This unit intends to guide students through an understanding of the United States in the fifties. The focus of this unit is on issues faced by teenagers in three films of that period: "American Graffiti" (1973), "Imitation of Life" (1959), and "Dead Poets Society" (1987). All three films put emphasis on relations between male/female, black/white, poor/rich, good girl/bad girl, mother/daughter, father/son, brother/brother, and life/death.
(Recommended for U. S. History, American Literature, American Studies, Humanities, and Sociology, grades 9-12)98.01.02
Women are often relegated to second place in the history books, between accounts of wars and presidents. The focus of this unit is on women's contributions to history, through the use of film and works of literature.
(Recommended for Literature and Social Studies, grades 1-3)98.01.03
This curriculum unit uses film and other media to show the various forms of resistance that slaves carried out. It is about the enslavement of Africans in Americas and can be used to supplement teaching students about the middle passage.
(Recommended for Social Studies, grades 6-8)98.01.05
This unit uses films like "The Promised Land", "Goin to Chicago", and "The Killing Floor" to convey the messages of the African American migration movement. It puts emphasis on more than five million African Americans as they traveled North and West.
(Recommended for Reading, Language Arts and Social Studies, grades 2-8)98.01.06
This unit focus on the Civil Rights Movement during the years 1954-1965, Six Films are presented: "Separate but Equal", "The Long Walk Home", "The Ernest Green Story", "Ghosts of Mississippi", "Mississippi Burning", and "Malcolm X". These films are used to help students see the physical gestures, cadences of speech, style of dress, style of architecture, as well as experience the environment of these times.
(Recommended for U. S. History, grades 9-12)98.01.07
The historical film, "Cabeza de vaca", "Aguirre: the Wrath of God", "The Mission", "One Man’s War", "The Burning Season", "La Muralla Verde", and "The Emerald Forest", as well as, "At Play in the Fields of the Lord", "The Mosquito Coast", and "Green Mansions" are used to help students become exposed to the differences in perspective of each film maker. Lessons revolve around Spanish, North American, Peruvian, and British film makers between the years 1957 and 1997.
(Recommended for Spanish and Latin American History, grades 7-12)98.01.08
This unit presents movie reviews and discusses five films about ethnicity: "Far and Away" (Irish-Americans), "Avalon" (Jewish-Americans), "A Bronx Tale’ (Italian-Americans), "The Long Walk Home (African-Americans), and "Mi Familia" (Mexican-Americans).
(Recommended for Ethnicity, Race and Multicultural Studies and History, grades 7-12)98.01.09
This unit attempts to develop an understanding of black baseball and the Negro Leagues as they existed in the United States during the days of segregated professional baseball. Lessons indirectly examine African American history from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement.
(Recommended for Social Studies, Reading, Language Arts and Social Development, grades 3-8)98.01.10
In this unit film and video are used to help students gain valuable information about music and history. Through music students gain an understanding of different time periods. This unit also reflects on how our personal views and opinions can either hinder or provide insight as to understanding the past.
(Recommended for Music and Music History, grades K-12)98.02.01
This unit focuses on Egyptian mythology. It examines some aspects of the ancient Egyptian civilization and the role that the Nile River played in people’s view of life, death, and the afterlife.
(Recommended for Reading and Language Arts, grades K-5)98.02.02
This unit on "Native American Myths Creations to Death" begins with a speech given by Chief Seattle of the Pacific Northwest to President Franklin Pierce in 1854 in response to the government’s request to purchase two million acres of land in the Northwest region. The myths included in this unit deal with: Creation, earth, the moon, corn, the first man and woman and the first horses and death.
(Recommended for Literature and Social Studies, grade 4)98.02.03
This unit on Africa presents some of the many myths that deal with nature, human behavior, and creation. Stories are used to discuss with children ideas about friendship, manners, and scientific truths, which can apply to their own lives. Activities range from the areas of science to writing, art, music and geography.
