Common Planner
K–12 Standards

African American History

Other Tennessee Social Studies sets

Social Studies Practices

  • 1

    Collect data and information from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including:SSP.01

    1. 1

      Printed materialsSSP.01.1

    2. 2

      Graphic representationsSSP.01.2

    3. 3

      Field observations/Landscape analysisSSP.01.3

    4. 4

      ArtifactsSSP.01.4

    5. 5

      Media and technology sourcesSSP.01.5

    6. 6

      Oral HistorySSP.01.6

  • 2

    Critically examine a primary or secondary source in order to:SSP.02

    1. 1

      Extract, summarize, and paraphrase significant ideas and relevant informationSSP.02.1

    2. 2

      Discern differences between evidence and assertionSSP.02.2

    3. 3

      Recognize the significance of author’s purpose, point of view, and biasSSP.02.3

    4. 4

      Draw logical inferences and conclusionsSSP.02.4

    5. 5

      Assess the strengths and limitations of argumentsSSP.02.5

  • 3

    Synthesize data from a variety of sources in order to:SSP.03

    1. 1

      Establish accuracy and validity by comparing sources to each otherSSP.03.1

    2. 2

      Recognize disparities among multiple accountsSSP.03.2

    3. 3

      Frame appropriate questions for further investigationSSP.03.3

  • 4

    Construct and communicate arguments by citing supporting evidence to:SSP.04

    1. 1

      Demonstrate and defend an understanding of ideasSSP.04.1

    2. 2

      Compare and contrast viewpointsSSP.04.2

    3. 3

      Illustrate cause and effectSSP.04.3

    4. 4

      Predict likely outcomesSSP.04.4

    5. 5

      Devise new outcomes or solutionsSSP.04.5

    6. 6

      Engage in appropriate civic discourseSSP.04.6

  • 5

    Develop historical awareness by:SSP.05

    1. 1

      Recognizing how and why historical accounts change over timeSSP.05.1

    2. 2

      Perceiving and presenting past events and issues as they might have been experienced by the people of the time, with historical empathy vs. present- mindednessSSP.05.2

    3. 3

      Evaluating how unique circumstances of time and place create context and contribute to action and reactionSSP.05.3

    4. 4

      Identifying patterns of continuity and change over time, making connections to the presentSSP.05.4

  • 6

    Develop geographic awareness by:SSP.06

    1. 1

      Analyzing and determining the use of diverse types of maps based on the origin, authority, structure, context, and validitySSP.06.1

    2. 2

      Using the geographic perspective to analyze relationships, patterns, and diffusion across space at multiple scalesSSP.06.2

    3. 3

      Analyzing locations, conditions, and connections of places and using maps to investigate spatial associations among phenomenaSSP.06.3

    4. 4

      Examining how geographers use regions and how perceptions of regions are fluid across time and spaceSSP.06.4

    5. 5

      Analyzing interaction between humans and the physical environmentSSP.06.5

African History and the Origins of the African Slave Trade (pre-1619): Students will analyze the economic, political, and social development of slavery in the United States.

  • 1

    Explore the legacy of rich African kingdoms such as Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.AAH.01

  • 2

    Explain the diverse political, economic, and social structures of pre-colonialized African communities.AAH.02

  • 3

    Analyze the economic, political, and social reasons for focusing the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade on the African continent, including the role of Africans, Europeans, and their New World colonies.AAH.03

  • 4

    Analyze the role and impact of the slave trade on West Africa and the Thirteen English colonies.AAH.04

  • 5

    Define the African Diaspora.AAH.05

  • 6

    Explore the conditions of the Middle Passage and how it is considered one of the largest forced migrations and examples of enslavement in human history.AAH.06

African American Life Prior to the Civil War (1619-1860): Students will examine the varied experiences of African Americans prior to the Civil War, including the social and cultural contributions of African Americans, the beginnings of the abolition movement, and the life experiences of African Americans. Additionally, students will analyze justifications and ramifications of slavery during this era.

  • 7

    Describe the experiences of free and enslaved Africans living in the Thirteen English colonies and the early United States, including their contributions to the American Revolution.AAH.07

  • 8

    Analyze the faults in the economic, social, religious, and legal motivations for the establishment and continuation of slavery.AAH.08

  • 9

    Identify the various ways Africans in the United States resisted enslavement (e.g., cultural, religious, and economic methods).AAH.09

  • 10

    Examine the constitutional references to slavery, and analyze the impact the debate about slavery had in the development of nationalism and sectionalism, including the Fugitive Slave Laws.AAH.10

  • 11

    Assess the development of the abolitionist movement and its impact on enslavement and the nation, including the efforts of:AAH.11

    1. 1

      The American Colonial SocietyAAH.11.1

    2. 2

      Frederick DouglassAAH.11.2

    3. 3

      William Lloyd GarrisonAAH.11.3

    4. 4

      Sojourner TruthAAH.11.4

    5. 5

      Harriet TubmanAAH.11.5

  • 12

    Compare and contrast the experiences of African Americans in free states versus slave states in the pre-Civil War era.AAH.12

