Black History From a Decolonized Perspective (African American History)

For the advanced 4th up to 9th Grade Black History. 

Please do not enroll children under 9 years old, we have a class for 5 to 10 year old students available here https://outschool.com/classes/5-to-10-year-old-black-history-from-a-decolonized-perspective-creskNys?usid=QzfHeJ9u&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link
This is also a much more gentle introduction to black history for sensitive learners who are over 8 years old.  


This African American studies course is designed to develop an understanding of the causes, character, and consequences of the African American experience and its influence on the world, the United States, and the African American community. Beginning with a historical, geographical, social, political, economic, and cultural understanding of the African continent, the course will provide a descriptive and corrective overview which will introduce the student to the study of the African and African American experiences.

Why start here? Most Eurocentric curricula begin African American history with their enslavement, completely leaving out the rich cultural history many Africans had in their own societies. By teaching students about history pre-slavery, you build a deeper respect and self-confidence in black children who learn this early. 

Here is the week class topic 
1	Ancient Africa, Geography, Ancient Egypt, West Africa, Kingdoms 
2	African Explorations of the World 
3	Great Zimbabwe, Axum and the Colonization of Africa 
4	Enslavement in the Americas
5	Neo-slavery; abolition, Civil Rights and constitutional rights
6	The soul of African Americans
7	Contributions of African Americans to the US and to the world
8	Current state of African Americans (The Black Revolution)

This class is structured to promote engagement, curiosity, and creative thinking among learners. We will use slides, videos, discussions, and games to interact with our learners. 

My teaching style is very laid back, but I also like to encourage learners to participate. I like to be sure all of our students have a chance to speak. 

Here is the typical class structure
5-10  minutes reviewing previous lessons
20-25 minutes of discussions, lectures, and videos 
Classes will be between 35-45 minutes depending on group dynamics

We do a lot of discussion in this class. Oral discussion is a research-backed way to help students build comprehension skills as well as develop and helping to retain information. I ask a lot of questions and may call on students to help build rapport and confidence. I encourage participation but am sure to be positive and kind when giving feedback. 


Regarding Homework:
We will go over homework during class time and will not check it outside or respond outside of class hours. Please upload it to the classroom before your class start time so we can view it together as a class. 

Students do not need any previous experience to take this class. 

Optional: Families can purchase the Black History from a Decolonized Perspective Portfolio Workbook which has a space to put all notes, activities, and assignments for the course. This is completely an optional add-on and will is not required for the course. It is a great way to extend learning for your students and help make the learning "stick" during lectures and activities. You can find it here 
https://www.kindacademy.org/product-page/black-history-from-a-decolonized-perspective-portfolio-workbook