Tuskegee Airmen Lesson Plan: Individuals’ Contributions and Identities

Grade Levels: 6-8, 9-12

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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Tuskegee Airmen, and supports the standard of understanding how individuals have contributed to social change in the United States. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Prompt students to reflect on a time they showed courage. Ask students: 

  • Can you think of a time you were courageous in the face of adversity? What was the challenge and how were you able to overcome this challenge?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

  • Read the description on the Tuskegee Airmen topic page.
  • Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding. 
  • Assign Related Reading. Have students read one of the following articles: “In Depth” or “Laws and Customs”. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS 

Assign the Tuskegee Airmen Challenge and Quiz, prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about the Tuskegee Airmen while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

  • Make-a-Movie: Produce a mini-documentary about the efforts of the Tuskegee Airmen, including their impact on WWII and the Civil Rights Movement. 
  • Make-a-Map: Make a concept map identifying and explaining the key challenges and successes of the Tuskegee Airmen. 
  • Creative Coding: Code a meme expressing the strength and courage of the Tuskegee Airmen.

More to Explore

Time Zone X: Civil Rights: Challenge players to put historical events in chronological order in this interactive timeline game.

Black History Unit: Continue to build understanding around important figures and events with more BrainPOP topics. 

Teacher Support Resources:

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Related:

    Filed as:  6-8, 9-12, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7