Black History Month

Black History Month Lesson Plans and Units

Units on Famous African Americans

A Mini Unit on George Washington Carver

A Mini Unit on Frederick Douglass

A Mini Unit on Rosa Parks

A Mini Unit on Sojourner Truth

A Mini Unit on Harriet Tubman

Slavery

Harriet Tubman/The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad from Teachervision
Students will use vocabulary related to the Underground Railroad. Students will identify key facts related to the Underground Railroad.

Slavery and the Civil War

The U.S. Civil War
This lesson is intended to help students understand some of the problems America went through before becoming a great nation. It is the hope of the authors that the students will be able to assess the causes of the war and form their own conclusions.

Frederick Douglass

Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King Jr.

Critical Thinking
The following is designed as an independent lesson to foster critical thinking over Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.

MLK and Rosa Parks First Grade
1. understand how Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out for civil rights and led protests and marches demanding fair laws for all people. 2. understand Rev. King's dream of a world free of hate, prejudice, and violence. 3. understand that Rosa Parks was a courageous African-American woman whose action resulted in a change of rules and a victory for all people.

Using the Internet To Study: "I Have A Dream"
In this lesson students will learn more about who MLK was, what many of his contributions to society were and why those contributions were important.

Martin Luther King Jr.
The students will recognize the chronology of Martin Luther King's life. The students will have an understanding of the Jim Crow laws. The students will become familiar with the speech "I Have a Dream."

Happy Birthday MLK
Just in time to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday -- activities across the grades for learning about the life of the famous civil rights leader!

Civil Rights: Other

Have minorities Gained Acceptance
Students will have spent about four weeks studying the topics listed above. We wanted them to find out if the civil rights movement, court cases, and congressional actions have caused Blacks to be accepted in the mainstream of American life.

Question 3:
In what ways did the Civil Rights movement change the lives of African Americans?

Resource 1: Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Future of America
Resource 2: Civil Rights: Before and After Chart
Resource 3: Civil Rights: Before and After Chart-Teacher Guide
Resource 4: Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream"
Resource 5: Malcolm X: An Alternate Dream
Resource 6: Black Panther Party: An Alternate Dream
Resource 7: The Unfulfilled Dream
Resource 8: Civil Rights: Your Dream for the Future

Civil Rights Movement
In what ways did the Civil Rights movement change the lives of African Americans?

The Civil Rights Movement Begins
Understand that long after the Civil War was over many African-American people were not allowed to do things that everyone else could do. Recognize the importance of some leaders that emerged to help encourage African- American people to struggle for the freedoms they were entitled to.

History

Teaching with Historic Places: African American History To commemorate African American History Month, Teaching with Historic Places posted on the web the following four complete lesson plans that consider important aspects of Black history.

When Rice Was King
Investigate early rice plantations in Georgetown, South Carolina, to learn how rice cultivation transformed the native environment and promoted the South's dependence on a plantation economy.
The Old Courthouse in St. Louis: Yesterday and Today
Compare two images of St. Louis's handsome Courthouse--as a gathering place for pioneers heading west and as a dramatic focus for Dred Scott's heroic efforts to free his family from slavery.
Iron Hill School: An African-American One Room School
Discover how an early 20th-century philanthropist reformed Delaware's education system for African-American children.
Chicago's Black Metropolis: Understanding History through a Historic Place
Examine the history of this "city-within-a-city," a self-supporting African-American community that prospered from the late 19th century until the 1930s.

A Walk Through History - In Honor of Black Americans
In observance of Black History Month, students will research the lives of African Americans who have made special contributions to American life and society. The students will write a short biography highlighting the person's contribution. In addition, the students will create a monument in honor of the individual

African American Myths and Stereotypes in the Media

Write a letter to Jesse Owens
Student will learn about the accomplishments of Jesse Owens. Students will learn about the views of the Nazi Party and the state of the Civil Rights movement in America in 1936.

Black History Internet Resources

Black History Page
Many articles essays and resources

Black History: Exploring African American Issues on the Web

Afro-American Almanac

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Black History Interactive Whiteboard Resources

Black History Month Jeopardy Powerpoint

50 Events That Changed Black America Powerpoint

Buffalo Soldiers - A Tribute in Art Powerpoint

The Underground Railroad - Escape from Slavery Powerpoint

Black History Month Powerpoint

The Road Not Taken - Reflections on African-American History Powerpoint

Black History Webquests

Black History Month Webquests