A Comparison of the African American and Chinese American Experience

A Comparison of the African American and Chinese American Experience in 1950’s St. Louis

TEACHER DIRECTIONS

Overview
This lesson allows students to compare the experiences of two minority groups, African Americans and Chinese Americans, affected by changes in St. Louis during the 1950’s. The lesson requires students to compare each group’s experiences with economic opportunities, education, social prejudice, and urban renewal. Students will then evaluate how minority groups can be affected by these changes. Students should develop an appreciation for how diverse groups often face similar challenges in American society. Students will present their discoveries in a formal essay.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, students will:

Identify the economic, educational, and social issues confronting African Americans and Chinese Americans in St. Louis during the 1950’s.
Compare the experiences of African Americans and Chinese Americans in St. Louis during the 1950’s.
Evaluate how minority populations can be affected by economic, social, and political changes and describe how these groups respond to such changes.
Write an essay comparing the experiences of these two minority groups.

Show Me Standards 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 2.1, 2.4, 3.5, 3.6

Process

Provide students with background information on the 1950’s. Emphasize economic developments, the rise of the suburbs, urban renewal, and developments in the civil rights movement. Explain that this lesson will require students to compare how two different minority groups were affected by these dramatic changes.
Introduce the St. Louis Virtual City website to the class. Show them how to navigate using Cortona. Have students practice with the interface so that they gain expertise using the program.
Distribute the student instructions for the activity. Depending on computer access and the teacher’s learning goals, students can complete this task individually, in small groups, or as one large group. Have students
answer the questions presented in the student instructions. The activity may take several days to complete. You may choose to have students present their information in class. If students have difficulty finding information, direct them to explore both Hop Alley and the Mill Creek Valley.
Follow-up the activity by directing the students to write a comparison essay about the experience of Chinese Americans and African Americans. Begin by discussing what generalizations students can make about the two groups’ experiences. Refine these generalizations into possible thesis statements. Encourage students to develop paragraphs based upon the questions defined on their activity sheet.

View and print student directions.