In honor of Black History Month, use these lessons to explore the importance of Black history, express your identity, and celebrate the contributions of African Americans throughout history.
Black history should never be relegated to a date on a calendar. It is too intricately woven into the meaning of America. What would the United States be without the muscle, skill, and innovative thinking of its Black citizens? I hope these Black history writing prompts help you do the same with your class, in February and all year round.
As any social studies teacher will tell you, you can’t mark Black History Month without shining a spotlight on Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) and organized Negro History Week, which was first celebrated in February 1926. The week expanded to a month during our country’s bicentennial in 1976.