Place students into small groups, and instruct each group to research the racial wealth gap in the United States. Each group should begin by writing a research question to guide their work. Then, students work together to locate primary and secondary sources and interpret their research together.
Each group should create a poster to teach the class about their findings. Every poster should include the following elements:
- The group’s research question
- An answer to the research question, in the form of a thesis statement
- At least two charts or graphs depicting data that relates to the group’s thesis statement
- At least three historical events related to the racial wealth gap and an analysis of each event’s impact
- Evidence from both primary and secondary sources
- A Works Cited page
Host a gallery walk or expo for students to display their posters for the class. End with a discussion of the following question:
- To what extent does the U.S. government owe reparations to Black Americans for the racial wealth gap stemming from enslavement and economic reconstruction during the Civil War?