Mosaic Templars Will Come To You!
While the Cultural Center is under construction, staff members will visit classrooms, churches, or other meeting places and give in-class or outreach presentations about the Mosaic Templars of America organization, the West Ninth Street Business District and African American life in Arkansas. These programs are available to groups free of charge but must be scheduled in advance.
Children's Education and Teacher Development
The Center’s Education staff provides in-classroom programs for grade K-12 as well as lesson plans and other teacher materials related to the Mosaic Templars and West Ninth Street.
In-Class Programs
The following museum outreach programs are available to school and youth groups throughout the state. Please contact the Education staff at 501.683.3592 or via email at kylia@arkansasheritage.org to schedule one of the following in-class programs.
- Zin! Pluck! Bang! (Grades PK – 4)
Program length: 40 minutes
Limit: 30 per class
This hands-on program focuses on instrument identification and rhythm by examining instruments used by Arkansas-reared, nationally-acclaimed, classical composer William Grant Still. Students will see, hear, and touch different instruments within a symphonic orchestra and get a chance to be musicians! Program includes a live violin demonstration among other instruments. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: H.6.K.3, H.6.2.3, H.6.3.2, M.1.2, M.5.3 and M.4.4) - Life Masks (Grades PK – 4)
Program length: 45 – 60 minutes
Limit: 30 per class
Nationally recognized artist Isaac Scott Hathaway created life and death masks of notable black Americans, including several black Arkansans. After examining the masks of Hathaway as well as other examples of life masks from other cultures and time periods, students will create their own cardboard “life masks.” (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: H.6.K.3, H.6.2.3, H.6.3.2, A.1.1, A.2.2 and A.3.7) - Freedom Summer (Grades PK – 2)
Program length: 40 minutes
Limit: 30 per class
This hands-on program focuses on friendship and civil rights activism in Arkansas through literature and images related to Arkansas’s desegregation of public services. This program concludes with an art project: friendship bracelets. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: H.6.1.7 and H.6.2.8 ) - Gee, What’s Ge?: Introducing Artist Isaac Scott Hathaway (Grades 2 – 12)
Program length: 1 hour
Limit: 30 students per class
This hands-on art-based program introduces students to the nationally recognized art of African American sculptor, ceramicist, and illustrator Isaac Scott Hathaway, who created sculptures of notable African Americans from Arkansas. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: H.6.2.3, W.7.AH.7-8.1, W.7.AH.9-12.2, A.1.1, A.1.2, A.1.5, A.2.1, and A.2.16) - Speaking Up, Speaking Out (Grades 4 – 12)
Program length: 45 minutes
Limit: 30 students per class
Buttons have been used for decades to express political opinions and were especially popular during Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In this program, students will use their artistic ability to design and create their own wearable buttons to speak up and speak out. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: C.4.3.4, C.5.5.15, C.6.14, WWP.9.AH.7-8.4 and WWP.9.AH.7-8.4)
- “Entreprecation” (Grades 4 – 12)
Program length: 45 minutes
Limit: 50 students per class
This program gives students an understanding of the entrepreneurial spirit of Arkansas’s African American community in the early twentieth century through an interactive PowerPoint presentation. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: H.6.4.12, E.8.3.5, and E.8.4.5) - Mosaic Templars of America (Grades 5 – 12)
Program length: 45 minutes
Limit: 50 students per class
Through a PowerPoint presentation, students will hear the story of the Mosaic Templars of America, a highly successful and nationally acclaimed Arkansas-based black fraternal organization and business. (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: E.8.4.5, W.7.AH.7-8.1, and W.7.AH.9-12.2) - William Grant Still (Grades 5 – 12)
Program length: 45 minutes
Limit: 50 students per class
This program introduces students to the life and work of African American composer William Grant Still. Students will hear samples of strings instruments and works from Still. Students will also have a chance to be composers! (Connects to the following curriculum frameworks: M.4.3, M.4.4, M.5.9, W.7.AH.7-8.1, W.7.AH.9-12.2, WWP.9.AH.7-8.12)
Outreach Programs and Adult Education
Please contact the Education staff at 501.683.3620 or via email at blake@arkansasheritage.org to schedule one of the following programs for your group.
- Arkansas African American Fraternal Organizations, 1870-1930
- African American Legislators in the Arkansas General Assembly, 1868-1995
- Black Business Districts in Arkansas: Little Rock’s West Ninth Street and Beyond
Lesson Plans
All materials listed below are free and available for downloading as PDF files.
Mosaic Templars of America (PDF)
This lesson plan highlights the achievements of the Mosaic Templars of America and their contributions to Arkansas history. This lesson plan features cross-curricular activities. Suitable for grades K-12.
Little Rock’s West Ninth Street (PDF)
This lesson plan focuses on Little Rock’s black business district. This lesson plan features cross-curricular activities, including math and science activities. Suitable for grades K-12.
Meet the Artist: Isaac Scott Hathaway (PDF)
This lesson plan reviews the nationally recognized art of African American sculptor, ceramicist, and illustrator Isaac Scott Hathaway. Hathaway created sculptures of notable African Americans from Arkansas. Suitable for grades K-12.
Exploring Community History: Oral History (PDF)
This lesson plan introduces students to the techniques of oral history and how it can be used to record community history. Suitable for grades K-12.
Voices: A Century of Little Rock’s African American Community, 1870-1970 (PDF)
This interactive CD-Rom is a multimedia presentation featuring the personal stories of members of Little Rock’s African American community. A Teacher’s Guide is also included. Suitable for grades 5-12. Download the order form to receive your free CD-Rom and Teacher’s Guide today!