"We cannot create what we can't imagine"
-Lucille Clifton
Dr. Ali-Coleman is currently an Associate Professor of English at Coppin State University. From 2011 until the COVID-19 global quarantine in 2020, Dr. Ali-Coleman served as teaching faculty, teaching Communication Studies and Fine and Performing Arts courses at area community colleges and universities, including Northern Virginia Community College, Prince George's Community College, Community College of Baltimore County, Morgan State University and Montgomery College. She won numerous grant awards for her work as an instructor, including a 2015 Prince George's Community College Foundation Impact Grant which allowed her to implement the Mid-Atlantic Communication and Media Arts conference. This led to her later creating the brand StudentMediaOnline.com. In 2022, she served as teaching faculty at the University of Maryland in the English department's Professional Writing Program.
In addition to her work as a college professor, she has taught youth in grades P-12 as well as children and adults in non-traditional learning spaces.
Sharing Knowledge...
Teaching Artist, Curator & Scholar
Dr. Ali-Coleman served from 2019-2020 Scholar-in-Residence at Prince George’s County African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) where she also served as a teaching artist. She curated and presented her family history and that of four other families through the exhibit Flying Towards Freedom during her time at PGAAMCC.
As a teaching artist, she worked with students at Annapolis Road Academy Alternative High School. Annapolis Road Academy is one of two alternative academy programs in Prince George's County, MD with a primary focus on students in grades 9 through 10 who are experiencing behavioral and attendance concerns in the regular classroom setting. Dr. Ali-Coleman used a multi-disciplinary approach with the students, teaching the history of the Piscataway native people of Maryland and the Guinea people of Africa and their early existence in Maryland during colonial times. Using the drum as a centerpiece for learning and arts creation, she led the children in activities centered on identity, culture and communication, executed through designing drums and crafting spoken word pieces. She also facilitated a tribal drum workshop for families in the museum during the Kwanzaa season.
She has designed curricula for parents, educators and organizations in various subjects.
Homeschooling Research & Community Work
Dr. Ali-Coleman homeschooled her own daughter off and on for 13 years in addition to being a researcher on homeschooling in the Black community. Her doctoral dissertation research was published in 2020 and is titled, Dual Enrolled African American Homeschooled Students' Perceptions of Preparedness for Community College. She crafted a short film about her homeschooling experience and her research that was featured in the 5th annual Black Sustainability Summit. Click the button below to watch.
Learn more HERE about her education group Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC and the companion resource group for parents.
Teaching Guides/Lesson Plans
Please feel free to use the curriculum guides below within your learning environment. However, please credit use and do not use as public workshop.
SING THE HEART OF THE MAGIC:
A Jennifer L. Nelson Story
Teaching Guide
written and designed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
Jennifer L. Nelson is a two-time Helen Hayes Award-winner who empowered people of all walks of life, transforming the DC arts community she called home for over 40 years. She launched the careers of numerous working performers while being a pioneer in hip-hop theater by producing one of the United States' first hip-hop theater festivals at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This documentary is a sacred tribute to Jennifer L. Nelson and features the artists, directors, and theater company runners who worked with her over the years, recounting the impact she had on the DC theater community and the world at-large. The documentary is executive produced by Marilyn Nelson and directed by Alan W. King.
The accompanying teaching guide was developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D.
If you decide to implement this FREE lesson plan, give a shout-out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Additional Links for Teachers to Learn More Information:
The 5 Principles of Social Impact
Theatre of the Oppressed
Living Stage Theatre in DC
Interview with Jennifer L. Nelson about Living Stage Theatre
Toni Blackman and Mikal Lee on Rap and Improvisation
Article about Jennifer Nelson-1
Article about Jennifer Nelson-2
Article about Jennifer Nelson-3
The SING THE HEART OF THE MAGIC: A Jennifer L. Nelson Story Teacher’s Guide is designed to fully engage students in understanding the rich community-based work and social impact of theatre producer, director and actor Jennifer L. Nelson while also learning about important social justice concepts and terms.
The plans are flexible and can be easily adapted for middle school, high school and college students.
