By Emma Duncan--Eagle Staff Writer
Eagles wanting to change one of their classes, or needing to fill an extra space, now have a new course option for next semester.
Beginning Jan. 26, African American History will be available for both in-person and Virtual Academy students.
“The African American History course explores the African American experience from Ancient Africa through the present day,” explained an email to students from Franklin County Public Schools.
The course is worth one credit and will be taught by history teacher Lady Michele Jones.
“I had a former student that inspired me to teach (this course),” she said. “Her experience with racism here in Franklin County opened my eyes to the needs of minority students in a whole new way.”
African American History has five major units: Ancestral Africa and the Atlantic World, Continuous Quests for Freedom, Fighting to Change the Face of Liberty, Modern Black America, and Advocacy and Change.
“It is a mixture of chronological and thematic approaches,” Jones explained. “The class has a variety of instructional elements, but students can expect to participate in a lot of discussions, journaling, and projects.”
One of these projects is built upon all semester long.
“There is a capstone project based around the question "What is Freedom?" that we will complete at the end of the semester,” Jones said.
Some assignments are individually completed, but students should be comfortable working with others.
“Class discussions are an integral part of the course and include topics such as racism, equality, justice, and freedom,” the email added. “The course will place particular emphasis on critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship.”
The second semester is fast approaching, so Eagles wanting to take this class need to act soon.
“If you are interested in taking this course, please contact your school counselor for details no later than Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021,” finished the email.