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As we transitioned to our next unit of study, the Early Republic and Executive Branch, we used the story of Shirley Chisholm from Facing History and Ourselves. Students examined how she helped pave the way for Barack Obama and Kamala Harris to run for office. The link to the lesson is attached.

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Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris's election.

Civics & Citizenship

History

Social Studies

The resources I'm getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable.

- Claudia Bautista, Santa Monica, Calif

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The Power of Representation: Patsy Takemoto Mink, Shirley Chisholm, and Kamala Harris

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Use this mini-lesson to help students learn about the groundbreaking careers of Patsy Takemoto Mink and Shirley Chisholm and to consider the significance of Vice President Kamala Harris's election.

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I have challenged my fifth graders to research a Black contributor in specific areas of study each week. Last week, students researched STEM contributors. This week, we are focusing on literature (writers, poets, and even directors in film). Students are learning names of Black humans they may never learn otherwise. At the end of the month, we are going to have a socratic seminar on who they believe was , or is, the most influential Black contributor. They will have to use facts to support their claim. (Ms. Vaughn - Terrill) **If you look at the slides, please do not change anything**

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We read the book "The Case for Loving", which briefly explains the Loving vs. Virginia case. We discussed interracial marriage and how it was not that long ago that people of different skin color were unable to be married. I include my own experience being a product of an interracial marriage and my own interracial relationship with my fiancé. We also discussed how love impacts our life and what loves means in fifth grade terms. (5th Grade - Ms. Vaughn - Terrill)

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School One: Black History  through the lens of Reading and Writing Workshop

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School One: Black History  through the lens of Reading and Writing Workshop

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February is Black History Month: the celebration of African American history, contributions, and achievements that's recognized annually across the United States and Canada.

For teachers, it's a great opportunity to teach with intention, honoring the tradition and showing students its importance, along with the importance of Black history and culture.

And this year, it's more important than ever to uphold this tradition and celebrate Black history - no matter where your students are learning.

Use these 10 activity ideas to teach Black history all month and keep your students engaged, whether they're in-class or online!

Guidelines for teaching during Black History Month

When teaching Black history, remember to:

P.S. If you want to help parents talk about Black history and racial issues with their kids at home, use these 8 tips for parents as a helpful resource to start with - including additional resources for anyone who wants to learn more.

10 Black History Month activities for your students

Use these activities throughout the month (and the rest of the year) to keep Black history at the forefront of your lessons and encourage your students to keep learning more.

1. Quote or fact of the day

Every morning, greet your students with a new quote or fact that's relevant to Black history.

Say them aloud during your lesson, add them to your bulletin board or send them in an online message (or all of the above, if you're feeling ambitious). After this, you can open a discussion with your class about the relevance of each quote or fact.

Your students will love looking forward to what each day brings!

2. Person of the day or week

Take time to talk about Black influencers and their accomplishments. Highlight a different person every day or week and center your lessons around them!

Explore categories like:

Actors

Artists

Writers

Athletes

Activists

Musicians

Politicians

Filmmakers

Historical figures

Heroes and iconic leaders

Scientists and mathematicians

Tip: Try to look beyond typical historical figures and popular celebrities. There are plenty of Black contributors students may not have even heard of yet - use this chance to introduce them!
3. Black history trivia & games

Bring some fun (and maybe a little competition) into your lessons this month! Find trivia and games that focus on Black history, or repurpose other classroom games to incorporate Black History Month questions and answers.

4. Worksheet activities

Teach students about Black history while they work on fun activities at their own pace. Send worksheets to students online or print them out for independent classroom learning.

5. Virtual events

Classroom learning is great, but there's so much students can learn from their own experiences!

This year especially, there are plenty of online activities and events celebrating Black History Month. So why not choose a youth-appropriate one your class can participate in?

6. Timeline activity

Provide more context on important events in Black history with a bit of chronology.

Have students put together their own timelines, whether individually or in groups, that focus on specific historical events or people. They'll have fun putting all the events together and learn lots along the way!

7. Study (and create) art

Art in the Black community carries so much historical and cultural significance that can inspire some great, illuminative lessons.

