Lesson Materials

On this page, you'll find all instructional materials developed and curated by Our Local History. 

Grade 2 Case Studies: Building a Safe, Kind, and Fair Community

The grade 2 case studies introduce students to the concepts of identity and community through the lens of local history and civic responsibility. Students begin by exploring the unique aspects of their own identities before investigating what life was like in Rochester during the 1950s and 1960s. By analyzing local imagery and the story of Constance Mitchell, students examine how activists and their allies work together to challenge unfairness. The unit concludes with a community circle where students reflect on Mitchell’s legacy to brainstorm contemporary problems within their own school or neighborhood. Students will use these discussions to propose solutions, learning firsthand how they can take civic action to build a community that is safe, kind, and fair for everyone.

Grade 4 Case Studies:
The Local History of Racist Policy and Resistance I

Students will work collaboratively to investigate the current state of disparity and segregation in Monroe County, the root causes, and the local civil rights leaders who stood up to these issues. Students will be investigating primary source newspaper articles, interviews, legal documents, U.S. Laws, and local deeds. These case studies feature local leaders Dr. Walter Cooper, Constance Mitchell, Howard Coles, and Ellen Stubbs.

Grade 5 Case Studies

Students will work collaboratively to investigate the current state of inequity faced by the Latinx community in Monroe County, the root causes, and the local civil rights leaders who stood up to these issues. Students will be investigating primary source newspaper articles, interviews, legal documents, U.S. Laws, and local deeds. These case studies feature local leaders in the Puerto Rican community such as Maria Lopez, Henry I Padrón-Morales, Roberto Burgos, Nydia Padilla, and Nancy Padilla.

Grade 4/7 Case Studies:
Enslavement in New York

Students will learn the specific history of enslavement in New York State (NYS) as directed in the NYS Social Studies Framework. Students will examine primary and secondary sources to determine what enslavement was like in NYS and how people resisted it. Sources include excerpts from the autobiographies of Austin Steward, Sojourner Truth, and Reverend Thomas James.

Grade 8 Case Studies:
The Local History of Racist Policy and Resistance II

The grade 8 case studies build on subjects first introduced in grade 4. Students will work collaboratively to investigate the current state of disparity and segregation in Monroe County, the root causes, and the local civil rights leaders who stood up to these issues. Students will examine the 1958 NYS Human Rights Commission report against discrimination, interviews with Judge Ruben Davis and Dr. Alice Young, and newspaper reports of urban renewal.

Grade 11 Case Studies: The Local History of LGBTQ Civil Rights

Through a deep dive into primary sources—including oral histories from local elders, archival records of Rochester’s early pride movements, and landmark legal documents—students will examine the intersection of identity and policy. The study culminates in an academic circle where students unpack these sources to analyze how individuals and grassroots organizations have utilized civic action to challenge systemic barriers and secure civil rights. Sources include local activist interviews, historical newspapers like The Empty Closet, and national legislative records

Grade 12 Case Studies:
The Local History of Racist Policy and Resistance III

The grade 12 case studies advance the themes covered in grade 4 and 8 with a specific emphasis on civic action. Students will work collaboratively to investigate the current state of disparity and segregation in Monroe County, the root causes, and the local civil rights leaders who stood up to these issues. Students will examine the history of policing, school and housing integration efforts, and regional health disparities and compare historical sources with local current events. Sources include the FHA Underwriting Manual, interviews with local activists and elected officials, statistical data prepared by regional non-profits.