  • 13

    Analyze the impact of the Supreme Court's 1857 Dred Scott v. Sanford decision and its impact on restricting rights on freed African Americans in the United States.AAH.13

  • 14

    Explain the impact of the Underground Railroad.AAH.14

  • 15

    Describe and analyze various experiences of enslaved persons and the disruption of the family system in the pre-Civil War era.AAH.15

  • 16

    Describe the development of African American institutions, such as religion, education, and benevolent organizations, during the pre-Civil War era.AAH.16

  • 17

    Identify and explain contributions to science and the arts from African Americans during the pre- Civil War era.AAH.17

African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1890s): Students will analyze the changing roles of African Americans during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

  • 18

    Describe President Abraham Lincoln's changing views on enslavement.AAH.18

  • 19

    Describe the motivations for the Emancipation Proclamation and the lasting impacts of emancipation (i.e., Juneteenth).AAH.19

  • 20

    Identify and explain the roles of African American soldiers, spies, and enslaved persons on the war effort in both the North and the South, including the 54th Massachusetts Regiment and the 13th U.S. Colored Troops.AAH.20

  • 21

    Define the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and the motivations for their creation.AAH.21

  • 22

    Evaluate the effects of the Reconstruction Amendments, including southern resistance (e.g., black codes, disenfranchisement, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan).AAH.22

  • 23

    Analyze the successes and failures of Reconstruction as they relate to African Americans.AAH.23

African American Life after Emancipation through World War I (1890s-1920s): Students will analyze the rise of Jim Crow laws, achievements of African Americans, the role African Americans played in military endeavors, and the life experiences of African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

  • 24

    Explain the economic and social impact of Jim Crow laws on African Americans.AAH.24

  • 25

    Analyze the ramifications of segregation laws and court decisions (e.g., Plessy v. Ferguson) on American society.AAH.25

  • 26

    Compare and contrast organized responses to Jim Crow laws, including:AAH.26

    1. 1

      Anti-lynching crusadeAAH.26.1

    2. 2

      Atlanta CompromiseAAH.26.2

    3. 3

      Brotherhood of Sleeping Car PortersAAH.26.3

    4. 4

      Farmers’ AllianceAAH.26.4

    5. 5

      NAACPAAH.26.5

    6. 6

      Niagara MovementAAH.26.6

    7. 7

      Urban LeagueAAH.26.7

  • 27

    Identify influential African Americans of the time period, and analyze their impact on American and Tennessee society, including:AAH.27

    1. 1

      Booker T. WashingtonAAH.27.1

    2. 2

      Ida B. Wells-BarnettAAH.27.2

    3. 3

      James NapierAAH.27.3

    4. 4

      Randolph MillerAAH.27.4

    5. 5

      Robert R. ChurchAAH.27.5

    6. 6

      Samuel McElweeAAH.27.6

    7. 7

      W.E.B. DuBoisAAH.27.7

  • 28

    Describe the progress of African American institutions (e.g., religion, education, and benevolent organizations) during the post-Civil War era.AAH.28

  • 29

    Describe the economic, cultural, political, and social impact of African American migration within and from the South (e.g., Exodusters, Benjamin “Pap” Singleton, First Great Migration).AAH.29

  • 30

    Identify the achievements of African American inventors and entrepreneurs of the post-Civil War era including:AAH.30

    1. 1

      Garrett MorganAAH.30.1

    2. 2

      George Washington CarverAAH.30.2

    3. 3

      Lewis LatimerAAH.30.3

    4. 4

      Madam C.J. WalkerAAH.30.4

    5. 5

      Robert R. ChurchAAH.30.5

  • 31

    Describe the impact of African American regiments on the western campaigns, the Spanish- American War, and World War I (e.g., buffalo soldiers, Harlem Hellfighters).AAH.31

  • 32

    Describe the African American experience during and after World War I, including:AAH.32

    1. 1

      Black Wall StreetAAH.32.1

    2. 2

      Economic opportunitiesAAH.32.2

    3. 3

      Resurgence of the Ku Klux KlanAAH.32.3

    4. 4

      Rosewood MassacreAAH.32.4

    5. 5

      Second Great MigrationAAH.32.5

    6. 6

      Tulsa MassacreAAH.32.6

African Americans and the Harlem Renaissance (1920s-1930s): Students will analyze the cultural contributions made by African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance.

  • 33

    Identify literary contributions made by African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance (e.g., Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston).AAH.33

  • 34

    Describe the contributions of African Americans to the performing arts during the HarlemAAH.34

    1. 1

      Renaissance, including:AAH.34.1

    2. 2

      DeFord BaileyAAH.34.2

    3. 3

      Duke EllingtonAAH.34.3

    4. 4

      Fisk Jubilee SingersAAH.34.4

    5. 5

      W.C. HandyAAH.34.5

    6. 6

      James Weldon JohnsonAAH.34.6

    7. 7

      John Work IIIAAH.34.7

    8. 8

      Billie HollidayAAH.34.8

    9. 9

      Bessie SmithAAH.34.9

  • 35

    Describe the contributions of African Americans to the visual arts during the Harlem Renaissance, including the work of William Edmondson.AAH.35

  • 36

    Analyze the influence of the Harlem Renaissance on American culture and subsequent assimilation and appropriation.AAH.36

African American Life during the Great Depression and World War II (1930s-1940s): Students will analyze the contributions and experiences of African Americans during the Great Depression and World War II.