Assign one of these activities from Creative Child, or get students to:

Write a story

Make a video or podcast

Create visual art or crafts

8. Use relevant media

There's so much good media out there to help you teach Black history - use it to your advantage!

Read books or watch videos with your class, then discuss the themes and lessons of each piece of media. After this, you can assign work based on them.
Try these books:

All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

9. Host thought activities

Strengthen collaboration skills with various thought activities during February. These will get students thinking and help them learn new ideas and perspectives from each other.

Start by posing a relevant question to your class, like:

Why do we celebrate?

What does Black History Month mean to you?

How can we fight intolerance in our everyday lives?

Encourage plenty of participation, then discuss everyone's answers together!

Give your class a larger assignment they can work on for the entire month, like a collaborative media project or group presentation - like this one from The Core Coaches on Teachers Pay Teachers.

These bigger projects let students build on what they're learning and work together towards something they can be proud of!

Additional resources

Get inspired by these extra resources to help you even more:

P.S. Want to make your math classes more engaging? Research shows Prodigy make math more fun and can even contribute to better test performance! Discover more about Prodigy's adaptive math platform today!

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10 Inspiring Black History Month Activities for Students

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February is Black History Month: the celebration of African American history, contributions, and achievements that's recognized annually across the United States and Canada. For teachers, it's a great opportunity to teach with intention, honoring the tradition and showing students its importance, along with the importance of Black history and culture.

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-Black History Month Daily Reflection/Call to Action
-Black History Month Challenge Question of the Week
-Playing daily song by African-American artist/composer and/or that promotes the theme of diversity.

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Thanks to Parent Mr. Myke Washington for sharing this comprehensive listing of web resources!

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Black History WebSite Collection by Oman - Updated Feb 9 2021

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Every year in 4th grade music we learn about prominent Blues and Jazz musicians. We listen to some examples, and learn how to play the 12 bar blues on percussion instruments (xylophones and boomwhackers). Then, students write their own blues lyrics and share them with the class if they wish! Usually, we sing our songs over the instrument accompaniment, but this year we will just read them or record them if the student wishes to do so!

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Caregiver's Corner: Black History Month Edition 

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Caregiver's Corner: Black History Month Edition 

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Thanks to our Student Assistance Specialist Team for this invitation to our parents to "join us in our commitment to equity"!

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Third grade artists at McGinn and School One are using silhouettes to tell stories and use their voice in their artwork, drawing inspiration from the work of artists Diedrich Brackens and Kara Walker.

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Elementary Read Aloud during BHM and Always

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Elementary Read Aloud during BHM and Always

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Students at Brunner are reading these books throughout the year, compiled by teachers.

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7/8th Grade Science students will be reading Hidden Figures. Then, we will learn to code and use our code to launch a rocket ship to the moon - just like Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson!

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All 8th Graders chose an African American scientist that was inspiring to them to kick off the month of February and our new unit!

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McGinn Daily Announcements Focused on families of Famous African Americans

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McGinn Daily Announcements Focused on families of Famous African Americans

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C52nBMQl4NSR08WGg4KKkar1B-z7lOgotB14qNWJlQE/edit

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Copy of Coles Grade 4 Black History Month 

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Copy of Black History Month Choice Board

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When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis.

For those interested in the study of identity and ideology, an exploration of ASALH's Black History themes is itself instructive. Over the years, the themes reflect changes in how people of African descent in the United States have viewed themselves, the influence of social movements on racial ideologies, and the aspirations of the black community.

The changes notwithstanding, the list reveals an overarching continuity in ASALH-our dedication to exploring historical issues of importance to people of African descent and race relations in America.

2023 THEME
2023 - Black Resistance
African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. These efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond the United States political jurisdiction. The 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s in the United States was defined by actions such as sit-ins, boycotts, walk outs, strikes by Black people and white allies in the fight for justice against discrimination in all sectors of society from employment to education to housing. Black people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Systematic oppression has sought to negate much of the dreams of our griots, like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and our freedom fighters, like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer fought to realize. Black people have sought ways to nurture and protect Black lives, and for autonomy of their physical and intellectual bodies through armed resistance, voluntary emigration, nonviolence, education, literature, sports, media, and legislation/politics. Black led institutions and affiliations have lobbied, litigated, legislated, protested, and achieved success.

