TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jan 25, 2026
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to go to the Featured Sites Archive
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Black History Month - Van Andel Institute for Education
Grades
K to 8
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Van Andel Institute for Education offers a dynamic set of free, ready-to-use lessons for celebrating Black History Month in the classroom. Designed to be engaging and impactful, these...more
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Van Andel Institute for Education offers a dynamic set of free, ready-to-use lessons for celebrating Black History Month in the classroom. Designed to be engaging and impactful, these activities help students explore Black history through inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking. Each lesson is grouped by grade bands (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) and delivered via Google Slides, complete with teacher overviews, time estimates, skill focus, and reflection prompts. This resource is ideal for educators seeking meaningful, low-prep ways to honor Black history and culture throughout February and beyond.
tag(s): black history (129), womenchangemaker (67), womens suffrage (63)
In the Classroom
Students can use Canva Edu, reviewed here to create their "Pledge for a Change Poster." Students can use Book Creator, reviewed here to create the "Letter history be known" book. Finally, students can use Figma, reviewed here to compare and contrast African American STEM leaders.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Black American History - Crash Course
Grades
6 to 12
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This Crash Course, Black American History, takes an in-depth look at the key events, figures, and movements that shaped Black history in the United States, from slavery and the Civil...more
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This Crash Course, Black American History, takes an in-depth look at the key events, figures, and movements that shaped Black history in the United States, from slavery and the Civil Rights Movement to modern struggles for equality. Each episode brings to life the resilience, innovation, and contributions of Black Americans throughout history. Some of the videos include short advertisements before they begin. These videos are hosted on YouTube; if your school does not allow YouTube, this site would not work well for you.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): black history (129), great depression (30), harlem (9), martin luther king (42), slavery (78), underground railroad (12)
In the Classroom
Assign students to research and present on influential Americans featured in the series, focusing on their contributions to history. Ask students to create a multimedia final project using Genially, reviewed here to create interactive images and presentations. Have students create a timeline of key events in Black American history, noting social, political, and cultural impacts. Use primary source documents from the Civil Rights Movement and other periods for students to analyze and discuss.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 8
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Follow along on this Reading Trek virtual journey of resources about Harriet Tubman's life. This Reading Trek includes a Teacher Guide that uses Google My Maps, reviewed...more
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Follow along on this Reading Trek virtual journey of resources about Harriet Tubman's life. This Reading Trek includes a Teacher Guide that uses Google My Maps, reviewed here, that will help students understand the life and times of Harriet Tubman. Activities correlate to Common Core Standards, National Standards for Social Studies and Visual Arts, and Social Justice Standards. In addition to teaching ideas for working with the map, this Reading Trek also includes extension activities and links to additional helpful resources. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): african american (117), black history (129), civil rights (216), diversity (49), racism (79), slavery (78), women (171)
In the Classroom
Include some of the suggested classroom uses for this resource found in the Instructional Guide (PDF). This book and the suggested activities work well as part of lessons on racism, slavery, and African-American history. Consider using the historical information from the book and other primary sources to create timelines with your students showing the important events during the story. Find various free online timeline creation tools located here. Use Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to have students create simple videos using just photos and their own voices.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Teaching a More Complete Picture of MLK - Candra Flanagan, Eden Cho & Phoebe Hillemann
Grades
K to 12
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The study of Martin Luther King's accomplishments and legacy involves more than an annual celebration featuring one day or Black History Month. Three educators share their suggestions...more
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The study of Martin Luther King's accomplishments and legacy involves more than an annual celebration featuring one day or Black History Month. Three educators share their suggestions for using primary sources to expand students' understanding of his significant impact on civil rights. The article links many collections, including the Smithsonian Learning Lab, reviewed here, and an MLK primary source collection that includes art, posters, and interviews.
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tag(s): black history (129), civil rights (216), martin luther king (42), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Include this article that features various teaching ideas with your other resources for lessons about MLK. Use Padlet, reviewed here to collect and organize lesson ideas and information. For example, create a Padlet with columns to organize information by primary sources, books, saved lesson plans, etc., as a way to easily find content to use. Engage and extend learning as students watch videos using edpuzzle, reviewed here. Add comments and questions to the appropriate portions of videos as a way for students to focus on critical information. As students prepare to show their learning, consider using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here as a resource for students to create infographics about Martin Luther King and his contributions to civil rights.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Black History Month - Library of Congress
Grades
6 to 12
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Black History Month features events and resources provided by the Library of Congress. Visit the site to find information about current exhibits, storytelling from the National Park...more
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Black History Month features events and resources provided by the Library of Congress. Visit the site to find information about current exhibits, storytelling from the National Park Service, and Black History Month celebrations from the Smithsonian. The teachers' portion of the site includes lessons from the National Gallery of Art, along with selected resources and links to primary sources found in the National Archives.
