
capitalism, urbanization and political corruption

NCSS Thematic Strands:
V. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions: Processes: Understand examples of tensions
between belief systems and governmental actions and policies.
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: Processes: Examine persistent issues involving
the rights, responsibilities, roles, and status of individuals and groups in relation to the
general welfare.

Anticipatory Set:
Discuss Jim Crow laws/discrimination
Define lynching

Instructional Strategies:
Discrimination simulation
Think/Pair/Share
Group Discussion

Materials:
Statistics on lynching
Lynching Statistics Questions
NAACP definition of lynching
Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday Strange Fruit lynching slideshow

Activities:
Attention Getter/Hook: Have all students in the classroom stand up. Instruct the class that
they will be segregated based on physical characteristics. Choose characteristics such
as long glasses vs. no glasses, braces vs. no braces, hair darker than the desk vs. lighter
than the desk, taller than 57 vs. shorter than 57, freckles vs. no freckles. Continue
until the entire class is segregated into very small groups. Select one or two groups and
tell them that they will be receiving an A for the chapter because of the group they are in.
Gauge students responses to this announcement. Have this lead into a discussion of why
it is unfair to judge or discriminate against someone based on physical characteristics
(e.g., skin color, hair color, nationality, and ethnicity). (10-15 minutes)
Activity Two: Have students return to their seats. Define lynching. Have students create
their own definition for lynching and then show students the definition given by the
NAACP. Discuss how the two compare. How is the NAACP definition more expansive
than the class definition? (5 minutes)
Activity Three: Pass out the statistics on lynching to each student. Have students analyze
the statistics and with a partner (think/pair/share) come up with a few questions stemming
from the statistics or things they have learned from these statistics. Once students have
had time to analyze the statistics, discuss the Lynching Statistics Questions worksheet as
a class. (10-15 minutes)
Activity Four: After reviewing the statistics on lynching, have students return the
statistics sheet and pass out a copy of Billie Holidays Strange Fruit to each student.
Let them know that they will be watching a slideshow which depicts very graphic images
of lynchings. If a student wishes to not watch the slideshow have them turn their chair or
step out into the hallway until it is finished. Instruct students to be analyzing Billie
Holidays Strange Fruit while watching the slideshow. After the slideshow is complete
discuss Strange Fruit and analyze the true meaning behind what Billie Holiday was
trying to symbolize. (10 minutes)
Closer: To end this lesson, give students a short writing assignment asking them to
identify a form of discrimination that is important to them or affects them and how we
can address this issue. (3-5 minutes)

Accommodations for Special Learners:
Graphic Organizer with statistics to aide lower level and middle level students in
comprehension
Classroom discussion allows for higher level learners to analyze deeper into issues being
discussed

Assessment (formal or informal):
Student participation/engagement with think/pair/share on statistics(informal-formative)
Review student understanding of statistics/discussion activity (informal-formative)
Short response paper on discrimination (formal-formative)


Reflection: