black history lesson plans for high school

Black History Month: Lesson Plans and Resources for the Classroom

February 01, 2021

Updated February 1, 2022

Black history is American history, and February is an opportunity to introduce classroom discussions and reflections about how Black Americans have shaped our nation. In celebration of Black History Month, we are sharing resources from iCivics, as well as partner organizations to support learning and conversations in the classroom.

Five iCivics Resources to Use This Month

The road to civil rights lesson plan.

Discover the people, groups, and events behind the Civil Rights Movement. Learn about means of non-violent protest, opposition to the movement, and identify how it took all three branches of the federal government to effect change. Protest posters, fictional diary entries, and a map of the movement's major events develop a greater understanding of the struggle for civil rights.

Brown v. Board of Education Mini-Lesson

This mini-lesson covers the basics of the Supreme Court’s decision that overturned “separate but equal” in public schools. Students learn about segregation and “equality under the law.” 

Little Rock: Executive Order 10730 DBQuest

When President Eisenhower authorized troops under federal authority to desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957, he became the first president since Reconstruction to use federal forces to help enforce equal rights for African Americans. Using the example of Executive Order 10730, students will explore how executive orders can be used to enforce the law. The story of integrating Little Rock Central High School doesn’t start or stop with Eisenhower’s executive order. Dive into the downloadable teaching resources to share more of the history with your students through the use of primary source documents. 

VIDEO: Ethel Payne: First Lady of the Black Press

More inclusive coverage of national and world events is due, in part, to Ethel Payne, the second Black woman to become a member of the White House Press Corps. In her position, she asked leaders tough questions and wrote hard-hitting news stories. Her persistence brought civil rights issues to a national audience and put Black people’s experiences on the front page.

Resources Page

Find all of our animated videos, lessons, and DBQuests for teaching Black history all month (and all year) long conveniently located together on a resources page.

Go to the Page

Resources From Our Partners

Black history is more than teaching about the civic strategy and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement. As we work to expand our resources to better integrate the contributions as well as social, political, and historical contexts of Black Americans in civics, we invite you to check out these collections from a few of our partners:

• A Do’s and Don’ts guide from Learning for Justice on how to teach Black History Month
• Nearpod’s collection of Black History Month lesson plans and activities
• Penguin Young Readers has a new middle-grade history program, Who HQ For You, that is offering educators and families monthly thematic activities for Black History Month .

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Free printable Mother's Day questionnaire 💐!

This Free Black History Curriculum Helps High School Students Read and Think Deeply About Current Events

A great resource for Black History Month and beyond.

306: African American History is a free digital program that brings to life a number of important leaders and events that impacted the fabric of America. Learn more>>

Black history is American history, but finding (or creating) interactive lessons that help students draw connections between history and what’s going on today can be challenging. That’s why we’re so grateful for the 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story high school curricula from EVERFI. You’ll have everything you need to plan lessons and engaging activities for grades 8–12 that are meaningful, turnkey, and free.

What Does “306” Mean?

Did you know that the number 306 has significance in Black history? When Dr. Martin Luther King stayed at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, the site of his assassination in 1968, he preferred to stay in room 306. To support creative and intellectual expression during the Harlem Renaissance, artist Charles Alston founded “Group 306.” And when the Supreme Court issued its decision in the Dred Scott v. Sanford case, it was on March 6, 1857. This common thread and countless key moments in Black history are often left out of textbooks.

Teaching Black History in 2023

Our students crave context from what they see in the news and online. Students also crave representation in what they consume, watch, read, and learn. EVERFI’s 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story offer lessons from the full spectrum of our shared history and help us strive for a better future. Students will be introduced to key figures and events as they embark on this important journey at their own pace:

306: African American History

• Slavery in the United States
• Emancipation and Reconstruction
• Civil Rights and Beyond

306: Continuing the Story

• Untold Stories
• Black Business Titans
• Black Contributions to Medicine

For example, the topics covered in “Untold Stories,” the first module of 306: Continuing the Story , include Juneteenth, the Million Man March, affirmative action, and modern protests against police brutality.

