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Developing a K-12 Disability History Curriculum

Published on Wed, 03/15/2023

Reform to Equal Rights is the first ever K-12 Disability History Curriculum. The curriculum supports history and civics teachers in all settings. Lessons can stand on their own. Or teachers can integrate selections from the 200+ primary sources, and/or accessible activities, into what they already teach on topics such as impacts of wars, immigration, social movements, and changing roles of government, from the early 19th century to the 21st. The time has come to incorporate this vital history into how we teach American history. 

Monuments in Washington D.C.

The following 5 day unit plan uses primary source images of the National Mall and a modern tourist primary source map to observe, reflect, and explain some the varied historical sites available to students, educators, and travelers alike. In particular, students will explore three of the following sites:

Pioneer Valley Illustrated History

Visually rich history published by Guy McLain, Director of the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History. Provides a rare glimpse into the evolution and history of western Massachusetts. Topics explored include European Settlement of the Valley, the Revolution and Shays’ Rebellion, Development of Transportation and Trade in the Valley, and Expansion of Business and Industry.

FDR and the Alphabet

In this lesson students are asked to analyze Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address and to compare the promises made to his later work as president. Students will use a graphic organizer to list three of FDR’s promises in the speech and then use secondary resources to research whether he fulfilled those promises.

Incarceration

Incarceration in a variety of contexts and settings has been deeply ingrained in American society for centuries. The experience and processes of incarceration takes many forms including criminal detention, imprisonment in wartime, and immigration detainment. This primary source set contains a range of items tracing the history of incarceration in the United States and includes images, maps, political cartoons, and reports–all from the digital collections of the Library of Congress.

Economic Growth, North and South

The following primary source set and resources were compiled to illustrate the economic growth in both the northern and southern United States between 1800 and 1860. Such areas as industry, the market economy, and transportation are included in the set. Completing the set are two exhibits featuring the Industrial Revolution, including one produced as a part of the Emerging America program at the Collaborative for Educational Services. 

Injuries and Disability in 19th Century Industry

In this lesson students will learn that incurring a disability at work was a common occurrence of the Industrial Revolution.  This lesson integrates disability history content within a larger 14-day unit on the Industrial Revolution. The lesson plan provides a series of activities that highlight the importance of children and adults with disabilities in 19th century workplaces, and the ways primary source photographs provide information and inspire critical questions.

Nellie Bly 1887: Exposing Treatment of those with Mental Illness

In this lesson, students will explore several primary sources addressing the treatment of people with mental illness at Blackwell Island in New York in the mid to late 1800s.  After analyzing the sources, students will discuss our responsibility and the responsibility of government to people with mental illness and cognitive disability. Period film, photographs, maps, and a written account by pioneering investigative journalist Nellie Bly animate the lesson.

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