The lesson plans have been developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. and based on the documentary short film (above) SING THE HEART OF THE MAGIC: A Jennifer L. Nelson Story, directed by Alan W. King and narrated & executive produced by Marilyn Nelson.
Lesson #1: What is Your Social Impact?
Lesson #2: Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) and Theatre for Social Change
Lesson #3: Hip Hop Theatre
DOWNLOAD ALL THREE LESSONS AS A PDF
The Drum and Maracas:
Learning about Musical Instruments in African-American History
TEACHING GUIDE
written and designed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
This interactive lesson plan was commissioned by the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center and developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. in 2019.
The lesson was originally designed for children in grades P-4 but can be modified for older children. This lesson plan is interdisciplinary and is useful for study of history, art, social studies, and language arts.
If you decide to implement this FREE lesson plan, give a shout-out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Intended Outcomes:
- Students will identify the djembe drum from West Africa.
- Students will explain how the drum was used before African people were brought to the United States.
- Students will explain how the drum was used once arriving in America.
- Students will be able to identify a buffalo drum used by the Piscataway people who lived in Prince George’s County before colonization.
- Students will read the book Mariah’s Maracas and instruments from the African diaspora.
Download the PDF
Resources for Teacher to build knowledge base:
- Capital News Service coverage of Piscataway Native people: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=komwUPOlcco) (2nd-5th grade teachers)
- Ghana and the Djembe drum: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/exploreorg/00000144-0a36-d3cb-a96c-7b3f7f180000 (pretty awesome video to show your students)
- Maracas are descendants of the West African Kashaka. Watch a video about Kashakas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3G-F1sN_MA (this is pretty awesome and may be great to show the students)
My Places and Spaces:
Learning about Neighborhoods and Community
TEACHING GUIDE
written and designed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
This interactive lesson plan was commissioned by the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center and developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. in 2019. This activity focuses on the Maryland county of Prince George's County, Md, but can be personalized to fit the needs of the learners and made relevant to their own community.
The lesson was originally designed for children in grades 2-5 but can be modified for older children. This lesson plan is interdisciplinary and is useful for study of history, art, social studies, and language arts. If you decide to implement this FREE lesson plan, give a shout-out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Intended Outcomes:
- Students will define the word “community’ and the word ‘neighborhood”, demonstrating an understanding of the ways the words are similar and different.
- Students will identify the people in their community.
- Students will identify the places in their neighborhood.
- 2-5th grade students will be able to identify Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks and articulate who she is and what she does.
- 2-5th grade students will be able to describe in a letter what are the ways they would like to improve their communities.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF
Sharing Our Dreams
TEACHING GUIDE
written and designed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
This interactive lesson plan was commissioned by the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center and developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. in 2019. Using the book Corey's Dreams by Aziza M., the activity breaks a large concept like goal-setting down into accessible moments where learners can identify and then reflect on their own dreams.
The lesson was originally designed for children in preschool and kindergarten, but can be modified for older children. This lesson plan is interdisciplinary and is useful for study of art, social skills, and language arts.
If you decide to implement this FREE lesson plan, give a shout-out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Intended Outcomes:
- Students will define a dream as a goal or hope that you have for yourself that you would like to happen during your lifetime.
- Students will create a poem that lists at least one dream they have for themselves.
- Students will read the book Corey’s Dreams by Aziza M.
DOWNLOAD THE PDF
StoryQuilting
TEACHING GUIDE
written and designed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman
This interactive lesson plan was commissioned by the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center and developed by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. in 2019.
StoryQuilting is an interactive fun exercise that Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman developed in 2006 to help teach her young daughter how to read. Intergrating arts and crafts into a storytelling event, this activity is an opportunity to introduce new concepts, build a love of storytelling and give emerging readers and spellers access to the written word through arts and crafts. The lesson was originally designed for children in grades P-4 but can be modified for older children. This lesson plan is interdisciplinary and is useful for study of history, art, social studies, and language arts.
If you decide to implement this FREE lesson plan, give a shout-out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!
Intended Outcomes:
- Students will design quilt squares out of construction paper that tell a personal story.
- Students will read Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold.
- Students will create a story quilt out of the individual quilt squares they design.