TeachersFirst's Black History Resources
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Black History Month, held in February in the United States, is a celebration of the many achievements of African-Americans. Although it started in the United States it is now celebrated throughout the world and not limited to the month of February. This curated collection includes teaching ideas, biographies, interactive sites, research materials, and more to learn about the pivotal roles that African-Americans have had in history and continue to have today. Find inspiration and resources to share with students related to historical time periods, famous figures, and much more.
View our entire collection of tagged resources for Black History.
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Ruby Bridges: Connecting Lives - Scholastic
Grades
5 to 8
tag(s): african american (94), black history (81), civil rights (140), racism (58)
In the Classroom
Follow the directions to have your class build suspension bridges, individually or in pairs. Have students create an online book of images and captions about Ruby Bridges using Pixabay, reviewed here, for the images and Book Creator, reviewed here, to make the book. This activity could be an alternative to the hand written double entry journal. Challenge your students to use a site such as Preceden, reviewed here, to create an interactive timeline with event spans that can overlap each other and create a greater understanding of how events can influence other events in Ruby Bridges' life.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Nelson Mandela - Facts - Nobel Media
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): 1960s (29), 1970s (11), 1980s (9), 20th century (48), biographies (87), black history (81), civil rights (140), heroes (20), south africa (11)
In the Classroom
Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. This site is perfect to include with Black History Month activities or in a unit on Civil Rights leaders. Have students create a simple infographic with words used to describe Mandela sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle (reviewed here), Tagxedo (reviewed here), or WordItOut (reviewed here). Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare South Africa at the time of Mandela's arrest to current South Africa. Have students use Fakebook (reviewed here) to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Mandela during his time in prison or after his release.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Enslaved Africans - Our Truth - International Slavery Museum, Liverpool England
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): africa (140), black history (81), cross cultural understanding (138), slavery (52)
In the Classroom
View this site together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. It would be an interesting counterpoint if your class is reading Paula Fox's The Slave Dancer, even though the time frame is not identical. Allow students to explore on their own. Engage students by challenging cooperative groups to read a specific "journey." Then have them blog about what was the biggest surprise in the story? What did they already know about slavery? Use a blogging tool such as Telegra.ph, reviewed here. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration. Enhance student learning by having groups use a mapping tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of slavery voyages. They can even include audio "stories" and pictures.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Brown Bookshelf - Paula Chase-Hyman
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): african american (94), black history (81), book lists (121), civil rights (140), literature (218), preK (242)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year, not just during Black History Month. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore and find books for reading. Share this link on your class website or blog for students to use at home. Showcase books found on this site for classroom read alouds. Librarians will find this site helpful for creating displays in their library or for presentations in classrooms. Enhance student learning by having students create commercials for books found on this site using a tool like Powtoon, reviewed here, or Biteable, reviewed here, and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade - Emory University
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (140), black history (81), slavery (52)
In the Classroom
If you are teaching a course that covers the African slave trade, this site will be invaluable. Take some time to browse the interactive maps and timelines, look through the lesson plans, and find images that can be used to supplement reading and discussion. Discover the glossary of terms that could be used for vocabulary work, the tables of information useful for teaching data analysis, and the African name database for genealogy research. Challenge cooperative learning groups to research a specific section of this site and create multimedia presentations. Try Thinglink, reviewed here, to enhance or extend student learning. This site allows you to narrate a picture. Enhance student learning by asking students to upload a copyright-safe photo, and then narrate as if it were a news report using Headline Generator, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Rosa Parks: How I Fought for Civil Rights - Scholastic
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): black history (81), civil rights (140), martin luther king (32), rosa parks (5), tolerance (9), women (101)
In the Classroom
Spark your students' interest in how one brave individual changed history by not giving up her bus seat to a white passenger. Whether you are doing a unit on people who make a difference, civil rights, tolerance, or studying women and events in history, this self-contained website provides resources and materials that you can display on your classroom whiteboard (or with a projector). Involve students in using the interactive links to enhance learning and springboard discussions on what still needs to be done in regards to acceptance and embracing racial, ethnic, and cultural differences. Use an online tool like The Interactive Three-Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast discrimination in our country then with similar challenges we face today, and what still needs to be accomplished for a better tomorrow. Broaden the concepts to include that even when we are brave and have courage, change doesn't come about immediately; it takes time and continued perseverance. Culminate the unit with a writing prompt for students to reflect on and explain: Have you ever faced something that you thought you couldn't stand up to?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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By Popular Demand: Jackie and other Baseball Highlights 1860s-1960s - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (140), african american (94), baseball (31)
In the Classroom
Provide your students with this website and a good 20-minutes of exploration time. Then, have your class write journal entries through the eyes of the African-American baseball stars. Or divide up the class into cooperative learning groups. Have each group research a specific time period and share their finding with the class.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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A People's Journey, A Nation's Story - African American History and Culture - Smithsonian
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): africa (140), african american (94), black history (81)
In the Classroom
This site is a great tool for individual research, add this site to your teacher web page so students can access it from home. Replace paper and pencil and use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare information from different time periods or locations in the United States. Enhance learning by having cooperative learning groups create podcasts providing information about African-American life throughout the years, or as a newscast from one particular time or event. Use a site such as podOmatic, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Black Wings: African American Pioneer Aviators - Smithsonian- National Air and Space Museum
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): africa (140), african american (94), black history (81)
In the Classroom
Use this one as part of reading comprehension practice and find that your students are actually interested in what they read. Have students create projects about their favorite aviator or aircraft on a poster, in a PowerPoint presentation, or using Inspiration software.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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