We’re excited to share the rollout of Oregon Black Pioneers’ revised educational curriculum! Guided by feedback, ideas, and passion from educators across Oregon, we’ve refreshed our instructional materials to better support classrooms around the state.
Our updated curriculum is organized into three thematic units that together tell a chronological story of perseverance, determination, and belonging in Oregon.
The Black Pioneers and Trailblazers unit introduces students to Black pioneers and explorers whose lives and contributions helped shape Oregon’s early communities, trade, and culture. The Black Exclusion and Resistance unit explores how Oregon’s early laws and beliefs about race defined belonging—and how Black Oregonians resisted exclusion to redefine it. Finally, developed in collaboration with the Oregon Historical Society, the Black Activism and Civil Rights unit examines Oregon’s Civil Rights Bills, Black political leadership, youth activism, and the ways community organizations fought job and housing discrimination.
Each thematic unit includes an overarching guiding question and clear learning goals for every lesson. Lessons are available for elementary, middle, and high school, making it easier to integrate Black Oregonian history across grade levels. Every lesson includes a lesson overview, learning goals, materials and resources, a step-by-step “I Do / We Do / You Do” structure, differentiation and extension opportunities, informal and formal assessments (including formative assessments), and aligned grade-level Oregon Social Science standards. Elementary lessons also include Oregon English Language Arts standards in addition to Social Science standards.
While each lesson is designed to stand on its own, educators who have the time and flexibility to teach multiple lessons will notice that each unit’s guiding question creates a natural throughline for deeper learning. You’ll also see estimated timeframes for activities, these are meant as helpful reference points, not rigid rules. Classroom educators- y’all know your students best! Lessons are designed to be adapted to meet your classroom’s needs.
Oregon Black Pioneers would love the opportunity to support your teaching directly. If you’re interested in incorporating one of our lessons into your scope and sequence and would like us to visit your classroom, please reach out!
OBP Education Newsletter
Starting in February, Oregon Black Pioneers will be launching a quarterly Education Newsletter to share updates, new resources, and upcoming opportunities related to our educational work. Interested in staying in the loop? Sign up for the newsletter!
With Oregon Black Pioneers Education resources, we’re bringing Oregon’s Black history to life—lesson by lesson.