Making Text-based Claims Supported by Evidence from 'The Idea of America'

Lesson Objectives

Students will be able to...

• Express their understanding of the contributions of enslaved Africans to the success of the United States.
• Write using text-based evidence to show how African Americans paved the way for other marginalized communities to fight oppression.

Essential Questions

1. How did enslaved Africans build the economic wealth and contribute to the success of the United States of America? 
2. How did African Americans’ fight for equality support the ideals of American democracy?
3. Is the American ideal of “all men are created equal” true today?

Black Lives Matter Guiding Principles

• Collective Value means that all Black lives, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs or disbeliefs, immigration status, or location, matter. 
• Empathy is one’s ability to connect with others by building relationships built on mutual trust and understanding. 
• Diversity is the celebration and acknowledgement of differences and commonalities across cultures.
• Loving Engagement is the commitment to practice justice, liberation, and peace. 
• Restorative Justice is the commitment to build a beloved and loving community that is sustainable and growing. 
• Black Men - We are committed to building a Black men-affirming space. We reject the over-sexualization, criminalization, and mass incarceration of our Black boys and men. Furthermore, we are committed to dismantling the school to prison pipeline, adultification of Black and brown boys, and the senseless killing of unarmed Black and brown men.

Vocabulary

• alabaster: a white stone that is often carved and used as ornaments; the word alabaster has been used to symbolize transparency and purity 
• Declaration of Independence: the document written in 1776 that declared the American colonies independent from Great Britain 
• democracy: a government in which the people have power in a direct way or through representatives whom they elect 
• indelible: not able to be forgotten or removed
• patriotism: love and loyalty to one’s country
• Jim Crow Laws: laws in the United States after the Civil War that discriminated against Black Americans
• perpetual: never ending or changing
• redline: to refuse to loan money to someone because they live in a neighborhood that has been deemed a financial risk. In the United States, predominantly Black neighborhoods were identified as dangerous and financially risky by banks, insurance companies, the government, and other organizations who identified them with red lines on maps. The people in redlined neighborhoods were denied loans by banks, not able to participate in government programs, and did not get businesses and services that could have benefited the community that whiter neighborhoods did. 
• relentless: without stopping or slackening; persistent 
• sharecropper: someone who rents land on a farm and pays for it with crops they grew on that farm
• unalienable: not able to be removed, transferred, or given away, especially a person's rights as a citizen

Warm-up

1. Discuss: Ask the class to share their thoughts by asking the following questions. This can be completed verbally or using the chat function of the synchronous video technology.
   • What values do you think the American flag represents?  
   • Do you think the values apply equally to all people? Why or why not?
2. Review: Read the objectives and essential questions aloud. For each vocabulary word, ask students to share their Frayer model. Ask students if they have any questions about these ideas/terms.

Introducing the Resources

"The Idea of America" by Nikole Hannah-Jones (excerpt)

“The Idea of America” by Nikole Hannah-Jones (full article)

Video: "How to Raise a Black Son in America" by Clint Smith

Procedural Steps

1. Read the excerpt of the "Idea of America" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, from The 1619 Project.
   • While reading, recap main ideas between paragraphs.  
   • It is recommended that students have a chance to read the full article prior to teaching this lesson. Options include chunking the text over a 2-3 days or assigning the reading for homework.
2. Discuss: Use the following questions to debrief the reading (Suggestion: Post and have students respond to two questions in the chat. Teachers can use a shared document to record student answers. Ask for student volunteers to share out.)
   • Why do you think Hannah-Jones thought the American flag didn’t really belong to Black people?
   • Do you think the ideals of America belong to all Americans equally today?
3. Write then share: After discussing the reading, have students write their answers to the following prompts and then share their answers with the class.
   • Name three ways enslaved Africans built the economic wealth and contributed to the success of the United States of America. 
   • How did African Americans’ fight for equality support the ideals of American democracy?
4. Watch the video (5:12): "How to Raise a Black Son in America" by Clint Smith
5. Discuss:
   • What are your initial reactions to this video?  
   • Is the American ideal of “all men are created equal” true today? Why or Why not?

Conclusion

Writing Activity: In a 3-paragraph essay, students will respond to the prompts listed below. Students should use their responses from the Write and Share above to support their writing.

• Express your understanding of the contributions of enslaved Africans to the success of the United States. 
• Use text-based evidence to show how African Americans paved the way for other marginalized communities to fight oppression. 
• Do you agree with the author’s main idea? Why or why not?