Use this photo to probe student knowledge and interest in their family backgrounds as a path to understanding the history of racial mixing in the US. The discussion should tie family histories to our commonalities, linking us, rather than polarizing us into racial silos that feed conflict. Use the materials from this website to talk about the Allotment Era.
Questions:
Who tells the story about the people in this photo? You do! Where do you start?
[brain storm ideas about who these people are]
How do you relate to this photo?
What do you know about the Trail of Tears?
What do you know about the Oklahoma Land Rush?
What do you know about the Allotment Era?
Is your family history tied to land?
How does the land tell a story of who we are?
Where did your family come from? If they moved from place to place, why?
Why is there no mixed-race chapter of American History?
What has knowledge of past treatment of red, white, and black peoples taught you about their lives today?