In an effort to live, and maintain and protect economic success Black people have organized/planned violent insurrections against those who enslaved them, such as in Haiti,, and armed themselves against murderous white mobs as seen in Memphis, TN (1892), Rosewood, FL (1923), and New Orleans, LA (1900). Additionally, some Black people thought that the best way to resist was to self-liberate as seen by the actions those who left the plantation system, of Henry Adams and Benjamin "Pap" Singleton, when they led a mass exodus westward in 1879 and Bishop Henry McNeal Turner of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who organized emigration to Liberia.

Black faith institutions were spaces where Black communities met to organize resistance efforts, inspired folk to participate in the movements, and offered sanctuary during times of crisis. To promote awareness of the myriad of issues and activities media outlets were developed including radio shows, podcasts, newspapers (i.e. Chicago Defender, Chicago Bee, the Afro, The California Eagle, Omaha Star, the Crisis, etc.). Ida B. Wells used publications to contest the scourge of lynching. These outlets were pivotal in sharing the successes and challenges of resistance movements.

Cultural centers such as libraries including George Cleveland Hall Library (Chicago, IL), Dart Hall (Charleston, SC) and social, literary, and cultural clubs, such as Jack and Jill, Phillis Wheatley Literary Societies, fraternal and sororal orders, associations (i.e. Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, National Association of Colored Women, etc.) worked to support the intellectual development of communities to collect and preserve Black stories, sponsor Black history and literature events, and were active in the quest for civil, social, and human rights.

Black medical professionals worked with others to establish nursing schools, hospitals, and clinics in order to provide spaces for Black people to get quality health care, which they often did (and do not) receive at mainstream medical institutions. For economic and financial independence businesses, such as Binga Bank, Johnson Publishing Company, Parker House Sausage Company, Soft and Sheen, etc., were developed to keep funds within the community. In order to resist inequality and to advocate for themselves Black men and women formed labor unions based on trades and occupations, some examples, include the Colored National Labor Union, Colored Musicians Club, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and Negro American Labor Council.

Education, whether in elementary, secondary, or higher education institutions have been seen as a way for Black people and communities to resist the narrative that Black people are intellectually inferior. When Carter G. Woodson founded Negro History Week (NHW) in 1926, he saw it as a way to provide a space and resources to critically educate students about their history. The grassroots network of Black teachers used this week not only to lionize individuals and narratives, but also to teach students about racial progress, and as well as shared and collective responsibility. They developed assignments and curriculum to provide students with the tools to succeed. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), were developed by Northern white philanthropists, but they emerged as a space for the formation of activists, artists, business owners, educators, etc. and their continued operation have stood as testament to Black investment and creative thinking in the face of the changing landscape of higher education. Furthermore, students at HBCUs were at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movements, and social justice movements from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries.

African American spirituals, gospel, folk music, hip-hop, and rap have been used to express struggle, hope, and for solidarity in the face of racial oppression. Music has been used to illustrate societal issues including white and state sanctioned violence (i.e. Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit), sexual politics (i.e. Salt-N-Pepa's Let's Talk About Sex), as motivation, for strength against harassment, and to experience freedom. The Black artists, writers, photographers, and musicians who participated in the Black Arts Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Chicago Black Renaissance were the soundtrack and the visual representation of resistance movements. These individuals created art that supported the resistance movements, but also provided a space for Black people to express love and joy. Creatives used poetry, fiction, short stories, plays, films, and television to counter stereotypes and to imagine a present and future with Black people in it.

Sports are a world pastime, and it both brings people together and separates them. Black athletes have used sports as a way to advocate for social issues and for political agendas. Serena Williams, Flo Jo, Jesse Owens, Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Jackie Robinson, Colin Kaepernick, Simone Biles, and many others have used their public forum to bring awareness to issues that affect society as they resisted the idea that they cannot or should not speak about political, cultural, or social issues. Black athletic activists have often suffered personal and economic consequences due to their stances, speech, and actions, but to them it has been worth it to see changes.

