Kirsten 1:06
This is the social studies teacher podcast, a show for busy elementary teachers looking for fun and engaging ways to easily add social studies into their classroom schedule without feeling overwhelmed or pressed for time. I'm curious to know if you southern teach an educator and mom who is passionate about all things, social studies, I love sharing ideas and strategies that are low prep and easy to implement. So let's dive in together.
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of the social studies teacher podcast. It is officially February. And I wanted to talk about some ways you can celebrate Black History Month, not just for this month, but also year round. I think it's a very important and integral topic. Because as a child, as a person of color. I'm African American, I honestly would feel embarrassed around February, really the extent of Black History Month in my town where I lived in Oklahoma was where they would feature in African American over the announcements and they would talk about you know how they grew up and why they were significant. So I heard a lot of really great information about Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. But I also wish I had learned more information that's not really talked about a lot, especially since growing up in Tulsa, there was a thriving African American neighborhood. That was the main focus of the Tulsa race riots. Not too long before I was there in school, I had never heard about the Tulsa race riots or this thriving community that was predominantly African American until I was an adult, that would have been really something especially since I was in the very same city to be able to hear something really, really fascinating and encouraging. The main thing is, overall, there wasn't really any depth to what we learned. It was just a really very skimming the surface of things and kind of talking about people in history that were significant. And that was it and then we moved on. One thing I do wish is just having more unique resources to learn more about black history, and also get inspiration from African Americans from all walks of life. So I'm going to be sharing with you a few different ways to incorporate and share information about Black History Month in a way that involves students of all backgrounds allows for safe and powerful discussions and It can be utilized throughout the year, not just something that you tick the boxes on in February.
So the first tip I have for you is to reflect on Quotes From Famous people in black history. What you can do is find famous quotes from African Americans from a variety of industries such as entertainment, athletes, civil rights activists, or politicians, it does not always have to be related to civil rights. It could be something completely different scientists, artists, musicians, all types of industries, you can do a writing prompt where students are reflecting on what the quote means to them, do a quick write where students write the meaning of the quote, in their opinion, and allow students to share out, you can also give a little bit of background information on the person who said the quote, and maybe it where they were born, when they died, and just what their significant contribution is. Dialogue with students about the meaning of the quotes is important. You might get a variety of angles and opinions when you do this. And of course, you want to make sure to welcome all insights within reason, of course, one of the resources I offer was recently in the last couple of years, featured on the TPT blog, and on the homepage of TPT. So this is my black history, posters, Motivation Quotes, I recently updated this resource, and you can actually check out more information in the description and in my TPT store.
The second tip I have for you is to make sure to integrate black history in your reading block. Biography passages on famous African Americans doesn't have to be highlighted just in February, it can be done year round. I really enjoy having students read student friendly biographies and answer multiple choice questions, of course, to help practice those reading comprehension skills. It can be done in your small groups, your stations, literacy centers, or assigned for homework or distance learning. The main thing is that it's embedded in your daily routine. And it's not just something that is kind of talked about at the beginning of class and then you move on and do other things.
The third tip I have for you is to allow students to research people in black history. Sometimes giving students free range to research people in black history, based on their own interests is the way to go. There are many kid friendly online encyclopedias or websites for students to research. A couple of my favorites is duck stirs, as well as Britannica, kids. And you can also go on online libraries such as epic to get a wide range of biographies and autobiographies at a variety of levels. You can have students research a person and create a poster about this person, or some type of biography lapbook. And if you're looking for any project ideas, you should definitely check out a blog post I wrote on student choice and how you can incorporate that. Additionally, I have in my unit that I hopefully when this podcast episode is released, is live in my TPT store. It's something that I've been really, really brainstorming and working on in the last several months is a black history unit with lessons and practice activities and guided notes. And one of the projects that I'm planning on at the time of this recording is having a biography lab book project already embedded in this unit. So students can pick a famous African American of their choice and create a lap book based on the guiding questions. So that is a really great resource. And of course, if it's available in my store, when this episode goes live, you better believe I will make sure to link it. But if it's not, it's coming soon. And you can always follow me on TPT to get those updates.
Celebrating is important. Black History Month is a really great way to recognize and celebrate African Americans not just in February, but throughout the year. Recognizing the accomplishments of a group of people who throughout generations have shown resiliency despite the odds can help inspire the generations to come. Whether it be Quotes From Famous African Americans, many biographies or passages about leaders in black history, or even allowing students to research their own area of interest. Maybe you've got some students who are really avid athletes and they love sports. They can research famous African Americans in history who have excelled in sports. There's so many endless possibilities, students of all grades and backgrounds can have an opportunity to learn more about people in black history. The most important thing is that the focus should be on celebrating diversity, and acknowledging our own history as a nation, taking time each month, especially during this month as this is released for Black History Month. To appreciate those who fought for civil rights or made incredible strides in different industries is extremely important. Whatever you decide, be sure that your students are getting access to accurate information about people in black history, and how their stories have shaped our culture today. I
hope you really enjoyed this episode, and it got you thinking about how you can incorporate black history month this month and in the future. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. And I will talk to you again soon. Thanks for listening to the social studies teacher podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, hit that subscribe button and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram at the southern teach. I can't wait for you to join me in the next episode for more teacher tips and strategies.
