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Classroom · Grades 8–12

Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells used evidence, much of it drawn from white newspapers, to prove that lynching was organized terror rather than punishment for crime.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 8–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 5 (Individuals, Groups, and Institutions) and 10 (Civic Ideals and Practices); C3 D2.His.16.9-12, D4.1.9-12
Reading
Ida B. Wells (profile)

Big Idea

Ida B. Wells used evidence, much of it drawn from white newspapers, to prove that lynching was organized terror rather than punishment for crime.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Ida B. Wells, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. Why did Wells build her case largely from reports in white newspapers? What made that method persuasive?
  2. How did the murder of Thomas Moss and his partners change the direction of Wells’s work?
  3. What risks did Wells take by publishing her findings, and what did she lose as a result?
  4. Wells refused to march in a segregated section of the 1913 suffrage parade. What does that choice show about the relationship between the suffrage movement and Black women?

Activity

Students read the preface and first chapter of Southern Horrors in our library, then examine one of the tables in A Red Record. In small groups (25–40 minutes), they identify the claim Wells sets out to disprove, the kinds of evidence she uses, and how she answers likely objections. Each group writes a short paragraph explaining why her approach has been called an early form of data journalism, and the class discusses how journalists today use similar methods to investigate injustice.

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: Ida B. Wells.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/ida-b-wells/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Ida B. Wells. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/ida-b-wells/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Ida B. Wells.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/ida-b-wells/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

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