Historically and today in the 21 st century, Black people have worked the political angle to seek their rightful space in the country. Where race is concerned, legislative or judicial action to deal with controversial issues has often come late. The historic Executive Orders 8802 and 9346 were responses to A. Phillip Randolph and the all-Black March on Washington Movement's threat to lead a 50,000-strong Black worker's march into Washington, D.C. And all three of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act were concessions to the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Every advance, improvement in our quality of life and access to the levers of power to determine our destiny has been achieved through struggle. John Lewis advised, "Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."

Lewis' advice is true not just for the 21st century, but also during the antebellum period, as seen in the narratives of the enslaved, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, to testimonials about lynchings and ongoing police violence against African Americans. With the murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, and thousands of other Black women, men, and trans people there are new movements (i.e. #Sayhername) and organizations (i.e. Black Lives Matter) that are pushing for the justice system to investigate police involved shootings and white supremacist vigilantes. Nearly 179 years ago, the Rev. Henry Highland Garnett proposed that the only path to freedom, justice, and equality; self-determination; and/or social transformation is resistance. In thunder tones, Garnett shouted, "Let your motto be resistance! resistance! RESISTANCE!

By resisting Black people have achieved triumphs, successes, and progress as seen in the end of chattel slavery, dismantling of Jim and Jane Crow segregation in the South, increased political representation at all levels of government, desegregation of educational institutions, the passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History in DC and increased and diverse representation of Black experiences in media. Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in the country, thus, the legacy and importance of these actions cannot be understated.

As societal and political forces escalate to limit access to and exercise of the ballot, eliminate the teaching of Black history, and work to push us back into the 1890s, we can only rely on our capacity to resist. The enactment of HR 40, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Breathe Act, and the closure of the racial wealth gap is not the end. They too will require us to mobilize our resources, human and material, and fight for "freedom, justice, and equality"; "self-determination", and/or "social transformation."

This is a call to everyone, inside and outside the academy, to study the history of Black Americans' responses to establish safe spaces, where Black life can be sustained, fortified, and respected.

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When Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he realized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. The intention has never been to dictate or limit the exploration of the Black experience, but to bring to the public's attention important developments that merit emphasis.

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JEFAt7QBuPYir9ja8ivO9SMdPYDjryPGdxbj3n4-A8g/edit?usp=sharing

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Children's Books Featuring children of color from SPFHS Black Student Union. 

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Children's Books Featuring children of color from SPFHS Black Student Union. 

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/11-iPjFejKUeOUYNjDhR8-eM7vP6jSgzbZn96PPkWDiQ/edit?usp=sharing

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National African American Read-In Coming to SPF! 

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National African American Read-In Coming to SPF! 

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"Every February, NCTE commemorates books written by Black authors that elevate Black experiences. We call this event, this annual commemoration of Black letters, the African American Read-In. It was Dr. Jerrie Cobb Scott's baby. She gave birth to it. Carried it. Raised it. Nurtured it. Sustained its life. Now each year, hundreds of thousands of people-in bookstores and coffee shops, in faith-based institutions and prisons, in living rooms and in kitchens and anywhere else people gather-dedicate time in February (Black History Month) to explore Black literature (old and new)."

What Is a Read-In?

During the month of February, schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens are urged to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting an African American Read-In. Hosting an event can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature professional African American writers.

Thank you to those that hosted an event for the 2023 African American Read-In! We invite you to visit the 2023 Report Card.

History of the National African American Read-In

At its November 1989 meeting, the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English accepted the Issues Committee's recommendation that the Black Caucus sponsor a nationwide read-in on the first Sunday of February. At the request of educators, Monday was designated for educational institutions. Dr. Jerrie Cobb Scott, an active member of NCTE and the Black Caucus, brought the idea to the committee. It was envisioned that following a decade of rigorous campaigning for participants, the African American Read-Ins would become a traditional part of Black History Month celebrations. In 1990, the National Council of Teachers of English joined in the sponsorship of the African American Read-In Chain. The commitment for nationwide promotion extends from 1990 to the present.