The topics covered in the second module, “Black Business Titans,” include both historical examples such as Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre as well as present-day examples of Black entrepreneurship.

Here’s a quick video that shares more about the courses:

Capstone Essay

After working on the digital lessons , students will complete a capstone essay to finish the course. They will deconstruct one of two primary sources analyzing the writer’s perspective and experiences as well as the general historical context of the text in relation to themes like perseverance, civic action, and strategic planning.  

Through the use of guided questions and a revision checklist, students will write a 250-word analytical essay on Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass or “The Demands of the March” from the March on Washington.  

Students will also select a secondary topic from the course and then create an outline for a 250-word analytical essay by answering a set of guiding questions. They’ll use a revision checklist to review their draft before selecting from several layout options for the final copy.

Key learning objectives: This project will provide the opportunity to work on topic selection, scaffolded outline, essay composition, essay revision, and layout selection.

Once students have completed 306: African American History , they’ll explore the impact of historical influences on our lives today with 306: Continuing the Story . This digital course integrates into Social Studies, U.S. History, and/or English Language Arts curriculum and serves as an eye-opening bridge to the present.

Students will think deeply and critically about the connection between the events of the past and what they see unfolding in the world around them today as they uncover answers to questions like “Has progress been made?” “Is the resistance to change different today than it was years ago?”  

The search for answers will expose students to new Black leaders that were the “first” in their fields, analyze post–Civil Rights Era events, and challenge myths and stereotypes.  

Teacher Resources

Within the EVERFI teacher dashboard, you’ll find:

• Curriculum guides
• Lesson outlines
• A rubric and instructions for the capstone essay
• Extension lesson plans
• Customizable student activity sheets

Additionally, you’ll have a handy guide that identifies which Common Core standards are addressed in each digital lesson.

Discussing Black history is essential in our classrooms, and navigating the complex stories and topics can be intimidating for many. Delving deeper into a subject often requires us to question our own understanding and beliefs; Black history is no different. The good news is that you don’t need to have all the answers or be an expert to be successful in using these digital resources . As you prepare to lead your students through the lessons, always remember: The goal is progress, not perfection.

Learn More About 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story

We know that Black History Month happens every February, but why stop there? Our students deserve a deeper understanding that isn’t limited to the shortest month of the year. You might build on the lessons about Black women in 306: African American History and 306: Continuing the Story during March’s Women’s History Month, for example, or focus on Black entrepreneurs during April’s Financial Literacy Month. There are opportunities and touch points to discuss Black history all year long, and you can find even more resources from EVERFI on their Cultural Literacy Hub . Don’t miss out on this amazing, important resource!

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6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month

From interactive timelines and rich multimedia to study guides, these resources can help bring Black history into the classroom.

Black History Month provides a great opportunity for students to explore and learn more about a variety of issues. But it's important that teachers "reinforce that 'Black history' is American history," writes Pat Russo in Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History Month . Russo's article is a great place to start when determining how to best incorporate Black history into your lesson plans. Really, it's a topic that should be incorporated throughout the year, Russo writes, but in February, teachers can dig deeper, provide students with more context, and connect the past to the present.

Every year since 1928, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History has provided a theme for Black History Month. This year, we'll celebrate the 101st Black History Month, and the theme is "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories." Here are some resources for diving into that theme.

Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories

• African American History Month Resources From the Library of Congress : There's plenty for students to discover in this collection from the LOC. In addition to lesson plans for teachers , there's also a cache of primary sources for students to explore, including artwork, baseball cards, political cartoons, and photographs. Also be sure to check out the Library's civil rights-themed collection .

African American History Month Collection From Teaching History : There is a stockpile of engaging content in this resource from Teaching History from the National History Education Clearinghouse. Included are interesting collections for students of all ages to explore, lesson plans for teachers, and interactive quizzes.

African American History Through the Arts : In this collection from ArtsEdge, students can explore Black history through the lens of a variety of artistic disciplines, including music, poetry, and dance. There are lesson plans, as well as collection of primary multimedia sources; and there are resources targeted at students of all ages.  Another great arts-related collection, The National Association for Music Education's lesson plans page , covers African American contributions to music.

