Historic Stagville

African-American Achievements

Suitable for grades 4-10

Time:  30 minutes

Fee:  None

Student Limit:  60 

This activity combats some commonly held stereotypes about the achievements of African Americans.  Working in small groups, students will be given a list of inventions and asked to decide where each was invented.  After a museum educator reveals that all the inventions were created in the US , students will be asked if who was responsible for these achievements:  Native Americans, Euro-Americans or African-Americans.  The museum educator will reveal that African-Americans are responsible for all the achievements.  Students will have a chance to discuss their responses to this exercise.

Daniel Hale Williams

                                    Inventor of Open Heart Surgery