For Teachers
Reporting the Tenor of the Times
This activity supports the exhibit Take Our Stand: the African American Military Experience in the Age of Jim Crow developed by the American Civil War Center in partnership with the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia.
Overview: Newspaper articles, editorials and cartoons convey more than information. By carefully examining these examples from the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II, students can learn about the attitudes and sentiments of African Americans during times of war, enriching their understanding of what the Black community hoped to achieve by participating in the military.
This lesson is designed primarily for middle school students.
Lesson Objective: Students will learn how to analyze historical newspaper extracts as a means of understanding the African American community’s attitudes toward the military during the Jim Crow Era (1890-1948).
Book a field trip to the exhibit:
A 35-minute interactive tour of the exhibit Take Our Stand has been developed for 4th-7th grades and is available from Monday, February 8 to Friday May 28, 2010. It is docent led and includes activities that examine why Black Americans decided to volunteer for the military despite discrimination at home. Contact the Black History Museum at 804.780.9093 for availability and to schedule your field trip (the Black History museum also has other programs to round out your experience).
Download a lesson plan: Click Here!
Borrow a resource footlocker:
The staff at the American Civil War Center has collected a variety of original and reproduction artifacts that can be used to augment your curriculum related to African Americans in the military from 1890 to 1947. Each item comes with information about its significance and background and inquiry questions. There is also a CD with music from the World War I era. All the artifacts are contained in a World War II footlocker that can be picked up at the American Civil War Center or shipped (charges will apply).
The footlocker is available for two-week periods. Cost is $25 and must be paid prior to or at the time of pick up. Call 804.780.1865 x23 to reserve the materials.
The footlocker’s inventory includes:
- World War I gas mask
- Distinguished Flying Cross medal
- Grenade (training modal, not operable!)
- Military shoulder patches
- World War II helmet and duffel bag
- Life Magazine article on the Tuskegee Airmen