Eisenhower
Kindergarten
Kindergarteners will participate in read alouds and watch videos about famous black individuals focused on the weekly themes. Students will participate in varied follow-up writing activities, such as in their writing journals and making "baseball cards" with facts regarding the people they learned about.
First Grade
First grade students will participate in shared readings and read alouds regarding famous black figures. Students will also hear songs and watch video clips for further exploration of the weekly themes. Students will learn about the role children played in the Civil Rights movement, during marches and protests. Students will write and draw to create posters about what they learned.
Second Grade
Second graders will participate in shared reading and independent reading of famous African Americans focused on the weekly themes. Second grade students will complete a project on a famous African American and have the opportunity to do an oral presentation of their project. Students will also participate in a Gallery Walk where they will present their projects and view projects completed by their peers across their grade level.
Third Grade
Third graders will participate in interactive Nearpod activities focused on the themes for Black History Month. Students will participate in whole group discussions surrounding the weekly themes. Students will also connect their learning to the contributions of African Americans throughout history through the completion of writing activities and reading non-fiction literature. During Digital Literacy push-in classes, students will create a digital project based upon their learning.
Music
Students will be learning about the history of jazz music, listening to jazz music, exploring the different styles and discussing Black jazz musicians/composers.
Grandview
Kindergarten
Our youngest learners will be learning about many influential civil rights leaders, inventors, artists and most importantly, children who instilled change in the United States. Students will be reading various books, listening to famous African American musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald and exploring the art works of Alma Thomas. To show that anyone can have a positive influence on the world, we will be focusing on two important children who demonstrated Grandview Greatness in their quests to make encouraging changes for civil rights. The first story we will focus on is called Ron’s Big Mission by Rose Blue. It is the true story of how nine year old Ron McNair, fought for his right to take a book out of his local public library. The second important child we will be studying is Ruby Bridges and how her passion for education changed school for all students. We will be pairing both Ron and Ruby with our school philosophy, and how they demonstrated respect, responsibility, and success. We will also be emphasizing important character traits such as good citizenship and trustworthiness. Their stories highlight to our students the power of persistence and justice for all, while also integrating in history and science. The students will discuss and write about positive character attributes and the bravery demonstrated by both Ruby and Ron. Throughout all Black History Month, we hope to instill in our students that children can change the world!
First Grade
The Grandview First Grade classes will discuss famous African American quotes and read biographies about various African Americans throughout the month. We will begin the month by viewing a video, “Black History Month for Kids” to understand the significance of the month. The first week of February, we will discuss MLK, Jr.’s famous quote, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” and how this quote relates to others and ourselves. We will read “I am Rosa Parks” written by Brad Meltzer and discuss how the quote relates to her. Students will then have a grand conversation to discuss a time they did something that made a difference. Each day of the week, the quote will be shown on a Google slide and read as a reminder that we can all do small things to make a big difference.
Second Grade
For Black History Month, the second grade students are learning about many different contributions African Americans made towards The Civil Rights movement, Education, Arts, and Science. One activity the second graders will be doing is studying an African American individual, from the past or present, who has made an impact in the arts. The students will be given a list of names of famous African Americans involved in the arts, examples include Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, etc. The students will read a nonfiction story about that person. The students will write down key facts, as well as, an important life lesson they learned from the person they studied. The students will then meet together in small groups to discuss the person they learned about and what they learned from this person as well. This activity teaches our second graders that although we are born with different talents and abilities, we all have the chance to achieve our dreams, whatever they may be!
Third Grade
Grandview Third Grade students will explore concepts of diversity and inclusion during Black History Month. Teachers have curated a collection of materials, using various digital and print sources, for students to explore and identify the important contributions of Black/African Americans to American culture. Each week, students will collaborate to discuss the ideas they have grown and complete activities around the following themes: Week 1 – Civil Rights, Week 2 - Education, Week 3 – Arts, and Week 4 - Science. By participating in these activities, students will learn that Black History is American History and become advocates for racial justice and equality.
Music
In music, Grades K and 1 will be learning about Jazz music. The students will be listening to the story "Ben's Trumpet" while Jazz music plays in the background. They will then expressively draw the jazz music on paper using colors, shapes, lines etc. to express how they feel the music. Grades 2 and 3 will be discussing Ragtime and learning about the American Composer Scott Joplin. The students will listen to "The Entertainer" and we will discuss the form of the piece and how the composer pieced the music together. Grades 2 and 3 students will also be shown where to find information about Jazz Music.
Art
In the Art Class, we will celebrating the work of American writer and illustrator, Ashley Bryan. Bryan was a children’s book author who wrote about the African Experience. We will explore and create an illustration inspired by his book, Beautiful Blackbird. This books theme is about being true to oneself and loving one’s own unique features.
