Arbor
Students will research and submit quotes from notable African-Americans, both past and present. Some of these quotes will be chosen to be displayed on the marquee and students who submit the chosen quotes will be announced and able to share their quotes on the loudspeaker to the school each Friday (if they choose).
We will hold a school-wide scavenger hunt, with biographies of notable African-Americans posted around the school. Each student will have a scavenger hunt sheet where they will be able to find the figures on the walls around the school, read the information about them, and note some key information about them. Students will receive “Golden Gators” tickets upon completing their hunt, which is part of our school-wide weekly reward system where tickets can be drawn for the chance to win prizes.
A display will be put near the main entrance/library that includes books, artwork, information sheets, etc. related to African American History.
Individual classes will implement cross-curricular lessons regarding the contribution of African Americans to history, literature, music, math, science, technology, and art. Students will discuss individual figures but also the impact of social movements, both past and present.
Martin Luther King
Schoolwide Activities:
Teacher collaborative resources are made available in the “King DEI Resources” Schoology Group. Various folders include influential speeches, videos, and lessons to facilitate related to all subject areas.
Guest Speaker/Performer - On Tuesday, February 28th, we will have two assemblies with guest speaker Tahira, whose performance storytelling will merge the themes of Black History Month, Women's History Month, and Read Across America in a unique assembly experience.
“Akeelah and the Bee” School-wide Event - There will be two showings of the film “Akeelah and the Bee” during assemblies in February. From there, MLK will connect with the film through the facilitation of classroom Spelling Bees, culminating in a final schoolwide Spelling Bee finals later in the spring!
Marquee Quotes - a series of Marquee quotes will reflect powerful messages from selected historic figures relevant to the month.
Classroom Activities:
“African American Achievers/Black History Month Project”- My students will be working on a research project about a famous/influential person. They will research information about the person they picked, create a Keynote/Google Slides, and then present their presentation to the class. (Currie - Room #3)
Inspirational African Americans - During Social Studies and/or ELA, my students will be researching an inspiring African American of their choice. They may write a short essay, or organize their information in a Keynote. They will then rotate around the room, and visit each of their classmates' desks to learn about various inspirational African Americans. (Fiumara- Room 28)
Black History Month Research Project - My students will use a variety of sources (books, trusted websites, etc.) to research a famous African American. Based on the information they learn, they will teach the class about the person they researched. They will need some sort of visual (poster, powerpoint etc.) (St.Louis - Room 36)
Black Poets/ Spoken Word - My class will study poetry by Black poets, including spoken word. They will then research a poet, learn about their life and pick some of their favorite poems to create a fun art/ poetry project. (Ali- Room 13)
Miscellaneous Curricular Activities:
Black Scientist Research: Students will research historical/notable black scientists and contributions they made.
Students will use articles that highlight important Black Americans, past and present, during non-fiction reading unit.
Students will highlight and showcase famous Black authors in writing unit, using their work as mentors/models.