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Undergraduate

Analyzing African American History and Culture through Museum Artifacts

Course: African American Studies / U.S. History / Cultural Studies
Level: Undergraduate
Duration: 90 minutes
Topic: African American History and Culture Through Museum Artifacts

This lesson plan encourages undergraduate students to engage critically with African American history through the lens of museum artifacts. The activities foster historical analysis, cultural critique, and thoughtful engagement with primary sources, helping students connect the past to present-day issues.

Lesson

Learning Objectives:

  1. Students will critically engage with primary sources to explore key African American history and culture themes.

  2. Students will synthesize historical context, cultural significance, and social impact by analyzing artifacts from the African American Museum repository.

  3. Students will develop research, analysis, and presentation skills by constructing arguments around the interpretation of historical artifacts.

Materials:

  • Computers or tablets with internet access to the African American Museum repository website.

  • Projector or screen for group viewing (optional).

  • Artifact analysis worksheet for research.

  • Access to additional research resources (books, scholarly articles, etc.).

  • Writing tools or laptops for note-taking.

Standards:

  • Historical Thinking and Analysis: Use primary sources to develop and support historical interpretations.

  • Critical Cultural Analysis: Analyze cultural artifacts to understand the influence of African American history on U.S. society.

  • Research and Presentation: Effectively communicate the significance of primary sources through scholarly writing and oral presentations.

Structure

Lesson Structure:

1. Introduction and Context (10-15 minutes)

  • Discussion: Begin by asking students:

    • "How do historical artifacts contribute to our understanding of the past?"

    • "In what ways do museums, particularly the African American Museum, shape narratives around race, culture, and history?"

  • Introduce the Lesson: Explain that the class will be analyzing artifacts from the African American Museum repository to explore how objects, art, and documents reflect significant moments in African American history. Highlight that students will connect these artifacts to broader themes like resistance, cultural expression, social justice, and identity formation.

2. Overview of the African American Museum Repository (10-15 minutes)

  • Website Overview: Navigate the class through the African American Museum repository website, showing how to explore different sections.

    • Focus on categories such as:

      • The Civil Rights Movement: Photographs, protest artifacts, letters from leaders.

      • Cultural Movements: Art, music, and literature from the Harlem Renaissance, jazz era, and beyond.

      • African American Life and Resistance: Artifacts from slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, and contemporary social movements.

  • Artifact Demonstration: Select one artifact to analyze together. For example, a speech by Martin Luther King Jr., a jazz record from the Harlem Renaissance, or a piece of African American folk art.

    • Discuss how to critically analyze the artifact using historical, cultural, and social lenses:

      • What is the artifact’s purpose and meaning?

      • What historical moment does it represent?

      • How does it reflect African American identity, resistance, or cultural expression?

3. Group Activity: Artifact Analysis and Research (25-30 minutes)

  • Divide into Groups: Organize the class into small groups of 3-4 students. Assign each group an artifact or allow them to choose from different sections of the repository.

  • Group Research Task:

    • Artifact Analysis: Using the Artifact Analysis Worksheet, students will:

      • Describe the artifact and its physical characteristics.

      • Contextualize the artifact in its historical and cultural moment.

      • Analyze its significance to African American history, focusing on themes like resistance, community, cultural production, or political activism.

      • Reflect on how this artifact influences contemporary understandings of African American culture and identity.

    • Additional Research: Encourage students to consult scholarly sources (articles, books, primary documents) to deepen their analysis of the artifact’s historical context and relevance.

  • Worksheet Completion: Students will use the worksheet to organize their analysis and findings.

4. Group Presentations (20-25 minutes)

  • Presentation Structure: Each group will present their artifact to the class, addressing the following:

    • Description and Context: What is the artifact, and what historical moment does it represent?

    • Significance: How does this artifact contribute to our understanding of African American history and culture?

    • Critical Analysis: What broader themes (e.g., racial identity, cultural production, activism) does this artifact highlight? How does it connect to contemporary issues?

  • Class Discussion: Open the floor for questions and discussion after each presentation. Encourage students to engage with each other’s interpretations and make connections between different artifacts and time periods.

5. Reflection and Critical Engagement (15-20 minutes)

  • Class Reflection:

    • Lead a reflective discussion on the following prompts:

      • "How do primary sources, like artifacts, provide a different perspective on African American history compared to secondary sources like textbooks or scholarly articles?"

      • "What role do museums play in shaping narratives about African American identity and resistance?"

      • "How does studying these artifacts change or deepen your understanding of historical events or figures?"

  • Written Reflection: Assign students a short reflective essay (to be completed as homework) where they synthesize what they learned from the artifact analysis and presentations. Students should address how their chosen artifact connects to larger historical and cultural themes, citing relevant sources.

Structure

Assessment:

  • Group Participation: Evaluate how effectively students collaborated during the artifact analysis.

  • Presentations: Assess the depth of research, critical analysis, and clarity of the group’s presentation.

  • Artifact Analysis Worksheet: Review the quality of each group’s responses, ensuring they demonstrate an understanding of the artifact’s historical context and significance.

  • Reflection Essay: Assess students’ ability to critically engage with the artifacts and draw connections between the historical sources and contemporary issues.

Extension Activities:

  • Research Paper: Assign a longer research paper where students choose an artifact from the repository to analyze in greater depth, incorporating additional primary and secondary sources. They could focus on the artifact’s historical context, creator or user, and cultural or social impact.

  • Digital Exhibit: Have students work in groups to create a virtual museum exhibit on a specific period or theme in African American history, using artifacts from the repository and other sources. They would design a digital presentation that includes written descriptions, visuals, and multimedia elements.

  • Guest Speaker or Virtual Tour: Invite a guest speaker from a museum or arrange a virtual tour of a museum exhibit focused on African American history. Students could interact with curators or experts to deepen their understanding of the significance of preserving and presenting these histories.

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