The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture
The past is only a part of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. Through a partnership with the Maryland State Department of Education to reach more than 860,000 students and 50,000 teachers, the museum will invest itself just as heavily in the future – a future that will assuredly burn brighter as we work to close the African American achievement gap and foster greater understanding among all students.
The curriculum will require that students intensively prepare for their trip to the museum (or for the museum’s trip to them – traveling exhibits are one of the museum’s features), reflect upon it afterward, and use its lessons to guide future learning. The task force will begin writing curriculum for grades 4-8 before turning its attention to high school and, finally, to the primary grades. The grades 4-8 curriculum will be completed in time for the 2004-05 school year.
Training teachers well in the curriculum will be key to its success. In addition to district- and school-based workshops on incorporating the museum’s themes into instruction, Maryland teachers will be given lectures and tours by museum staff so they can prepare lessons. They’ll also be able to tap a cadre of experts in African-American art, culture, history, and contemporary life so they can make those lessons more interesting to students.
But, of course, the museum isn’t only for African-American students and neither are the heroes it celebrates. These are the stories of democracy, and their lessons apply to all. This is why the curricular connection is so important: it ensures that every Maryland child will understand the role African Americans played in our past and appreciate its implications for our future.
Use the link above to see how this exciting new museum will support the new state curriculum.