Digital Literacy
For Black History Month, in Digital Literacy, we will be looking at the amazing accomplishments of Black Innovators in Computer Science and STEM. We will discuss their long reaching influence on current computer science and STEM innovations. Figures that will be discussed include: Annie Easley, Clarence Ellis, Dorothy Vaughn, Evelyn Granville, Jerry Lawson, and many other inspiring figures in computer science/scientific history. We will also look at famous African Americans who provide encouragement to students to innovate and explore in Computer Science/STEM.
Physical Education
In PE, to acknowledge Black History Month, each class will have a lesson reviewing the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson. Students will watch a short video about Jackie Robinson's life, and as a class, we will discuss the importance he had on breaking the color-barrier in the world of sports. Students will also complete a short worksheet to reinforce the topics covered in the video.
Knollwood
Kindergarten
Through a variety of read aloud stories and nonfiction texts, along with additional multimedia content, Kindergarteners learn about the important contributions of Black Americans such as Louis Armstrong, Ruby Bridges, Langston Hughes, Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver, and more. Students will synthesize their learning to create informational books about these influential people. Music by influential Black Americans will be shared and discussed throughout the day during work periods, transitions, and as conversation starters.
First Grade
First grade students gain a greater understanding of African Americans’ important contributions to U.S. history through Readers and Writers Workshop lessons. Students will read biographies and create nonfiction books about the impact African Americans have made in the areas of science, the arts, civil rights, education, and more. Classroom bulletin boards will display student work highlighting interesting and important facts about famous African Americans.
Second Grade
Second graders will be participating in a variety of activities related to the school’s shared weekly quotes, which address themes of Civil Rights, Education, the Arts, and Science. Classes will discuss each weekly quote of focus by talking about the quoted individual, what their words mean, and how their words can inspire us. Students will begin the month by discussing the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his accomplishments and impact. Throughout the month, second grade lessons will spotlight and explore the accomplishments and contributions of African Americans through Read Alouds, Scholastic News articles, educational videos, and weekly close reading passages during Social Studies. Classroom bulletin boards will showcase students’ ideas on how to make our society a more peaceful place.
Third Grade
Third grade students will explore the historical and ongoing contributions of African Americans through nonfiction texts and documents, Nearpod activities, and biographical presentations. Classes will discover and discuss the lasting impact that African Americans have had in our country’s history and culture, including contributions in areas ranging from literature and the arts to government and civil rights. Students will also reflect on and discuss the importance of inclusion, diversity, and equality through class Read Alouds, multimedia presentations, and class discussions.
Randolphville
Kindergarten
Scholastic Let's Find Out Magazines fron Feb 2023, and Previous years
Introduce one or two Black Leaders each week-read biographies, and other books to emphasize their service and life, weekly craft
Possible Weekly themes-Art, Science, Educations and Civil Rights
Brain Pop lessons throughout the month for Social Studies to learn about other leaders/famous people who do not fall within the 4 weekly themes
First Grade
For inventors: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/157c316oVvuT8kdxaUC3AeKBETQToyl3UwFAAC_VgVUU/edit?usp=sharing
Ruby Bridges read aloud/Scholastic News from 2019. Make connections since she was a first grader
For athletes: Jackie Robinson Scholastic News
Culmination: Making famous African American trading cards with important information to take home
Black History read alouds throughout the month
Second Grade
**Scholastic News will be utilized ***
BrainPop Jr. Videos of many significant Black History figures
Black History Research Assignment – Students will research a famous person and write relevant information regarding that person. Each piece when assembled creates a class quilt.
Freedom quilt activity after reading Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky
Students will learn about many significant people in History by completing Famous Americans booklet. Students will discover the many important contributions in science, education, arts, human rights, and sports.
Students will read and explore Black History Month Books created in Collections on Epic.
Third Grade
Readworks / Nonfiction:
LeBron!
The History of Juneteenth
Article-a-Day: African American Heroes
Paired Text: Historical Movements for = Rights
Storyline Online:
Trombone Shorty
Jazz Music to work by
Scholastic News / Storyworks 3
articles/stories
Near Pods- to learn about life and acomplishments of George Washington Carver, Maya Angelou, Langton Hughes, Booker T. Washington
Black History Month x Nonfiction Text Structures
Goal: Students will be able to research figures in Black history using multiple sources and will be able to apply their knowledge of nonfiction text structures to create mini-biographies in the form of summaries. By scanning the QR code found on each homeroom's bulletin boards, any individual is able to read all about well- and lesser- known individuals who have proved to society that their skin color does not determine their intelligence, education status, and ability to change the world.
Read aloud and daily quotes to go along with each week's theme. Books chosen from Black History Month libraries correlated with each week's theme.