(Recommended for Literature and Social Studies, grades 2-5)98.02.04
This unit uses African Trickster myths and tales such as "Anansi's Rescue from the River" and "Zomo the Rabbit" from the Bantu tradition to involve students in writing comparisons, playing games, art projects and dramatics.
(Recommended for Language Arts, Reading, and Social Studies, grades K-4)98.02.08
This unit addresses a play in the Greek tradition and serves as a catalyst to the study of the original twelve gods of Olympus and the role of the mother goddess.
(Recommended for Drama, grades 7-8)98.02.09
This unit focuses on Homer's, Odyssey, and calls attention to the philosophical and moral issues found in Homer’s text. It highlights the relevance of ancient Greek culture to our own.
(Recommended for English, Mythology and Writing, grades 9-12)98.03.01
In this unit students are introduced to the Shang dynasty of Chinese Neolithic culture. The unit identifies connections between: Modern Chinese culture and Shang culture and explains the hierarchical class structure, its government and religion.
(Recommended for Ancient History, grades 9-10)98.03.02
This unit introduces students to African art and aesthetics. It examines the background history of African art. Teaching strategies include class trips to the Yale Art Gallery.
(Recommended for Art, grades 9-12)98.03.04
Most of the Spanish speakers or Latinos in New Haven are Puerto Rican and their ancestry is a combination or Mezela of Spanish, African, and Taino. The intent of this unit is to reconnect the Puerto Rican students of New Haven with their Taino heritage via literature and art.
(Recommended for Spanish, grades 9-12)98.03.05
This unit is designed to help students learn how Gandhi’s personal philosophy developed over time. It attempts to challenge students to confront a unique person with a unique lifestyle and a compelling message, "How can those without power, gain fair treatment from those with power?" It is based on film segments from the academy-award winning film, "Gandhi". Teachers can acquaint students with the root causes of cultural and racial discrimination and how people in various times and places have responded to being victimized by unfair treatment.
(Recommended for World History and U. S. History, grades 9-12)98.03.06
This unit on explores Native American and African Cultures. It fosters enthusiastic learning and promotes a climate of diversity and helps young people experience the interconnectedness of art and human experience. By examining the cultures of others, children learn about themselves. The celebration of diversity and the philosophy of respecting the beauty of all cultures to life are emphasized.
(Recommended for Language Arts and Social Studies, grades 1-2)98.03.07 unit focuses on masks and the cultures of Central and East African Republic, Djibouti Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania. Students can gain knowledge on various cultural perspectives.
(Recommended for Social Studies, grades K-5 )98.03.08
This unit focuses on four different Native American groups: Inuit, Sioux, Iroquois, and Hopi that epitomized four distinctly different environments of North America. It compares the way of life among groups.
(Recommended for Art and Social Studies, grades 4-12)98.03.09
This unit focuses on ancient Greek history and how warfare influenced culture. Lessons also emphasize the influences Greek culture has upon contemporary society (i.e, science, Mathematics, architecture, medicine, philosophy, and government).
(Recommended for English and Social Studies, grades 7-10)98.03.10
The intent of this unit is to give students a sense of how history is made and how it works. It focuses on the city of Tenochtitlan as the cultural object to bring the past back to life. Writing, drawing, painting, and building a model are used as the media for the essentials of this reconstruction.
(Recommended for Art, Language Arts and Social Studies, grades 5-8)98.04.01
This unit on democracy attempts to give a diverse and equitable view of some American political thinkers, such as, Cesar Chavez, Jane Addams, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It presents issues on slavery, the suffrage movement, and social reform during the nineteenth century in order to help students become involved in local issues. Explores art, drama, creative writing, and community involvement.
(Recommended for Literature, Art, Writing and Social Studies, grades K-4)98.04.05
This unit presents the positives and differences in the kinds of challenges presented to minority inventors verses white inventors, and how these inventors overcame obstacles in their lives.
(Recommended for Social Studies, grade 2-6)98.04.07
This unit addresses the development of American political thought regarding the emergence and significance of Back-to-Africa political thought in America between 1790 and 1850. It attempts to help students understand Black people and the diverse roles they play in American life today, along with the choices that they have had to make in the face of intense racism and White supremacy.
