Driving Question: Why don't we know about more people of color in history, and what can we do to change it?

In 1925 Carter G. Woodson proposed a black history month to raise awareness of the role African-Americans played in the creation of this country. After ninety-three years the curriculum still tries to squeeze everything about black history into twenty-eight (sometimes twenty-nine) days. The amount of history that has occurred since that first celebration is enough to teach an entire course, but why should it be segregated? This semester we will dive into American history feat. black people. We will find the "hidden figures," the extraordinary people of color who helped build this country.

Creation - Through the creation of the poster, students will be able to share their discoveries with the world.

Discovery - Students will search for and discover people they have never heard of. They will be responsible for the discovery.

These sites are not meant to represent the full extent of your research. It is a place to get a name. Next stop Wikipedia, but don't stop there. Follow the links at the bottom of the Wiki page. Go to the library. Call and email experts. You can also check out some databases on the Helpful Link page.

• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/aframer/bios/

• http://www.greatblackheroes.com/

• http://www.aawc.com/paa.html

• http://www.biography.com/news/african-american-firsts-history

Helpful Links - An extensive list of How-To resources.

Example Project Website

Example Poster

CHOOSE

Using all of the resources at your disposal (Internet, family, books, libraries, teachers, etc.) find a person of color that few people have heard about. If more than two of the staff at the LLC know of the individual and can explain his/her significance then your selection is not "hidden." Please choose again.

RESEARCH

Why is this person important? Go beyond "The first African American." These people were first because they were great not great because they were first.

ANALYZE

Add your opinion. All of us can go and find the same sources you did, so don't just repeat what has already been said. State your opinion about why this person is significant to history. What impact did they have on the nation?

Website Scoring Guide

Poster Scoring Guide