Black History Month Lesson Plans, Activities and Resources

Searching for Black History Month lesson plans, activities and resources? Listen to black scientists. Use social and behavioral science to study the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trace the blues. And through it all, discover the contributions of African Americans to our nation's history.

NAACP Interactive Timeline Explore. Discover. Learn. Take a journey over the last 100 years and understand the impact and influences of the NAACP. Organized around 10 historical milestones, the timeline provides context for some of the most significant events in history through a media-rich interactive timeline filled with historic video, celebrity narration, interesting facts and photographs.

EDSITEment's Black History Month Feature An extensive, comprehensive collection of 23 Black History feature lessons covering W.E.B. Du Bois, the NAACP, African Americans in WWI, the Harlem Renaissance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and A Raisin in the Sun (one of EDSITEment's most popular African American lessons) and more!

Martin Luther King Teaching Resources A set of social and behavioral science resources from the American Association for the Advancement's Science Netlinks to celebrate the work and legacy of Dr. King. Image Credit: Associated Press

The Power of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Five new educational activities related to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from the Smithsonian's History Explorer. Each of the activities relates to the children's book, "Martin's Big Words," by Doreen Rappaport (2001, Hyperion Books for Children) - an award-winning biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that focuses on his work in the Civil Rights Movement. The activities encourage readers to go beyond the words of the book by reading actively, creating word art from King's speeches and other thought-provoking projects.

Science Update: Spotlight on African-American Scientists In this series of 60-second audio features, students can hear black scientists talk about their important work in the field of science, technology, engineering. and medicine. Black History Month & Science Teaching Resources Science NetLinks and AAAS have developed a number of resources that will help you honor the achievements and scientific work of African Americans. Consider using these resources in your classroom.

The Work of W.E.B. Du Bois: The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is in the process of digitizing an estimated 100,000 work s by W.E.B. Du Bois. Once complete, the Verizon Foundation funded project will include more than 4,000 articles, essays and books, as well as correspondence with historical figures such as Albert Einstein and Mohandas Gandhi. Link to the University's online Du Bois collection here.

Blues Journey Journey with us as we trace the blues from its early beginnings in southern American fields to its global impact on music today. Through informative interviews and a wealth of podcasts, you'll learn the ins and outs of blues music and find out how the history of the blues has been brought to life on stage at the Kennedy Center.

Cartoon by Bill Mauldin, St. Louis Dispatch, December 1, 1960 (Courtesy of Library of Congress) Separate is Not Equal: Brown v. Board of Education Brown v. Board of Education reached the Supreme Court through the fearless efforts of lawyers, community activists, parents, and students. Their struggle to fulfill the American dream set in motion sweeping changes in American society, and redefined the nation's ideals. This resource from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American history has outstanding teacher, parent and student resources to help teach and learn about this landmark case.

Drop Me Off in Harlem Learn how Harlem flourished during the 1920s and 1930s with this interactive site.

National African American Read-In Make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. Participate in the 21st National African American Read-In. It can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book by an African American author.