(Recommended for Social Studies, U. S. History and Black History, grades 7-12)98.04.08
This unit focuses on immigrants to the United States, such as, Chinese, Japanese, Jewish, Hispanic (Puerto Rican and Mexican) and African in order to explore why they chose or were forced to come to America and how they fared once they arrived. It compares the socioeconomic status of the groups and looks at factors that likely contributed to their condition.
(Recommended for Mathematics and Social Studies, grades 6-8)98.04.09
This unit focuses on giving students an overview of African Americans in politics and government at the state, local, and national levels dating from the 1800’s to the present time. It helps students gain knowledge about the changing times in American politics in the United States.
(Recommended for History, grades 9-12)98.04.10
This unit examines how groups of people have altered independence in the U.S. with bias, prejudice and bigotry. It focuses on factors which contributed to the establishment of racial tension and hate in this country.
(Recommended for Drama and Social Studies, grades 8-12)98.05.01
This unit is designed to help children celebrate the achievements of individuals of different ethnic origins, such as: African American, Japanese American, Latino/Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. It focuses on ethnic and cultural contributions made by each group in music, sports, science, etc. It helps students understand their disappointments, hardships, and difficulties they faced and overcame.
(Recommended for English, Literature and Social Studies, grades K-5)98.05.02
This unit embraces the reality of multiculturalism in American society. It attempts to provides a balance between learning the common core of dominant cultural knowledge (English language, democratic values) and knowledge of minority cultures. The unit introduces people, places, events, ideas, concepts and artistic productions that have shaped the country in terms of racial and ethnic composition.
(Recommended for English, Social Studies, ESL and Language Arts, grades K-4)98.05.03
This unit uses children literature to explore the Inuit, African American, Hispanic, and Chinese cultures. The integration of authentic pieces of literature into a study of several cultures within our nation draws children to a place and creates a bond to explore the daily lives of others, as well as, their own.
(Recommended for Social Studies and Reading, grades 3-5)98.05.04
This unit explores four cultures - Spanish (Mexico), Italian (Italy), Jewish (Israel), and African (Ghana) - and compares their holidays, celebration and practices.
(Recommended for Mathematics, Language, Health, Nature and Science, grades 3-6)98.05.05
This unit is developed around short stories and novels whose themes mirror every child’s culture. It is an attempt to create a society which more than tolerates, but understands, accepts and celebrates America’s diversity.
(Recommended for Literature, Reading and Social Studies, grades 4-6)98.05.06
This unit examines multicultural literature and focuses on several cultures to establish an appreciation and pride on the part of students for their own cultures. In each book chosen, the cultures represented face adverse situations.
(Recommended for Reading and Language Arts, grades 5-8)98.05.07
This unit outlines the use of three culturally diverse novels: Forged by Fire, and Nou Miguel, and Red Scarf Girl: Memoirs of a Cultural Revolution to compare and contrast each. Students can use these novels to review reading comprehension; element skills-setting; characterization; cause and effect; time order; theme; and conflict.
(Recommended for Reading, Language Arts, and English, grades 5-8)98.05.08
This unit focuses on nine holidays celebrated in the United States: Labor Day, Columbus Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, Three Kings Day, Chinese, New Year, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de mayo to promote harmony and mutual understanding among people with diverse backgrounds.
(Recommended for Social Studies, English, and Special Education, grades 6-12)98.05.09
This unit focuses on Latin American Culture (Latino and Chicano). It reviews the process of what the experience of language learning and acculturation is and how it has affected Latino writers in the United States.
(Recommended for Social Studies, History, Multicultural Studies and Language, grades 11-12)98.05.10
This unit investigates the cultural and personal identities of Puerto Ricans in the United States. It examines the nature of language and the individual’s relationship with language. Included in the unit is poetry from several poets.
(Recommended for English and Language Arts, grade 12)