tag(s): african american (117), black history (129), civil rights (216), lincoln (65), primary sources (119), underground railroad (12), veterans (30), white house (14)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a supplement to your current resources for teaching about Black History. Engage students with primary documents in FigJam, reviewed here. Add a document to a FigJam slide and ask students to add sticky notes with information learned throughout your lesson activities. As you continue through your lessons, enhance student understanding using visual organization tools like Wakelet, reviewed here. For example, create a collection of resources for students organized by format, like videos and primary sources. As a final extended learning activity, ask students to interview local historians and Black activists to understand their first-hand experiences as Black people in America. Share students' research using the storytelling tools found at Knight Lab, reviewed here. Tools include story maps, timelines, and Storyline - a tool for sharing the story behind numbers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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34 Highly Influential African-American Scientists - Interesting Engineering and Christopher McFadden
Grades
6 to 12
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This list shares information about 34 African-American scientists and their contributions to many different fields of science. Scroll through to learn about a pioneering ophthalmologist,...more
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This list shares information about 34 African-American scientists and their contributions to many different fields of science. Scroll through to learn about a pioneering ophthalmologist, a woman physicist who advanced the field of telecommunications, and a physician who developed a tool for use with gastric biopsies, among others. Each entry includes short biographical information along with a summary of their accomplishments.
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tag(s): african american (117), black history (129), careers (196), scientists (71), STEM (328), women (171)
In the Classroom
Include the information and scientists named in this article as a starting point for many different classroom uses. During Black History Month, feature one of the scientists included on the list each day. Share this list with students to use as a starting point for researching influential Black leaders or learning about career options. Engage students in understanding these African-American scientists' accomplishments using FigJam, reviewed here. Create a slide for each scientist, then ask students to add a sticky note with information learned about their career as they research their work and accomplishments. Ask students to create simple blogs using Telegra.ph, reviewed here. Telegra.ph is a no-fuss blog creation tool that makes it easy to create and share visually appealing blogs that include images, links, and text.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Black History Milestones: Timeline - History.com
Grades
6 to 12
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Learn about important events in Black history in the United States, starting with the arrival of 20 enslaved people brought into the British colony of Virginia in 1619 and continuing...more
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Learn about important events in Black history in the United States, starting with the arrival of 20 enslaved people brought into the British colony of Virginia in 1619 and continuing through present times. This timeline updates frequently and includes the latest and most relevant milestones related to Black history. Each entry consists of images or videos along with a summary of the event; many also have links to additional information and resources.
tag(s): black history (129), civil rights (216), martin luther king (42), presidents (145), racism (79), rosa parks (9), slavery (78), women (171)
In the Classroom
Include this timeline with your Black history and civil rights resources. Share with students using Padlet, reviewed here, along with other resources including videos, weblinks, and reading suggestions. Other considerations for using Padlet are to use the column feature in Padlet to sort information by dates or use the timeline option to build a visual timeline of the events shared in this timeline and additional ones taught in class. Ask students to share their understanding by creating timelines using the templates found at Canva Edu, reviewed here or Knight Lab, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freedom Riders - PBS
Grades
6 to 12
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This documentary film from award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson tells the story of six months in 1961 that changed America's future forever. Follow the wrenching tale of 400 black...more
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This documentary film from award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson tells the story of six months in 1961 that changed America's future forever. Follow the wrenching tale of 400 black and white Americans traveling throughout the south in the face of oppressive Jim Crow laws through non-violent means of activism. The film begins with information on the background of segregated travel and follows the Freedom Riders through training and travels to cities throughout the south. The conclusion celebrates the final chapter of the story with Justice at Last.
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tag(s): 1960s (54), black history (129), civil rights (216), congress (40), racism (79), social and emotional learning (126)
In the Classroom
This film is almost two hours long; however, it includes dividing points that break the video into several shorter chapters. Consider sharing this film with students for several days, not only as a means for adapting to time constraints but also to allow time to process and discuss the information in shorter chunks. As an opportunity for reflection, use Podcast Adobe, reviewed here, to encourage an ongoing conversation about the events shared in this film. Create a channel to discuss each chapter, including a prompt to initiate student discussions. For more ideas on facilitating difficult conversations in the classroom, visit the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page Resources for Difficult Conversations, that is devoted to resources for difficult conversations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: A Weed is a Flower - The Life of George Washington Carver - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 3
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks creates a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks creates a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book, A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades prek-3. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): black history (129), independent reading (81), racism (79), slavery (78)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). This book and the suggested activities work well as part of lessons on racism, slavery, and African-American history. Consider using the historical information from the book and other primary sources to create timelines with your students showing the important events during the story by using Timelines Tool by Read Write Think, reviewed here. Use Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here to have students create simple videos using just photos and their own voice. Even the youngest student can click the record button to create a video sharing what they learned about George Washington Carver. Find free images to use in your videos within this collection reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Sojourner Truth Project - Leslie Podell
Grades
8 to 12
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The Sojourner Truth Project explores the different versions and background behind changes in Sojourner Truth's 1851 "Aint I a Woman?" speech. The most well-known version of the speech...more
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The Sojourner Truth Project explores the different versions and background behind changes in Sojourner Truth's 1851 "Aint I a Woman?" speech. The most well-known version of the speech was modified in 1863 that misrepresents the original words and intentions of the speech. Select the link to compare the two versions that include highlighted differences. Listen to readings of the speech in a variety of videos in contemporary dialects. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable.
