{"id":3284,"date":"2020-01-21T07:30:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-21T12:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/teachersfirst.com\/blog\/?p=3284"},"modified":"2022-02-05T20:32:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T01:32:37","slug":"celebrate-african-american-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2020\/01\/celebrate-african-american-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrate African American History Month!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Lzt3gFgYVYk\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">African American History Month<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> began when<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2019\/02\/01\/us\/history-of-black-history-month-trnd\/index.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carter G. Woodson<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> created<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nmaahc.si.edu\/blog-post\/knowing-past-opens-door-future-continuing-importance-black-history-month\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Negro History Week<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in 1926.\u00a0 It is always<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/naacphighpoint.org\/28-ways-to-celebrate-black-history-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">celebrated<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in February. According to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.loc.gov\/law\/2011\/02\/african-american-history-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Library of Congress<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it &#8220;celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation&#8217;s history.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/teachersfirst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2020-JAN-African-American-History-Month.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-3327\" src=\"http:\/\/teachersfirst.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2020-JAN-African-American-History-Month-200x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2020-JAN-African-American-History-Month-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2020-JAN-African-American-History-Month-683x1024.png 683w, https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/2020-JAN-African-American-History-Month.png 735w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>Every year there is a new theme chosen by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asalh.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Association for the Study of African American Life and History.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> This year&#8217;s theme is<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asalh.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2020Theme.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">African Americans and the Vote<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as 2020 marks the sesquicentennial of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) and the right of black men to vote after the Civil War. If you would like to stick to the theme in your classroom, there are many resources available from<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.kqed.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/26\/2016\/08\/Voting-rights-lesson-plan.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lesson plans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to a variety of resources about<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.civilrightsteaching.org\/voting-rights\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">voting rights<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.civilrightsteaching.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Civil Rights Teaching<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.civiced.org\/voting-lessons\/voting-timeline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">voting history timeline<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If the voting theme does not work for your classroom, there are many<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.readingrockets.org\/article\/things-we-share-themes-black-history-month\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other themes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to focus on.<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/larryferlazzo.edublogs.org\/2009\/01\/15\/the-best-websites-to-teach-learn-about-african-american-history\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">General African American history<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> resources and lesson ideas are available from many sources like the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.archives.gov\/research\/alic\/reference\/black-history.html\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Archives<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biography.com\/tag\/black-history\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biography<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.pbs.org\/black-culture\/home\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PBS<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/besthistorysites.net\/american-history\/african-americanblack-history\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EdTechTeacher<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nea.org\/professional-excellence\/student-engagement\/tools-tips\/black-history-month-lessons-resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NEA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try something new <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">from an organization like the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/libwww.freelibrary.org\/explore\/topic\/african-american-history\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free Library of Philadelphia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/african-american-history-4133344\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ThoughtCo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.blackpast.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BlackPast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nmaahc.si.edu\/explore\/stories\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Museum of African American History &amp; Culture<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students love interactive activities. There are many available that are connected to African American History. Take a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/US\/360-vr-tour-inside-national-museum-african-american\/story?id=42319929\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">360 tour<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, take a<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.org\/activity\/how-enslaved-people-found-way-north\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">journey on the underground railroad<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, explore an<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.knightlab.com\/libs\/timeline3\/latest\/embed\/index.html?source=1KcO9UFuXxlGfL69Icg8uOaI1tu3x1vlQSapWPmeZJmk&amp;font=Default&amp;lang=en&amp;initial_zoom=2&amp;height=650\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interactive timeline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make a 3D print of or <a href=\"https:\/\/3d.si.edu\/explore\/museum\/african-american-museum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">explore a 3D model<\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of an African American history artifact, explore the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/civilrightstrail.com\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Civil Rights Trail<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, look at<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/1619education.org\/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3fiPBhCCARIsAFQ8QzWzNFp3zDONbWUWA8YLa31BSZAWVCbkZcBTLZM3yJuxfijWQ8AbGIMaAlAwEALw_wcB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">slavery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from a different view, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or meet<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/the-undefeated-44-most-influential-black-americans-in-history\/#introduction\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">44 African Americans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that shook up the world! There are also many ready-made lesson plans about<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/black-culture\/shows\/list\/underground-railroad\/classroom\/travel-underground-railroad\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">African American history<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> available. Your students can learn about<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/teacher.scholastic.com\/activities\/bhistory\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">culture and change<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/teacher.scholastic.com\/activities\/bhistory\/underground_railroad\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">underground railroad<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or try out a<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.internet4classrooms.com\/links_grades_kindergarten_12\/black_history_daily_lesson.htm\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lesson a day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the month. Apply critical thinking skills by exploring primary sources from the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nmaahc.si.edu\/explore\/collection\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Museum of African American History<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/nmaahc.si.edu\/explore\/initiatives\/freedmens-bureau-records\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedman&#8217;s Bureau<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or another organization using the<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.loc.gov\/teachers\/primary-source-analysis-tool\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Library of Congress primary source analysis tool<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scholastic.com\/content\/dam\/teachers\/blogs\/john-depasquale\/2017\/JD-Primary-Source-Analysis.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this tool<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from Scholastic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever you do, make an effort to celebrate an often not celebrated aspect of our American History during African American History Month.\u00a0 Start by exploring the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachersfirst.com\/spectopics\/blackhist.cfm\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">TeachersFirst collection<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of African American history resources!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(This post was updated February 2022)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ufeff African American History Month began when Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in 1926.\u00a0 It is always celebrated in February. According to the Library of Congress, it &#8220;celebrates the contributions that African Americans have made to American history in their struggles for freedom and equality and deepens our understanding of our Nation&#8217;s history.&#8221; &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/2020\/01\/celebrate-african-american-history-month\/\" class=\"more-link\">read more &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[202,203,131],"class_list":["post-3284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-classroom-application","tag-african-american-history","tag-civil-rights","tag-voting"],"modified_by":"Karen Streeter","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3284"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5942,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3284\/revisions\/5942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teachersfirst.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}