  • 37

    Analyze the impact of the Great Depression and New Deal on the lives of African Americans, including:AAH.37

    1. 1

      Higher unemployment rateAAH.37.1

    2. 2

      Housing discriminationAAH.37.2

    3. 3

      Lack of access to New Deal benefitsAAH.37.3

    4. 4

      RedliningAAH.37.4

  • 38

    Describe highlights of African American culture of the 1930s and 1940s (e.g., Satchel Page and Negro league baseball, Cab Calloway, Hattie McDaniel, Jessie Owens, and Mississippi Delta blues musicians).AAH.38

  • 39

    Identify the contributions of African Americans who served in the military, and compare their experiences to other Americans who served in World War II.AAH.39

  • 40

    Describe the experience of African Americans at home during and after World War II, such as unequal access to the G.I. Bill of Rights and VA Loans.AAH.40

  • 41

    Explain how World War II laid the groundwork for the modern Civil Rights Movement , includingAAH.41

    1. 1

      Congress of Racial Equity (CORE)AAH.41.1

    2. 2

      Columbia Race RiotsAAH.41.2

    3. 3

      President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 8802AAH.41.3

    4. 4

      President Harry S. Truman’s integration of the militaryAAH.41.4

The Modern Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s): Students will analyze the successes and failures of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.

  • 42

    Describe the impact of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, and evaluate resistance to the decision and the reactions that followed (e.g., Scarboro 85, Clinton 12, Little Rock 9).AAH.42

  • 43

    Analyze the impact of the death of Emmett Till as a catalyst in the Civil Rights Movement.AAH.43

  • 44

    Summarize the Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee, including the Nashville sit-ins, Tent Cities of Haywood and Fayette counties, and the activities of Diane Nash, Jim Lawson, and John Lewis.AAH.44

  • 45

    Identify various organizations and their roles in the Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Black Panthers, SCLC, Nation of Islam, Highlander Folk School, SNCC).AAH.45

  • 46

    Identify key events of the Civil Rights Movement, including:AAH.46

    1. 1

      Church bombingsAAH.46.1

    2. 2

      Freedom RidersAAH.46.2

    3. 3

      Freedom SummerAAH.46.3

    4. 4

      March on WashingtonAAH.46.4

    5. 5

      Montgomery Bus BoycottAAH.46.5

    6. 6

      SelmaAAH.46.6

  • 47

    Identify legal victories of the Civil Rights Movement (e.g., Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, 24th Amendment, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas).AAH.47

  • 48

    Discuss the impact of the Vietnam War on the Civil Rights Movement, including responses to the draft, disproportionate representation of minority groups, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s response to the war.AAH.48

  • 49

    Compare and contrast the various strategies of the Black Liberation Movement (e.g., Black Panther Party, Angela Davis, Fred Hampton).AAH.49

  • 50

    Describe the cultural contributions of African Americans and companies throughout the Civil Rights Movement, including:AAH.50

    1. 1

      Muhammed AliAAH.50.1

    2. 2

      James BrownAAH.50.2

    3. 3

      Dorothy DandridgeAAH.50.3

    4. 4

      Sidney PortierAAH.50.4

    5. 5

      Jackie RobinsonAAH.50.5

    6. 6

      STAX recordsAAH.50.6

African American Issues in Contemporary Times (1970s-present): Students will analyze the issues confronting African Americans during the contemporary era in the continued struggle for equality.

  • 51

    Identify and analyze changes in voting rights, such as the Shelby County v. Holder decision and voter identification laws.AAH.51

  • 52

    Identify and evaluate major contemporary economic, social, and political reforms, and the impact they have on African American lives.AAH.52

  • 53

    Analyze major contemporary issues affecting African Americans, including:AAH.53

    1. 1

      Access to health careAAH.53.1

    2. 2

      Affirmative ActionAAH.53.2

    3. 3

      AIDSAAH.53.3

    4. 4

      Educational achievement gapAAH.53.4

    5. 5

      Mass incarcerationAAH.53.5

    6. 6

      PovertyAAH.53.6

    7. 7

      “War on drugs”AAH.53.7

    8. 8

      Wealth gapAAH.53.8

  • 54

    Analyze the impact of migration on the lives of African Americans in the contemporary United States, including the return to the South.AAH.54

  • 55

    Identify and evaluate the diffusion and appropriation of African American culture within American popular culture.AAH.55

  • 56

    Identify the major contributions of contemporary African Americans in America.AAH.56

Frequently asked questions

What grade levels do these standards cover?
Grade 9, Grade 10, Grade 11, and Grade 12
Where can I read the official document?
Tennessee Social Studies Standards

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