Questions?

Contact us at: aari@ncte.org

"It is important for all of us to see ourselves in books." - Dr. Jerrie Cobb Scott, founder of the African American Read-In

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‘Zero’: Netflix Launches First Ever Scripted Series on the Black Italian Experience

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‘Zero’: Netflix Launches First Ever Scripted Series on the Black Italian Experience

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The superhero series, which is set to go into production in 2020, could provide a much-needed breakthrough for representation in the country.

Continuing its aggressive global push, especially when it comes to telling stories that spotlight the lives of underrepresented groups, Netflix has announced a noteworthy new original titled " Zero," which marks the first ever scripted series to platform the black Italian experience, said its writer, Antonio Dikele Distefano, in a project launch video posted on the Netflix Italy Youtube page.

The idea for the series, which came from Distefano - a rising star on the Italian publishing scene - "Zero" tells the story of "a shy African-origin guy, a second generation Italian, who has an incredible super power. A modern superhero who, thanks to his power, will learn how to open up to the world and to love," per the Netflix press release.

The aim is to create what the streaming giant describes as an original and unique exploration of the rich and diverse world of underrepresented cultures in Milanese suburbs, with rap elements.

Distefano is writing the series along with Italian comic book artist and screenwriter Roberto Marchionni, known by his pen name Menotti, and also Stefano Voltaggio, Massimo Vavassori, Carolina Cavalli and Lisandro Monaco.

"The idea of 'Zero' comes from my need to put different stories together in order to tell one," Distefano said about the project. "The story of a special boy, of a black guy, who, thanks to his super power, manages to see the reality behind the appearance of things, people and relationships. Rap will be one of the protagonists of the story because rap is the language of our age, it is capable of describing environments that people do not see, such as the Milan suburbs where the series is set, and it is my language".

Felipe Tewes, Director, International Originals, Netflix, said: "Our goal at Netflix is to find new local, unheard voices and give them the opportunity to tell their stories to a global audience. We are really excited to work together with Antonio, Menotti and the 'Zero' pool of writers to bring their unique vision to life in what will be the first superhero show in our offer of Italian Original contents."

Twenty-seven-year-old Distefano was born in Busto Arsizio, in northern Italy, to Angolan parents. Initially a rapper, performing under the pseudonym "Nashy," he eventually became an author, publishing several novels, including "the romance "Fuori piove, dentro pure, passo a prenderti?" Translated as "It's Raining Outside, And Inside As Well. Can I Come And Pick You Up?" the novel was published by Italy's largest publishing house, Mondadori in 2015.

The black Italian experience likely isn't one that there is wide awareness of, nor is it discussed or depicted, at least outside of Italy. That there hasn't been a single series (and few movies) capturing the experience, especially for a global audience, makes this move by Netflix quite significant.

Most recently, in 2016, a documentary titled "BlaxploItalian: 100 Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema" from director Fred Kuwornu, is a rare noteworthy attempt.

The film unlocks the filmmaker's personal struggle with identity against the one-hundred year history of blacks in Italian cinema, beginning in the silent film era with an uncredited black actor who appeared in the 1914 film "Salambo," to the still troublesome contemporary times.

Coincidentally, Kuwornu and Distefano are members of the initiative called United Artists for Italy Cinema, which was launched in 2016 in response to the stereotyped images of not just black people in Italian media, but also members of the LGBTQ+ community, and the disabled.

With Distefano's "Zero," Netflix will certainly be helping to forward the initiative's goals.

A 2020 production start is set, with Italian production company Fabula Pictures - who produced Netflix's second Italian original series, the Rome-set teen prostitution drama "Baby" - producing.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

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'Zero': Netflix Launches First Ever Scripted Series on the Black Italian Experience

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The superhero series, which is set to go into production in 2020, could provide a much-needed breakthrough for representation in the country.

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Two very important birthdays helped activists, led by Carter G. Woodson, choose when to celebrate