Teaching Guide: African American Physicists in the 1960s
Students will learn about the historical context of the Civil Rights Movement and how it impacted the physics community by reading two contrasting assessments of the status of African Americans in physics in the 1960s. Students will practice knowledge of covalent and ionic bonds by drawing diagrams of different bonds.
Physicist Herman Branson, ca. 1960s AIP Emilio Segre Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection
In this lesson plan, students will read two contrasting assessments of the status of African Americans in physics in the 1960s. They will also learn about the historical context of the civil rights movement and how it impacted the physics community.
Grade level(s): 9-12
Guide subjects: History, Physics
Minority Group(s): African-American
In-class time: 60 minutes (80 minutes with Bonding Activity)
Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Technology Requirements: Student web access not required, Audio not required, Audio/Video not required
Common Core Standards: Speaking & Listening, History/Social Studies
