Skip to main content.

The MSU Museum is starting an 18-month renovation project on July 1, 2024. During the temporary building closure, the Museum will continue facilitating and creating experiences at the nexus of the arts, sciences, cultures, and technologies.

Museum is closed

Honor in Action Curriculum

The “Honor in Action: Celebrating the Community History of Detroit’s Black Bottom Neighborhood” curriculum, produced by Michigan State University Museum, is an educational guide focused on teaching students about Detroit’s historically significant Black Bottom neighborhood. This curriculum aims to highlight the concept of “honoring” as seen through various lenses, including historical artifacts, personal stories, poetry, and photographs. 

Download

Key Components: 

  1. Central Lesson – The Detroit Signature Quilt: 
  • The curriculum’s primary lesson centers on the “Detroit Signature Quilt,” a quilt created in the 1950s by Black women in Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood. This artifact serves as a focal point for understanding how community members honored one another. 
  • Students analyze the quilt to explore themes of memory, community, and collective honoring through objects. 
  1. Supplementary Lessons: 
  • Poetry: Students study Marsha Music’s poem, “The Bottom, The Valley and Hastings St. – An Elegy In Rhyme,” which reflects on the neighborhood’s legacy. 
  • Oral Histories: In this lesson, students engage with personal narratives to understand the lived experiences and memories of Black Bottom residents. 
  • Photography: Students analyze historical photographs to deepen their understanding of the neighborhood’s community life and urban landscape. 
  1. Educational Goals: 
  • Cultural and Social Understanding: Students learn the importance of community, memory, and honoring history. 
  • Critical Thinking and Analysis: The curriculum encourages analysis of primary sources like quilts, oral histories, and poetry, promoting inquiry-based learning and historical interpretation. 
  1. Integration with Michigan Standards: 
  • The curriculum aligns with Michigan’s Social Studies, Visual Arts, and English Language Arts standards, as well as Social Justice and Social-Emotional Learning competencies, making it versatile for use in multiple educational contexts. 
  1. Accessibility and Flexibility: 
  • Designed for accessibility, the materials include options for digital and tactile interaction, accommodating various learning needs. 

Objectives: 

The curriculum aims to foster a connection to history, encouraging students to explore honoring practices in both historical and modern contexts. Through engaging with the rich history of Black Bottom, students are inspired to consider how they can honor individuals and communities in their own lives.