Hi everyone today is the first day of Black History Month, so to help you integrate Black History Month into your classroom, I offer a selection of lesson plans that cover a variety of subjects, and that can be adapted to fit grades K-12.
LESSON PLANS
Lessons, activities, and resources for grades K-5.
Students in grades 6-8 investigate both genetic and societal consequences of the often-artificial and evolving classifications of race and ethnicity. Student and teacher materials are included.
In this unit, students in grades 9-12 examine several hypotheses about the development of African American English (AAE), consider how AAE has been treated in schools, and analyze the influential role of AAE in modern culture and society.
Variation in Human Skin Color
Students in grades 9-12 explore factors controlling human skin color variation and how perceived racial differences affect human society. Student and teacher materials are included.
Students in grades 9-12 explore factors controlling human skin color variation and how perceived racial differences affect human society. Student and teacher materials are included.
ACTIVITIES
Smithsonian Jazz Mixer
Students in grades K-12 can explore a jazz timeline, world map, and a virtual mixer that lets them listen and observe the elements of jazz.
Culture & Change: Black History in America
Students in grades 3-4 can read about Rosa Parks, Melba Pattillo, and ten African American men and women and their inventions. They can view an interview with author Christopher Paul Curtis and listen to a history of jazz with Wynton Marsalis, and take a virtual journey on the Underground Railroad.
Students in grades K-12 can explore a jazz timeline, world map, and a virtual mixer that lets them listen and observe the elements of jazz.
Culture & Change: Black History in America
Students in grades 3-4 can read about Rosa Parks, Melba Pattillo, and ten African American men and women and their inventions. They can view an interview with author Christopher Paul Curtis and listen to a history of jazz with Wynton Marsalis, and take a virtual journey on the Underground Railroad.
SOCIAL STUDIES
African American History Month Exhibits & Collections
Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.
Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.
EDSITEment's Guide to Black History Month Teaching Resources
Investigate the contributions African Americans have made in the history and cultural development of the United States.
Investigate the contributions African Americans have made in the history and cultural development of the United States.
Africans in America
Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teachers and youth guides. The four part series may be in local libraries.
Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teachers and youth guides. The four part series may be in local libraries.
African American World for Kids
Games, e-cards, and KidTalk.
Games, e-cards, and KidTalk.
Black History - Biography - Celebrate Black History Month & People
Biographies, timelines, photos, video, game, quiz, and 101 fast facts.
Biographies, timelines, photos, video, game, quiz, and 101 fast facts.
ARTS
Poems to Celebrate Black History Month
Poems and articles by African-Americans.
Poems and articles by African-Americans.
Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
Online activities and biographies, transcripts of many interviews with musicians, K-12 lesson plans, and a music study guide for grades 5-8.
Online activities and biographies, transcripts of many interviews with musicians, K-12 lesson plans, and a music study guide for grades 5-8.
Jazz in Time
Students in grades 5-12 can read this interactive timeline about the development of jazz (about 30 minutes) and listen to imbedded audio clips.
Students in grades 5-12 can read this interactive timeline about the development of jazz (about 30 minutes) and listen to imbedded audio clips.
The History of Hip-Hop
A collection of interviews from National Public Radio (NPR) that chronicle the seminal people and events in the hip-hop movement.
A collection of interviews from National Public Radio (NPR) that chronicle the seminal people and events in the hip-hop movement.
African American Visual Art and the Black Arts Movement
The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in the mid-1960s to provide a new vision of African Americans. This site provides images galleries a theoretical essay, a timeline, and links to other online art sources. Note: the top banner links are dead but the bottom links are functional.
The Black Arts Movement (BAM) began in the mid-1960s to provide a new vision of African Americans. This site provides images galleries a theoretical essay, a timeline, and links to other online art sources. Note: the top banner links are dead but the bottom links are functional.
Gordon Parks
A brief look at the life and work of Gordon Parks, a novelist poet, painter, composer, pianist, and photographer. The site includes a brief biography, image gallery, and interview video clips.
A brief look at the life and work of Gordon Parks, a novelist poet, painter, composer, pianist, and photographer. The site includes a brief biography, image gallery, and interview video clips.
The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed
African American History by region.
African American History by region.
SCIENCE
African Americans in Science and Technology
Links from the Library of Congress.
Links from the Library of Congress.
African American Inventors
Brief biographies of African American inventors.
Brief biographies of African American inventors.
SPORT
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum: Electronic Resources for Teachers
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources, including lessons for grades 9-12.
Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball there was Negro League Baseball. This site features history, a timeline, photos, and teacher resources, including lessons for grades 9-12.
African American Athletes
Brief biographies and film clips of outstanding African American athletes. Don’t miss the links to legal and political figures, scientists and educators, activists, artists and writers, entertainers, and musicians and singers.
Brief biographies and film clips of outstanding African American athletes. Don’t miss the links to legal and political figures, scientists and educators, activists, artists and writers, entertainers, and musicians and singers.
Quizzes
- Civil Rights Heroes Quiz
- The Internet African American History Challenge
Three quiz levels with 7-10 questions - Quizzes and Crosswords
Printables
- Timeline (Separate Is Not Equal)
A timeline of segregationist laws and court rulings. - African Americans in Science
- Word Search and Crossword
- Timelines, Quizzes, Coloring Pages, and Activity Books
Audio & Video
AUDIO
Science Update: Spotlight on African-American Scientists
Students in grades 6-12 can listen to interviews with a select group of black scientists working in North America today.
Students in grades 6-12 can listen to interviews with a select group of black scientists working in North America today.
Blues Journey (23:17 minutes)
This four part audio series explores the history of the blues.VIDEO
Legacy: Black and White in America
Compares African-American life today and that of the Civil Rights generation.
Compares African-American life today and that of the Civil Rights generation.
Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (68 minutes)
Considered the oldest black neighborhood in America, Faubourg Tremé is the origin of the southern civil rights movement and the birthplace of jazz.
Considered the oldest black neighborhood in America, Faubourg Tremé is the origin of the southern civil rights movement and the birthplace of jazz.
This website features clips from the series, background on the research, scholarship, and science, and resources for people to trace their own family history.
