![]() Celebrate African American History MonthFebruary is the perfect time to honor and celebrate famous African Americans. Discover interactives, lesson plans, videos, and more in this week's featured sites! Grades K-12Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black HistoryThis easy-to-follow list offers simple ideas and guidelines for making Black history lessons meaningful and relevant. Use the information in the article as a guideline for teaching Black history throughout the year. Grades 2-5Biographies with BrainPOP Jr. - Rosa ParksTeach early elementary learners about civil rights activist Rosa Parks using this mini unit. The site includes a short, engaging video, comprehension quizzes, an interactive mind map creator, writing and drawing prompts, and discussion topics. Grades 4-12African American ArtistsExplore an extensive collection of African American art provided by the National Gallery of Art. This collection includes works in a variety of mediums, including photographs, sculptures, and paintings. Click to view a summary of the work to learn more. Grades 4-12National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection StoriesThese captivating stories focus on items from historical events and famous people. Use the search bar to find titles like “Dress for the Occasion” where you can view the dress Carlotta Walls wore on her first day at Little Rock Central High School. Grades 5-12Freedom's RingFreedom's Ring is an interactive website that provides an immersive multimedia experience that gives students an in-depth look into the civil rights period of American history. Students can also explore Dr. King’s famous speech. Grades 6-12Unpublished Black HistoryBrowse unpublished images from The New York Times’s archives (including short background information about the picture's subject) published daily during Black History Month. Share the photos daily at the start of class. Grades 6-12Black History MonthCheck out the featured activity, a lesson plan that explores the role of artists and artwork in the civil rights movement. Primary source documents serve as the basis for the learning activities. Grades 6-1234 Highly Influential African-American ScientistsScroll through this list to learn about a pioneering ophthalmologist, a woman physicist who advanced the field of telecommunications, a physician who developed a tool for use with gastric biopsies, and more. Each entry includes biographical information. Grades 6-12Black History Milestones: TimelineLearn about important events in Black history in the United States, starting with the arrival of 20 enslaved people brought to the British colony of Virginia in 1619 and continuing through present times. This timeline updates frequently, so check back. Grades 6-12Mary McLeod BethuneUsing an excerpt from an interview with Mary McLeod Bethune, this lesson guides students through an exploration of Bethune's life and comparisons to their own life experiences. This lesson also includes extension activities and prompts. Grades 7-12Celebrating Black History Month - CollectionPeruse this excellent collection of poems, articles, and podcasts to help you discover African American history and culture. Find poems and podcasts from Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, Gwendolyn Brooks, and many others. Grades 8-12Gertrude 'Ma' Rainey - Ma Rainey's Black BottomShare Ma Rainey's song "Black Bottom" with your students. The song is set in 1920s Chicago and deals with themes of Black art and culture, racial tension, and power. This was the theme song for August Wilson's play in 1982 and a Netflix movie. Grades 8-12The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights MovementIntegrate this lesson into your teaching about civil rights, freedom fighters, or the 1960s to engage students in learning about this period through music. This lesson plan includes six teaching activities that focus on civil rights activists. Grades 8-12The Sojourner Truth ProjectExplore the different versions and background behind changes in Sojourner Truth's 1851 "Aint I a Woman?" speech. The most well-known version of the speech was modified in 1863 and misrepresents the original speech’s words and intentions. This Week at TeachersFirstEngage in professional learning this week during an upcoming OK2Ask virtual workshop, our bimonthly Twitter chat, and on our Infusing Technology blog. Stop by and say hello if you're attending the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference and remember to give your input in our weekly poll!
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