What's included
1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 1 - 4
Debuting in 1969, Sesame Street was the creation of Lloyd Morrisett and Joan Ganz Cooney, a journalist and former public TV documentary producer who produced a documentary about a Harlem pre-school program that would later become known as Head Start. Cooney was committed to serving low income, children of color through media representation and used her expertise to create the famed and critically acclaimed show. The show, whose original target audience was 4-year-old Black children, has become a global phenomenon that continues to prioritize Black empowerment and education. In this one-time course, students will learn about the deeply rooted African-American culture and history embedded within the children's show. Through an interactive presentation and discussion featuring short clips, songs and conversation, students will leave the course understanding how important Blackness has been to curating pivotal moments in Black history.
Other Details
Supply List
A short PDF handout will be provided in the Outschool Classroom.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
- Sesame Street
- Public Interests: Media Advocacy and Struggles over U.S. Television by Allison Perlman
- Sesame Street Revisited by Thomas D. Cook, Hilary Appleton, Ross F. Conner, Ann Shaffer, Gary Tamkin, & Stephen J. Weber
- Through the Eyes of a Child: Representations of Blackness in Children's Television Programming by Ebony M. Roberts
- Statewide Dissemination of Sesame Street Resources for Families Affected by Incarceration by Rebecca J. Shlafer, Amanda A. Wanous and Erin C. Schubert
- Soul: Black Power, Politics, and Pleasure by Monique Guillory & Richard C. Green
- The Forgotten Tale of How Black Psychiatrists Helped Make ‘Sesame Street’
- The Proud Black History of Sesame Street
- The Unmistakable Black Roots of ‘Sesame Street’ | Smithsonian Magazine
- Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street (Documentary)
Teacher expertise and credentials
Morgan Jael is a graduate of Washington University in St Louis where she earned her Bachelors of Arts Degree in African/African American Studies and participated in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship where she surveyed the cultural experiences contributions of Black girls in the southern landscape in the 19th and 20th century.
She is a history/social justice educator who has worked in both public and charter K-12 school spaces, with in-person and virtual experience. Her proudest moments as an educator include the successful creation and implementation of a social justice/history curriculum that led to her creating Black Girls Know Best, a community non-profit organization that amplifies Black girls voice through creative mediums. Most recently, she worked with the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Network and Junior Ranger program, curating relevant and informative history content that supported the Network's growth.
Here on Outschool she offers a wide range of classes including 'The Civil Rights Movement and Black Foodways' and 'Black Girl Magic: Introduction to Black Girlhood Studies', amongst many others. 'Follow' her profile to stay to up to date on 2025 course listings.
Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$13
per classMeets once
50 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 6-10
4-10 learners per class