Course: Adult Education / Community Studies / Religious Studies
Grade Level: Adults
Duration: 2 Hours
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this lesson, participants will be able to:
- Use a digital database of African Methodist Episcopal (AME) churches to analyze the social impact of these churches on their individual communities.
- Identify key areas where AME churches have influenced social, educational, economic, and political outcomes in their neighborhoods.
- Reflect on the ongoing role of AME churches in community development and activism.
- Understand how religious institutions like the AME Church have contributed to shaping local identities and supporting social justice movements.
Materials Needed:
- Computers/tablets with internet access (one per participant or group)
- Projector and screen for instructor-led demonstration
- Access to a digital database of AME churches (e.g., a website or a mapped database of AME church locations and their associated social programs, events, or histories)
- Printed handouts with guiding questions for analysis
- Whiteboard and markers or flip chart
- Example case studies of AME churches and their community involvement (optional)
Lesson Outline:
Introduction (15 Minutes)
- Activity: Start with a discussion on the role of religion in community life. Ask participants:
- How do churches influence the communities they serve?
- What kinds of social programs or services do they think churches provide beyond spiritual services?
- Contextualization: Provide an overview of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, emphasizing its historical roots in the African American struggle for freedom and community. Discuss its growth and spread, particularly in urban and rural settings across the United States. Highlight key social movements led or supported by AME churches, such as education, civil rights, and economic empowerment.
Instructor-Led Demonstration (15 Minutes)
- Digital Database Overview:
- Demonstrate how to access and navigate the digital database of AME churches. Show participants how to search for specific churches by location, history, or social programs.
- Point out key features of the database, such as details on outreach programs, church demographics, key historical events, and community partnerships.
- Example: Walk participants through finding a church in a specific area (e.g., a church in Harlem, New York) and examining its social involvement (e.g., youth programs, voter registration drives, healthcare outreach).
- Example Analysis:
- Use a case study from the database to analyze how an AME church has impacted its community. For instance, show a church that ran educational programs for freed African Americans in the early 20th century or a church that helped organize civil rights protests in the 1960s.
- Discuss with the group: How did these initiatives benefit the community? What was the broader social impact of these programs?
Hands-On Activity: Community Impact Exploration (45 Minutes)
- Instructions for Participants:
- Divide participants into small groups or pairs, depending on the number of computers available.
- Assign each group a specific region or AME church to explore in the digital database. Ask them to look for information on the church’s involvement in the following areas:
- Social Services: Does the church run or support any social programs like food banks, homeless shelters, or after-school programs?
- Education: Has the church been involved in establishing schools, tutoring programs, or scholarships?
- Economic Empowerment: What role does the church play in local economic development (e.g., job training, business incubators, micro-loans)?
- Social Justice: Has the church been involved in civil rights, voter mobilization, or community activism?
- Cultural Impact: How has the church influenced local culture, such as music, arts, and cultural events?
- Analysis and Documentation:
- Ask each group to record their findings and make note of any significant programs or community contributions linked to their assigned church.
- Encourage groups to consider the long-term impact of these programs on the local community (e.g., lasting educational benefits, ongoing civil rights work, or community cohesion).
Group Presentations and Discussion (30 Minutes)
- Group Presentations: Each group will present their findings to the rest of the class. They should include:
- The name and location of the AME church they researched.
- Key social programs and community initiatives run or supported by the church.
- A discussion of how these initiatives have impacted or changed the community, both short- and long-term.
- Class Discussion: After each presentation, facilitate a class discussion on the common themes across churches.
- What types of social programs are most common across different AME churches?
- How do the historical and geographic contexts of different regions influence the types of social services offered by the church?
- Are there notable differences in how AME churches contribute to community development in urban vs. rural settings?
- How does the church’s role extend beyond religious practices to influence broader social change?
Wrap-Up and Reflection (15 Minutes)
- Reflection Prompt: Ask participants to consider their own experiences with religious institutions or community organizations.
- How have churches in their own communities contributed to social change or community development?
- Do they think the role of churches in social change has evolved over time? If so, how?
- Closing Thought: Summarize the key points from the lesson:
- AME churches have historically been pivotal in community development, education, social justice, and cultural preservation.
- The ongoing role of AME churches in shaping and supporting communities can be observed through their social programs and activism, especially in marginalized neighborhoods.
- Encourage participants to think about how they can contribute to their own communities, inspired by the work of AME churches.
Assessment:
- Formative Assessment: Participation in group discussions, map analysis, and presentations.
- Summative Assessment: A short reflection paper (1-2 pages) in which participants discuss the social impact of the AME church on the community they researched. They should reflect on the church’s role in shaping local society and compare its contributions to other religious or community institutions.
Homework/Extension Activities:
- Research Assignment: Ask participants to research an AME church in their own community or a community they are familiar with. They should investigate the church’s current social programs and its historical role in the community.
- Field Visit: If feasible, encourage participants to visit an AME church in their area to observe its community involvement firsthand and speak with church leaders or members about their social initiatives.
This lesson plan focuses on using a digital database to engage adult learners in a deep dive into the social impact of AME churches. By analyzing real-world examples of community contributions, participants can better appreciate the church’s evolving role in social change and consider the ways in which faith-based institutions continue to shape their local environments.