Six ways educators are celebrating Black History Month with students

How are DreamBox educators commemorating Black History Month in the classroom? 

February is Black History Month in the United States. In 1926 historian Carter G. Woodson, who is often referred to as the father of Black history, created Negro History Week, which later became Black History Month. His goal was to address the lack of Black history education in the United States by sharing empowering stories about Black individuals. With Woodson’s aim for Black History Month in mind, educators across the country help students recognize Black Americans’ achievements throughout history, understand their experiences, and learn about individuals who continue making history today.  

We asked members of DreamBox Nation – our online community of educators – how they celebrate Black History Month with students.  

1. Learn about activists and leaders. 

• “Certainly, taking time to highlight well-known individuals, but also take time to highlight that these are individuals we should celebrate all the time and not just during one month.” – Principal, Pennsylvania 

• “We will be learning about History Month in a variety of ways including about leaders in the Black community, such as MLK, Rosa Parks, and more!” – Teacher, Washoe County School District, Nevada  

• “We learn about the life journey that MLK took to become the activist that he did. We have 100 hearts on a wall, and students are invited to write their dreams and goals for life.” – 2nd Grade Teacher, Illinois  

• “Each morning we read a page from the Little Leaders or Little Legends book to learn about someone new. Also, we will study more deeply a few important people that are not as well known, including inventors and women.” – 1st Grade Teacher, Missouri  

• “We do a variety of read-alouds and videos with our kindergarten students. We pick different people to feature, and we research and study them for the week as a class. – Teacher, South Carolina  

2. Read, reflect, and discuss.   

• “Reading books, sharing stories, having open conversations with students – kind of an all-year thing! Shouldn’t be confined to one month, we should celebrate diversity all year!” – Teacher, Winnipeg School Division, Manitoba, Canada 

• “We celebrate Black History Month through reading biographies. Who we read about is based on students’ interests.” – 4th Grade Teacher, Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland 

• “Students read articles with a partner and answer comprehension questions related to the articles.” – Teacher, Pennsylvania 

3. Participate in research projects. 

• “We research well-known, not well-known, and important African Americans. Then we create a timeline and visual for each person in the hallway. All the classes add onto it so it’s a schoolwide project!” – 4th Grade Teacher, Minnesota  

• “The students get to choose who they want to research. Sometimes they pick people they have heard about or sometimes they choose people they might not have heard about. Either way, the students have the opportunity to learn something new about Black History.” – 4th Grade Teacher, Conroe ISD, Texas 

• “We do a writing project where [students] choose a famous Black American. Then they research their person and become an expert. Students write about their person and then present [to the class].” – 3rd Grade Teacher, North Carolina 

• “We do a biography project throughout the entire month.” Teacher, Burke County Public School, North Carolina  

4. Use schoolwide announcements. 

• “Each day on the morning announcements one person is highlighted. We read all about that person in class.” – Teacher, Chesterfield Public Schools, Virginia  

• “Our TV Studio morning announcements feature different historical figures each morning.” – Educator, Pennsylvania  

• “Our school celebrates Black History Month by having an announcement every morning that highlights an influential individual in the Black community.” – 3rd Grade Teacher, Winchester Public Schools, Virginia  

5. Celebrate as a community. 

• “We decorate the hallways with famous African Americans. We celebrate the month with a Soul Fest, an evening event filled with food, stories, drumming, and dancing.” – Instructional Assistant, Charlottesville Schools, Virginia  

• “We have read-alouds from African American authors read to classes by community members.” –  Educator, Howard County Public School System, Maryland  

• We have schoolwide assemblies and highlight an African American individual and their accomplishments each day.” – Educator, Illinois  

6. Share plenty of resources! 

In the spirit of community, educators on DreamBox Nation also provided a variety of Black History Month resources that they use in the classroom. Here are some that you may find helpful: 

Educator guides  

• BrainPOP Black History unit 

• Teaching Hard History Lesson Plan (Grades K – 5)  

• Musical Harlem Lesson Plan (Grades 3 – 5)  

• The Poet’s Voice: Langston Hughes and You Lesson Plan (Grades 6 – 8)  

• Discovering Rhythm, Improv, Jazz, and Poetry Lesson Plan (Grades 9 – 12) 

• Celebrate African American Heritage  

Multimedia 

• Poetry Foundation’s collection of poems, articles, and podcasts  

• African American Athletes 

• Through the Window and into the Mirror: Narratives of African American STEM Professionals   

• 50 Black History Videos for Students in Every Grade Level 

Reading selections/books 

• 40 Black History Month Books to Share during Black History Month and All Year Long  

• 34 Powerful Black History Month Poems for Kids of All Ages 

• Mae Among the Stars 

• Stacey’s Extraordinary Words  

• Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History 

• Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Black History  

• Have You Thanked an Inventor Today? 

• Brown Girl Dreaming  

Thank you to everyone who shared your creative ideas and resources! If you have additional ideas for how to celebrate Black History Month or would like to participate in upcoming conversations like this one, follow us on social media or join DreamBox Nation if you’re a DreamBox customer.