Smithsonian Education's Black History Month Teaching Resources : These resources from Smithsonian Education feature various collections, from "The Blues and Langston Hughes" to "Harlem Renaissance: A Reading List." It's a great place to let your students explore primary sources, and there is something for students of all ages.

Additional Resources for Black History Month

Dive Into Primary Sources on BlackPast.org : BlackPast.org is one of the largest repositories of information relating to Black history on the web. The site features more than 13,000 pages, and the content is organized into three categories: African American History, African American History in the American West, and Global African History. Be sure to check out BlackPast in the Classroom for ideas and tips for using the site with students.

Edtech Ideas From Edutopia : Last year, Edutopia blogger Irvin Weathersby curated some really innovative tech tools for exploring Black History Month. One that's particularly relevant to this year's theme is More than a Map(p) , a "multi-layered geo-location app that locates sites and landmarks relevant to African American history in your immediate vicinity."

Beyond Black History Month From Learn NC : This article from the University of North Carolina's School of Education offers ways teachers can "shift the lens" and explore African American history from new perspectives. The school has also produced a long list of lesson plans and related resources for teaching Black history.

Celebrate African American Heritage With Scholastic : This rich collection of teaching resources covers a lot of ground, including the Civil Rights Movement, African American contributions to the arts, and slavery in America. Each topic is covered with lesson plans, multimedia, and reading lists.

Black History Month Lessons and Resources From the NEA : The National Education Association produced this exhaustive collection of teaching resources for Black History Month. Lesson plans are provided for all grade levels, and they include quizzes, discussion topics, and background information.

Civil Rights Lessons From the Smithsonian : Smithsonian Source offers a smaller package of document-based question (DBQ) activities and lesson plans with links to source material. There are resources here for all grades, including two elementary school plans and both high school and middle school DBQs.

7 Free Lesson Plans to Teach Black History All Year Long

Classkick Blog

by Briana Kelly

Black History Month may be ending, but the importance of teaching it isn’t. We think celebrating Black History should happen all year long, not just one month! African American history is a huge part of American history. Everyone benefits from knowing about the struggles and contributions of Black leaders throughout history.

Classkick is always striving to help teachers, and one of our company-wide core values is Work Toward Justice. That’s why we created this curated collection of 7 incredible new, FREE lessons for Black History Month and beyond! Teach an inspiring reading, music, ELA, or social studies lesson — with only a few seconds of prep time. Best of all, Classkick lessons work equally well in both the physical classroom and the online classroom.

To help you pick the best lessons for your classroom, Classkick Customer Implementation Specialist Bri Kelly shares more about each one. As always, you can copy these lesson plans to your Classkick account with a single click to modify them as much as you want. Now, join Bri for a closer look at these free assignments:

Meet Black authors and activists and scientists (oh my!)

Influential Black Americans (Grade Level: Primary or Elementary)

Introduce your classroom to influential Black Americans throughout history and the impact of their contributions. They’ll also have a chance to appreciate the power of names by using Classkick’s audio tool to practice the names of each Black History Month star. At the end of the assignment, we left space for students to reflect on Black leaders within their community. Inspire pride and greatness in the whole class with this uplifting free lesson!

Special thanks to The Tutu Teacher for creating the PDF this free social studies lesson is based on!

TIP: the voice recording tool is a great way to store examples of students saying their names, especially during your first few weeks together.

Teach features of nonfiction texts with Martin Luther King, Jr.

MLK Nonfiction Text Features (Upper Elementary Grade Level)

Martin Luther King, Jr. may be the most famous leader of the Civil Rights Movement. But how much do your students really know about him? This pre-differentiated lesson plan will help your students learn more about Dr. King’s legacy and impact, both on African American history and the world as we know it. Students will learn more about MLK Jr. through nonfiction texts, photos, and captions. Teachers can check for understanding by having the class create their own captions for photos and timelines.

