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Interdisciplinary Units

American teachers have begun to incorporate history into their literature units. The thematically driven curriculum standards are now falling in line behind the theory that combining the two curricula makes for meaningful learning experiences for students. The units below address the history of American segregation within the context of great works of American literature. This unfortunate period of American history played instrumental roles in a broad spectrum of significant writing from both the 19th and 20th centuries.

Check out ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection website at pbs.org for additional teacher information

Lesson Plans:

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The Color Purple: A Unit Plan
This interdisciplinary unit centers on Alice Walker's novel, The Color Purple. Providing lessons for students to research the history, learn about the author's background, develop their geography skills, and interact in discussion sessions, this unit is a complete course of study that you can use either as a whole or in parts. Because of the book's subject matter, this unit is recommended for high school students
Target grade levels: Upper high school
For use with: PBS series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow , and the Jimcrowhistory.org Web site

A Raisin in the Sun: Jim Crow Travels North
Lorraine Hansberry's play offers many interdisciplinary connections to history, specifically the migration of African Americans from the Jim Crow South to the North. This unit offers activity ideas for a six-week study on the play and the historical period that sets the scene for the characters.  External Materials: Experience the Simulation on the Exodusters.
Target grade levels: Middle School Levels Grade 6-9
For use with: Lorraine Hansberry's play, A Raisin in the Sun, Jimcrowhistory.org Web site

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: A Unit Plan
This language arts/social studies unit combines a study of the Jim Crow era with a close reading and analysis of Mildred Taylor's novel. The unit culminates in a WebQuest in which the students apply the knowledge they have gained from the previous lessons to create an investigative television report.
Target grade levels: Middle School Levels Grade 6-9
For use with: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, Program Three: Don't Shout Too Soon (1918-1940), and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

To Kill a Mockingbird: Parallels to Jim Crow America
This integrated American Literature and U. S. History unit focuses on Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, framed within the context of real life Alabama in the 1930s. A variety of student-centered learning activities are woven throughout the reading of the novel.
Target grade levels: Middle and High School Levels
For use with: The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, Program Three: Don't Shout Too Soon (1918-1940), and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Beloved: A Unit Plan
This 7-Lesson interdisciplinary unit focuses on Toni Morrison's book, Beloved, which delves back into the days of Middle Passage, all the way through to the mid 20th century.
Target grade levels: High school or College Undergraduate Levels
For use with: Jimcrowhistory.org Web site

Understanding History Through the Literary Reviews of Invisible Man:
Intended for students with a knowledge of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man , this lesson focuses on learning about the outlook in Ellison's time through reviews written about his novel.
Target grade levels: Advanced high school, college
For use with: Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man and the PBS series, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, Program Two: Fighting Back (1896-1917)

Zora Neale Hurston: Fighting Jim Crow through the All-Black Community
Through a study of Zora Neale Hurston's life and her works, students learn about another attitude about segregation in the Jim Crow years.
Target grade levels: Advanced Middle School or High School Levels
For use with: PBS series, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, Program Two: Fighting Back (1896-1917)

Literature Resources on the World Wide Web
Explore teacher and student evaluated Web sites on a wide variety of topics pertaining to Jim Crow literature. The Sites in this section have been recommended for their quality and resource value to teachers and students.