New York Public Library (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)

The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center will develop a history curriculum for grades 6-12 that addresses a documented need for culturally relevant teaching methods in the nation's schools. Center staff will work with a consultant curriculum writer and a team of practicing educators to develop 15 ready-to-use lesson plans around three themes: the Black Power Movement, the transatlantic slave trade, and black women's stories. Each lesson will feature a high-quality reproduction of a unique item from the Schomburg Center's collections. This provides an accessible way for teachers to use collection materials in their classrooms. These lessons will be available for free online and be used in teacher professional development programs. By piloting a selection of lesson plans, the project team will be able to incorporate student and instructor feedback as they revise the curriculum as a whole.