We love this lesson because it shows how easy Classkick makes differentiation, scaffolding, and personalized learning. Struggling students can drag manipulatives off hints to scaffold themselves. Early finishers and curious minds can extend their learning with videos about MLK Jr. at the end of the assignment.

TIP: Create “hint boxes” to allow students to self-scaffold throughout assignments.

Dive into history and find out what Juneteenth is all about

Juneteenth Article + Questions (Grade Level: Middle or High School)

Less than a year ago, Juneteenth finally became recognized as a federal holiday. This assignment provides middle and high schoolers with the context and details behind this exciting and important day. Throughout this interactive lesson, secondary students will learn why and how Juneteenth became a day to celebrate freedom for formerly enslaved Black Americans. Use Classkick’s multiple choice feature to check for understanding, then edit everyone’s slide at once to clarify any points of confusion.

TIP: Auto-grade formative assessments instantly by assigning points to each multiple choice question.

Make a new friend and attend a story time about Black inventors

Have You Thanked An Inventor Today? (Grade Level: Primary or Elementary)

Take your class to a virtual story time with this exciting lesson! Join a young friend on an adventure to learn more about different inventions that he uses throughout the day, all of which were invented by African Americans. Multiple choice questions ensure comprehension, and voice prompts give students a chance to verbally discuss their favorite inventions. And just to make sure this is the best story time ever, we included a fun word search to wrap up the lesson!

TIP: Links outside of YouTube + Vimeo videos will open in a new tab.

Monitor reading progress with Jackie Robinson, the first Black baseball player

Jackie Robinson Reading Journal (Grade level: Upper Elementary)

This assignment is perfect for upper elementary students — especially those who LOVE sports but aren’t so sure about reading. Students can build reading fluency with Classkick’s recording tool as they read about one of the greatest baseball players of all time. This is a great way to effortlessly gather running records and reading fluency data while your class enjoys an engaging text. We didn’t forget about comprehension, though. This lesson also provides plenty of opportunities for students to practice writing about what they’ve learned, including sentence summaries and favorite facts.

TIP: Consider recording your own read-aloud and then having students create their own for either the same text or a different one, depending on reading ability and scaffolding needs.

Engage students with music by Black artists

Just Like Music (An Ode to Black Musical Artists) (Middle + Early High School)

Black artists have influenced music for decades. Some of the ways may even surprise teachers! Whether you teach music or not, strike the right chord with your classroom with this relaxing lesson on Black musicians.

This assignment highlights some of the most popular Black musical artists in recent history. Students in grades 6–10 will have the opportunity to share what Black History means to them while learning about the true roots of African American music. After using manipulatives and line tools to link musicians, songs, genres, and definitions, everyone will reflect on their favorite Black artists and the influence their music has had on students’ lives.

TIP: Tap into students’ creativity and have them write their own song. Copy student work to a portfolio when they’re done!

Teach SEL and ELA with Nina Simone

Nina Simone Poem Analysis (Middle School)

This assignment supports both SEL and ELA standards while introducing middle-schoolers to the power of poetry. Use this lesson to create a space for students to evaluate how they feel after reading the lyrics to I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, as performed by Nina Simone herself. Open-ended questions help students find the beauty of subjective analysis of poetry and lyrics. Next, dig deep into critical thinking skills with a big discussion question: what does it truly mean to be free?

TIP: take this lesson to the top of Bloom’s taxonomy by having students create their own poetry. Enable workshopping with Classkick’s Peer Helpers feature, which keeps each poet anonymous. You can even turn on anonymity for the whole class and share your screen with students to show everyone’s amazing work!

BONUS TIP: Incorporate speaking standards by having students use the recording tool while reading their poems aloud at home.

Teachers, do you plan on teaching Black History beyond February? If so, which of these free lessons do you think will engage students the most? Be sure to tell us which ones are your favorite (and why) so we can keep making more. And don’t forget to follow our blog and social media accounts — we’re already working on our next curated collection of free lesson plans for you! (Because who doesn’t want a free lesson plan?)

