Black History: A Brief History

This look at Black History Month is layered with engaging activities that not only educate students on why we have Black History Month, but it also gives them several opportunities to explore additional topics that have impacted Black lives.

The Purpose:

The purpose of this activity is to help students better understand the history and reason for Black History Month. Students will use critical thinking skills, make connections to what they have learned in history, and research a variety of topics.

The activities can be used for students from 5th – 12th grade.

What’s Included:

➢ 1 Pre-reading activity: This activity was created to help students gauge what they already know about Black History. This will better help students understand the importance of Black History Month.

➢ 1 Informational Text Passage: The passage explains the reason for Black History Month and how it has grown.

➢ 4 Discussion Questions: These questions can be answered independently, and THEN used for discussion, or the class can simply discuss them without student preparation.

➢ 4 Tasks (PDF, Google Doc, AND Google Slides)

* Task 1 allows students to gain a better understanding of Carter G. Woodson through research.

* Task 2 requires students to use the internet to complete a Google search. In the passage, there are bolded and highlighted terms. Students may choose one of these terms to research, OR the teacher can assign small groups of students different topics, and the class can share out what they have learned. This will help students gain a deeper understanding of the topics.

* Task 3 requires students to use the internet to research infographics about Black History Month. Infographics give students visuals with facts and statistics. Students choose 3 different infographics to review and choose facts and statistics to examine.

* Task 4 requires students to analyze a quote and evaluate its relevance.