Field Trips
The Museum of African-American History/Black Heritage Trail
and Learning about Some Well-Known Black Americans
(Intermediate Level—in the MLL—elective, Rits, American Culture/Society)
1) What does this picture show or symbolize? How universal is it?
2) How is it related to African-American history?
3) What are some things that you have recently learned in this class about African-American History–for example, about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. or Harriet Tubman?
4) Who are some famous living African-Americans—such as in music, the movies, sports, TV, or politics?
We will be exploring more about African-American history on our field trip to the Museum of African American History. In preparation, go to this website:
Work in groups of two or three.
Then click on “Boston,” and read about the Boston campus, the Abiel Smith School, and the African Meeting House.
In your group, find answers to these questions:
1) Where in Boston are the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School located?
2) When were they both built?
3) What was the African Meeting House in the past?
4) What important role did the Abiel Smith School play in the past?
5) What events are going to happen soon at the museum?
6) What exhibit is now featured (being shown) at the Museum of African American History?
7) What else that is new is at the museum?
Go to this website about the Black Heritage Trail.
8) In the Introduction, find out this information:
a) Where did most African Americans live in Boston from 1800 to 1900?
b) By the end of the American Revolution, how did the situation for black people in Boston change a lot?
d) In what year was Massachusetts the first state to record no slaves in its census
(count of people living there)?
Next, scroll down, click on “Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Regiment Memorial,” and read to answer the next two questions.
8) Why was the 54th Regiment in the Civil War historically significant?
9) What is the name of the person who made that sculpture?
Using Google or another search engine:
10) What famous movie was made about the 54th Regiment, and what is the name of a well-known actor in that movie?
11) Name two or three other well-known American movies about the Civil War, and find out what the main focus of each one is.
Class discussion of the questions.
Discussion of preparation for the next class, Thurs.—the day of the tour of the Museum of African American History
In your same group: write 2 or 3 questions to ask the Museum of African American History tour guide.
Your teacher will check them.
Your same group will be responsible for telling the other students some information about one of the sites/topics below on the day of the tour.
Choose one of these topics to read more about on the maah.org website.
Be ready to have at least three or four points to talk about.
(for example—the historical significance of the site)
— Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
–Abiel Smith House
–African Meeting House
–Black Heritage Trail—Introduction
–Recent past exhibits
–Recent past events
Choose one of those topics above today, read about it, and bring the information tomorrow.
Exchange email addresses with your group members.
Decide in class or outside of class which points you will talk about.
The teacher will check them before you go on the tour.
For Thursday (tour day)
a) Bring the questions for the tour guide.
b) Bring the information that your group will tell the class about on the day of the tour.
Next Tuesday:
Bring answers to your questions that you asked on the tour.
Think about choose a well-known African-American—living or dead–that you would like to learn more about, to report to the class in a short group presentation,
On Tuesday, you will form a new group of two or three, and will choose which person to talk about. Be sure to check with the teacher to make sure that you have not chosen the same person as another group.
You can usually find information about the person online. Check at least two websites. Here is one suggested website that you can use:
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/bhmbios1.html
Start reading here about the person whom your group has chosen. Exchange email addresses with your group members.
For Thursday :
Decide with your group members how to divide up the presentation.
Read and take notes on your presentation topic.
Bring in a hard copy of some online material about your presentation topic, and some notes that you took on it on a separate piece of paper. Please write your name on those items.
For next Tuesday:
Group presentation about a famous African-American: 4-8 minutes long
One or more graphics (PowerPoint or Prezi can be used but is not required.)
Notes allowed—(You may refer to notes on cards or paper occasionally but may not just read from a piece of paper.)
Use your own words as much as possible.
Elements of effective delivery—eye contact, clear speech, good posture, gestures,
facial expression