Providing free education tools and materials for teachers, interpreters, students, and lifelong learners inside and outside the National Park Service is one important way we support the agency's mission. The value of America's cultures and diverse heritages may be lost if it's not passed on to the next generation or experienced by the present one. Want to inspire young people to grow into responsible citizens? Looking for more resources to craft interpretation or educational programming plans? See the related resources below or visit our Education & Training page for more.
The National Park Service provides free, online lesson plans through its Teaching with Historic Places series. The series features houses, schools, neighborhoods, and archeological sites -- all listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- where Black Americans made history. TwHP lessons align with national curriculum standards and each lesson contains primary and secondary sources, including readings, maps, and images, and recommended activities.
The series offers many lessons related to this topic, but a few are highlighted here:
- The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House: African American Women Unite for Change
Learn about Mary McLeod Bethune and how she and the organization she founded promoted political and social change for African American women.
- The Rosenwald Schools: Progressive Era Philanthropy in the Segregated South
Discover how community activism and a partnership between a white businessman and a leading black educator built 5,000 schools for African American students in the early 20th century.
- The Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March: Shaking the Conscience of the Nation
Learn how people in Selma, Alabama, and national civil rights organizations worked together to end the unconstitutional denial of voting rights to African Americans in the South.
- Two American Entrepreneurs: Madam C.J. Walker and J.C. Penney
Examine the historic places associated with two of America's most famous 20th century business people.