How to Teach About African American History
Incorporate African American history into your curriculum all year round., * Visit africa.upenn.edu/K-12/Today_B_History to do research on important dates in African American history throughout the year., Plan lessons according to the age group you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Incorporate African American history into your curriculum all year round.
While you may choose to assign reports or focus a unit on important African Americans, it is important for students to see African American history as 1 of the main facets of American history.
If you teach history in chronological order, African American history should be covered in each century as it becomes relevant. -
Step 2: * Visit africa.upenn.edu/K-12/Today_B_History to do research on important dates in African American history throughout the year.
You can ask students to choose a date, research it, and present their discoveries at the beginning of each class., Students can only understand and absorb African American history lesson plans if they are catered to the style of learning that is most effective.
The following are general guidelines for teaching African American history through the grades: , Explain a lesson with a short story, and illustrate it with singing, a pageant, or an art project., If your state is rich in African American history, then bring your class to view a historic location.
Ask the students to talk or do a short assignment on what they learned., They can understand the cultural, social and political implications of African American history.
Encourage critical thinking by using audio visual aids and assigning essays about African American history when covering the colonies, the Civil War, Segregation, Civil Rights and many other movements., You can find lesson plans that cover slavery, the triangle trade, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, Jim Crow Laws, Civil Rights, the Harlem Renaissance, Kwanzaa and more online.
Search for your grade level and the subject you require to do research outside of your text books. ,, In order to reach all learning styles, try to use audio, visual and artistic methods as well as more traditional reading and writing.
The following are ways that you can incorporate other learning styles: , African American history has rich, easily accessible traditions that start in the colonial days and culminate in the creation of blues, jazz, hip hop and more.
Play and discuss these musical styles., In addition to learning about the Harlem Renaissance, the African American literary tradition begins with people like Frederick Douglass and W.E.B.
Du Bois and it continues to modern day favorites, like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.
Ask each student to choose an excerpt to read.
The reading and discussion of a book like Ernest Gaines' "A Lesson Before Dying," can also encourage critical thinking of African American themes., Plan a film class / night every month.
Consider including modern documentaries and classic cinema in your choices.
Have a discussion about themes, stereotypes, and history after the film., Ask some students to make and bring African cuisine, which can be compared to slavery-era cuisine and modern "soul food" recipes.
Ask the students to research where the ingredients and inspiration came from in order to create a "food timeline."
These may include the Harlem Renaissance artists, the quilts of Gees Bend or modern visual artists, like Iona Brown.
Discuss the African American Arts movements in each century, along with their themes and inspirations., Research and watch documentaries on important sports stars like Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Althea Gibson, Muhammad Ali, and more., The History Channel, the Smithsonian Institute and education companies create historical documentaries for topics before the 20th century.
You can order Martin Luther King's speeches, Barack Obama's speeches, readings by African American poets, videos of Civil Rights protests and more, to give a clearer picture of African American history in the last century. , A member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) can talk about African American causes they have fought for since their formation in
1909. , Schedule field trips to view impressive exhibits that come to your area.
Invite visiting curators to speak about their exhibit. , Ask students to journal, write essays, discuss in groups or discuss as a class.
Students will understand African American history and retain more information if they are asked to pull the information together in thoughtful prose or discussion. -
Step 3: Plan lessons according to the age group you are teaching.
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Step 4: * Preschool and kindergarten children understand social and cultural lessons through play.
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Step 5: * Elementary and middle school children can benefit from a field trip.
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Step 6: * Late middle school and high school students study extensive American history.
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Step 7: Cover an African American historical event in history class every month if possible.
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Step 8: * Visit Smithsonian.com
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Step 9: Scholastic.com
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Step 10: or Africanamericanhistorymonth.gov to get ideas and sample lesson plans.
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Step 11: Use other educational disciplines to illustrate African American history.
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Step 12: * Work with the music department to learn slave calls or songs.
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Step 13: * Plan an African American poetry
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Step 14: speech or prose reading.
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Step 15: * Watch movies with African American actors.
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Step 16: * Plan a feast or potluck that includes African American cuisine.
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Step 17: * Study the major African American visual artistic movements.
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Step 18: * Discuss and watch clips from African American sports history.
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Step 19: Order visual aids.
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Step 20: Ask a local historian
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Step 21: author or political activist to speak to the class about an aspect of African American history.
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Step 22: Take advantage of museum or historical exhibits that are available throughout your area.
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Step 23: Encourage critical thinking about African American history whenever possible.
Detailed Guide
While you may choose to assign reports or focus a unit on important African Americans, it is important for students to see African American history as 1 of the main facets of American history.
If you teach history in chronological order, African American history should be covered in each century as it becomes relevant.
You can ask students to choose a date, research it, and present their discoveries at the beginning of each class., Students can only understand and absorb African American history lesson plans if they are catered to the style of learning that is most effective.
The following are general guidelines for teaching African American history through the grades: , Explain a lesson with a short story, and illustrate it with singing, a pageant, or an art project., If your state is rich in African American history, then bring your class to view a historic location.
Ask the students to talk or do a short assignment on what they learned., They can understand the cultural, social and political implications of African American history.
Encourage critical thinking by using audio visual aids and assigning essays about African American history when covering the colonies, the Civil War, Segregation, Civil Rights and many other movements., You can find lesson plans that cover slavery, the triangle trade, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, Jim Crow Laws, Civil Rights, the Harlem Renaissance, Kwanzaa and more online.
Search for your grade level and the subject you require to do research outside of your text books. ,, In order to reach all learning styles, try to use audio, visual and artistic methods as well as more traditional reading and writing.
The following are ways that you can incorporate other learning styles: , African American history has rich, easily accessible traditions that start in the colonial days and culminate in the creation of blues, jazz, hip hop and more.
Play and discuss these musical styles., In addition to learning about the Harlem Renaissance, the African American literary tradition begins with people like Frederick Douglass and W.E.B.
Du Bois and it continues to modern day favorites, like Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Alice Walker.
Ask each student to choose an excerpt to read.
The reading and discussion of a book like Ernest Gaines' "A Lesson Before Dying," can also encourage critical thinking of African American themes., Plan a film class / night every month.
Consider including modern documentaries and classic cinema in your choices.
Have a discussion about themes, stereotypes, and history after the film., Ask some students to make and bring African cuisine, which can be compared to slavery-era cuisine and modern "soul food" recipes.
Ask the students to research where the ingredients and inspiration came from in order to create a "food timeline."
These may include the Harlem Renaissance artists, the quilts of Gees Bend or modern visual artists, like Iona Brown.
Discuss the African American Arts movements in each century, along with their themes and inspirations., Research and watch documentaries on important sports stars like Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Althea Gibson, Muhammad Ali, and more., The History Channel, the Smithsonian Institute and education companies create historical documentaries for topics before the 20th century.
You can order Martin Luther King's speeches, Barack Obama's speeches, readings by African American poets, videos of Civil Rights protests and more, to give a clearer picture of African American history in the last century. , A member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) can talk about African American causes they have fought for since their formation in
1909. , Schedule field trips to view impressive exhibits that come to your area.
Invite visiting curators to speak about their exhibit. , Ask students to journal, write essays, discuss in groups or discuss as a class.
Students will understand African American history and retain more information if they are asked to pull the information together in thoughtful prose or discussion.
About the Author
Arthur Harris
Arthur Harris has dedicated 10 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Arthur focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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