-
Step 1
Begin your black history lesson plan with the topic of slavery. Introduce slave narratives so the kids can understand what it was really like during those times.
-
Step 2
Teach the kids about the Civil Rights Movement. Begin with Rosa Parks and talk about what segregation was like at that time. Make the lessons come alive with pictures, documentaries and audio files.
-
Step 3
Spend some time talking about Martin Luther King and his accomplishments. Have younger kids write poems and draw pictures based on a quote from one of his speeches. Have older kids write essays about how his work influences America today.
-
Step 4
Play CDs of jazz, soul, blues and gospel in the classroom so kids can understand the influence of black history on these musical forms. Pick a well-known musician in each category and discuss his life and how it reflects the issues African Americans had and still have to face.
-
Step 5
Show the kids art created by African Americans. Talk about the influence of black history on these artists. You can, if you wish, focus on the Harlem Renaissance and its influence on American art at the time.
-
Step 6
Take the students on a field trip to make black history more vivid. The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site in Atlanta and the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, D.C., for example, are great places to take the kids.
-
Step 7
Tap into online resources for lesson plan ideas. Type "Black History Month" in the search box on the Teacher Vision website for a selection of activities. The Lesson Plans Page also has topics like the Underground Railroad and African Art.