Written by Classkick Blog

Classkick is a digital notebook app making effective teaching easier. Give more feedback in less time. Automate the busy work so you can do the important work.

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Black History Month

Black history is American history. Black History Month in February provides an opportunity to discuss and reflect on the role Black Americans have played in shaping the United States.

While this dedicated time provides an opportunity to dig deeper into connections with the past, it’s also a reminder of the importance of providing a full and inclusive civics and history education, ensuring opportunities to learn about the history and contributions of Black Americans throughout the year.

Check out our resources for learning about the contributions of Black Americans to our nation’s shared history.

WATCH: Changemakers of the Civil Rights Era

All of our animated videos are two minutes or less in length and include a Teacher’s Guide with resources to support discussion and further learning. These videos were made in conjunction with Makematic.

Breaking Barriers: Constance Baker Motley

Judge Constance Baker Motley broke racial and gender barriers as the first African American woman to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, be elected to the New York State Senate, and be appointed a federal judge.

Ethel Payne: First Lady of the Black Press

As the second Black woman to be a member of the White House Press Corps, Ethel Payne used her position to ask the questions others didn’t and bring civil rights issues to the front page.

Our Untold Stories: Changemakers of the Civil Rights Era video series highlights the lives and work of civil rights activists who are often left out of history books. Find all of our animated videos, including other untold stories from different times in history, on our “teach” page .

LEARN: Explore the Road to Civil Rights

The Road to Civil Rights

Discover the people, groups, and events behind the Civil Rights Movement. In this lesson, students will learn about nonviolent protest, opposition to the movement, and how it took all three branches of the federal government to effect change.

As a result of this lesson, students will be able to use primary documents and images to discover ways in which state and local governments restricted the newly gained freedoms of African Americans after the Civil War. Students will also explore the two approaches of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois in resistance to Jim Crow.

DO: Practice Using Primary Sources

Our DBQuests are a great way to teach students how to draw evidence from texts to support analysis and reflection. DBQuests introduce students to major questions in civics and history, which guide deep examination of three selected primary resources.

Little Rock: Executive Order 10730 DBQuest

In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was desegregated using federal forces. In this DBQuest, students will explore how executive orders can be used to enforce the law. Download the support materials of this DBQuest to engage students in the story of the Little Rock Nine and the integration of Central High School.

The Nashville Sit-Ins DBQuest

What makes a movement successful? The people, actions, or outcome? In this DBQuest, students find out that answering this question is more involved than it may seem. Each of the three primary sources reveals a new perspective on the Nashville Sit-In Movement of 1960, and leads to a deeper understanding of what it means to work for change.

Find more resources in these Curriculum units

Pushing Towards Civil Rights

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• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
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Ways to Celebrate Black History Month: Activities for High School

You can't understand american history without understanding black history. here are a few resources for teaching black history this month and every month.

By Danielle Balderas

Investigating, sharing, and understanding stories and narratives that shape society is crucial to understanding the context in which we live, the politics we’ve both inherited and created, and the education system we’re working to change. Black history is an essential aspect of the “story” of America and the world. As Nikole Hannah-Jones from  The New York Times  most recently demonstrated with her groundbreaking  1619 Project , you can’t understand American history without understanding Black history – and where they converge and diverge. 

While it may seem obvious, teaching Black history needs to be more than a month-a-year endeavor. And it needs to go deeper than the traditional cursory glance at Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks. We should be challenging ourselves and our students to grapple with the full, complicated fabric of history. From  Fannie Lou Hamer , to  Ella Baker , to the  Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee  (SNCC), to  Reconstruction  to the  Harlem Renaissance  – a more holistic approach to Black history offers innumerable opportunities to engage in important discussions around race, gender, class, politics, and culture. 

So, what can you do?

Black History Month activities for high school

Below we’ve compiled some classroom resources for educators who want to offer a more inclusive and complete discussion of the country’s history. 

