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Celebrate Black History
#r12socstud **Special Edition**
An American History
Within this document are a wide variety of resources to engage students in conversation and deep thinking about a variety of Americans who have contributed to the historical narrative of black history.
Resources from PearDeck
Elementary (Kinder-5th)
Resources from Common Sense Media
Black Americans are opera singers, race car drivers, speed skaters, dancers, inventors, and presidents. American history is full of the contributions of Black Americans, and this is the perfect time to help students learn more about them.
As a fun exercise, encourage your students to do some research on Black achievements that go beyond the typical Black History Month stars. For inspiration, consider our article Free Learning Resources for Black History Month (And Beyond), where we've curated an abundance of resources to help you expand the definition of Black history in your classroom. Be sure to check out the full list linked above, but here are just a few standouts:
- Join Sesame Studios to fly up and away as you find out about the first Black pilots. What would it be like to build and fly your own plane? (Grades pre-K–2)
- From the New York Historical Society, delve into the extraordinary life of Harlem Renaissance sculptor and gallerist Augusta Savage. (Grades 3–5)
- From The Kids Should See This, find inspiration in this resource about science educator and graduate student Adania Flemming. Or discover the trailblazing accomplishments of Matthew Henson, who broke boundaries as an Arctic explorer and African American. (Grades 3–8)
- Get lost in this gold mine of in-depth and highly accessible video interviews and biographies of notable African American people on The History Makers site. (3-12)
It's important that Black students see themselves represented in as many different ways as possible. And it's important for non-Black students to expand their knowledge and perspective about the contributions of Black Americans to our country's history. Representation matters because it fuels student success.
Top 10 Black History Month Videos for Elementary Students
Picture Books to Celebrate Black History
Newsela Articles
Colors of innovation: A history of African-American inventors
"Betty Before X" tells the story of civil rights leader Betty Shabazz
African-Americans were always ready to fight for their country
Upper Grades (6th-12th)
DBQ: Digging into Black History Month's History (1937–2019)
Resource from Actively Learn
Three sources give students insight into the father of Black History Month and his approach to black history. Then, three sources give insight into modern voices on the state of black history in the U.S. today. Link Here
Primary Source Sets from Library of Congress
The Harlem Renaissance
Jim Crow and Segregation
Learn About the Art of Stepping
Stepping is a form of dancing in which the body itself is used to create unique rhythms and sounds. The website Step Afrika! has videos and information about the history of stepping.
Jessica Torres
Continuous Improvement Liaison
Social Studies Content Specialist
ESC Region 12
#r12socstud
Email: jtorres@esc12.net
Website: https://www.esc12.net/page/ge_socialstudies
Location: ESC Region 12, West Loop 340, Waco, TX, USA
Phone: (254) 297-1284
Twitter: @owl_b_torresedu