tag(s): black history (129), civil rights (216), primary sources (119), womens suffrage (63)
In the Classroom
Include information from this site as part of lessons on women's rights and slavery. Create an online course using Nearpod, reviewed here, to guide students through their exploration of the work of Sojourner Truth. Include additional information for students to use for comparison, guide students through their comparison of the two texts, and add videos for students to view. eduflow offers tools for in-app recordings to use for student discussions. Use edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add comments and questions into the videos to guide student thinking and focus on important areas within the speeches. Challenge students to explore and research other examples of revisions to history and share their findings through a multimedia presentation. Examples of presentation tools include Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, reviewed here, and Genially, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Celebrating Black History Month - Collection - Poetry Foundation
Grades
7 to 12
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For Black History Month, the Poetry Foundation has put together this excellent collection of poems, articles, and podcasts that will help you discover African American history and culture....more
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For Black History Month, the Poetry Foundation has put together this excellent collection of poems, articles, and podcasts that will help you discover African American history and culture. Find poems and podcasts from Langston Hughes, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Rita Dove, Gwendolyn Brooks, and many others. Also, discover Educational Resources (by scrolling down the page) that include biographies. Scrolling down to the bottom menu find Poem Guides.
tag(s): african american (117), biographies (95), black history (129), cultures (245), podcasts (135), poetry (189)
In the Classroom
Share several poems with students and then have them create similar poet and poem podcasts. Start your own classroom collection to be shared digitally on your website. Exchange the physical whiteboard or chalkboard by creating a digital, collaborative board using a tool such as Lino, reviewed here, for the collection ideas. Enhance learning and augment classroom technology use by using a site such as podomatic, reviewed here, for students to present their poems to their classmates. Post the podcasts to your class website for students and parents to enjoy at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection Stories - National Museum of African American History and Culture
Grades
4 to 12
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These Collection Stories look at the personal feelings and interpretation of the objects staff members have cataloged in the Museum. These stunning short stories focus on items from...more
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These Collection Stories look at the personal feelings and interpretation of the objects staff members have cataloged in the Museum. These stunning short stories focus on items from historical events and famous people. Click the Explorers tab from the top menu and select either Search the Collections or Stories. Example story categories are Our American Story, Five Things, Power of Place, and others. Use the search bar to find title like Dress for the Occasion; view the first day of school dress worn by Carlotta Walls as she entered Little Rock Central High School in 1957 as part of the Little Rock Nine's integration efforts. Other stories take a look at Muhammed Ali, Carl Lewis, The Wiz: The Super soul Musical 'Wizard of Oz,' and the watches that survived a brutal assassination of an NAACP leader and his wife (Moments Captured in Time). The Story Collections are updated constantly so be sure to click Learn and Explore from the top menu. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is part of The Smithsonian Institution. These stories reside on a Smithsonian URL site, so don't be confused when you get there.
tag(s): 1950s (32), african american (117), black history (129), cross cultural understanding (175), cultures (245)
In the Classroom
Share stories from this collection to provide a personal look at events from African-American history in the United States. Use stories as an example, and ask students to find additional artifacts from the National Museum and research to discover the story behind the item. Have younger students use Kiddle, reviewed here, a kid-friendly search engine to find documents about their particular object. Younger students could bring an item from their home to tell the story of its history. For either of these ideas, enhance student learning by encouraging them to create online books for sharing the stories using a tool such as Ourboox, reviewed here. Ask students to find local residents with knowledge of historical events to come talk to your class about the "behind the scenes" story, or set up a Zoom meeting with an African-American leader. Use these stories for informational reading in your Language Arts classroom, and as a wonderful resource to use for covering the informational reading standards required with the CCSS.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Brown Bookshelf - Paula Chase-Hyman
Grades
K to 12
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The Brown Bookshelf features literature for young readers written by and featuring people of color. View the archives to find book reviews, author's chats, and some videos that accompany...more
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The Brown Bookshelf features literature for young readers written by and featuring people of color. View the archives to find book reviews, author's chats, and some videos that accompany books featured on the site. A flagship feature of the site is the 28 Days Later portion. Each day during Black History Month features a different author. It is a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by African Americans to help parents, teachers, librarians and booksellers recommend good reads. Archives are available beginning with the 2008 campaign.
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tag(s): african american (117), black history (129), book lists (153), civil rights (216), cultures (245), literature (210), preK (289)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year, not just during Black History Month. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore and find books for reading. Share this link on your class website or blog for students to use at home. Showcase books found on this site for classroom read aloud. Librarians will find this site helpful for creating displays in their library or for presentations in classrooms. Enhance student learning by having students create commercials for books found on this site using a tool like PowToon, reviewed here and share them using a tool such as School Tube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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