• The Largest Civil Rights Protest You’ve Never Heard Of  (Rethinking Schools)
• Black Past 
• Teach Reconstruction Campaign  (The Zinn Education Project)
• 50 Resources for Black History Month  (KQED)
• Celebrate Women This Black History Month  (Teaching Tolerance)
• What Counts as History?  (Teaching Tolerance)
• Want to read more and dig deeper into Black history? Take a look at  XQ’s High School Reading List for Black History Month (And Every Month) . 

We’d love to know what resources you’re using and what approaches you’re taking in teaching Black history at your school and with your students. Give us a shout on Twitter @XQAmerica and let us know!

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Black History Month

Subscribe to the 60-Seconds Civics Podcast:

• describe the Children’s March, its purpose, methods, and outcome;
• identify the responsibilities, values, and interests of those involved in the march;
• evaluate the decision to involve children in the march.

Materials Needed

• Student lesson: “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”
• Teacher’s guide: “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”
• Teacher resource: The Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign
• “Ballad of Birmingham,” by Dudley Randall, 1965
• The Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign (Handout 1)
• Video: Janice Kelsey’s Story - [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2]
• Note-Taking Guide: Janice Kelsey’s Story (Handout 2)
• Responsibilities, Values, and Interests Chart (Handout 3)

Before the Lesson   Review or teach “How Should One Choose among Competing Responsibilities, Values, and Interests?”   Lesson Procedure   1. Beginning the lesson . Read Dudley Randall’s “Ballad of Birmingham.” Use the poem to pique students’ interest in the events behind the poem. Ask students whether the poem leaves them wondering about anything described or alluded to in the poem. Ask them if they can connect the poem to anything they have heard or learned about in the past.   2. Reading about it. As a class, read the Children’s Crusade of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign (Handout 1). Ask students to make connections between Handout 1 and the poem, “Ballad of Birmingham.”   3. Video viewing . Introduce the video, Janice Kelsey’s Story, by telling students that Kelsey was a foot soldier in the Children’s Crusade. Have students watch and listen actively using the Note-Taking Guide: Janice Kelsey’s Story (Handout 2).  

• Discuss students’ reactions to Kelsey’s story.
• Discuss the outcome of the Children’s Crusade and what made this strategy successful in Birmingham.

4. Group work . Have students work in small groups to identify the responsibilities, values, and interests of the people listed below. Use the Responsibilities, Values, and Interests Chart (Handout 3). Each group can select one of the bullet points below and present its findings to the class. As an alternative, each member of a group can pretend to be of one of the people listed below and act out their response with other members of their small group.  

• A parent whose son or daughter wants to participate in the march
• A student who wants to participate in the march
• Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel, who organized the march
• A teacher whose students walked out of class to march
• A Birmingham store owner

Discuss students’ findings and the decision to involve children in the civil rights movement.   5. Concluding the lesson . Discuss with the class the ways in which children today make a difference in their communities.    Correlations to the SVPDP Curricula     Foundations of Democracy , middle school level         Authority:                 Unit 1, Lesson 3                                          Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7         Privacy:                    Unit 4, Lesson 9         Responsibility :         Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                          Unit 4, Lesson 11         Justice:                     Unit 1, Lesson 1                                          Unit 2, Lesson 2                                          Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                          Unit 4, Lessons 11 and 12   Foundations of Democracy , high school level         Authority:                  Unit 1, Lesson 2                                          Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7         Privacy:                    Unit 4, Lesson 9         Responsibility:          Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                          Unit 4, Lesson 11         Justice:                     Unit 1, Lesson 1                                           Unit 2, Lesson 3                                           Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                           Unit 4, Lessons 10 and 11       We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution , Level 2 (middle school)         Unit 1, concepts from Lesson 3         Unit 5, Lessons 23, 25, 26         Unit 6, Lessons 29 and 30   We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution , Level 3 (high school)         Unit 1, Lesson 2         Unit 5, Lesson 27         Unit 6, Lessons 33, 34, and 35   Project Citizen , Level 1 (middle school)         What Is Public Policy and Who Makes It?   Project Citizen , Level 2 (high school)         Chapter 1: Introduction to Project Citizen         Chapter 2: An Introduction to Public Policy         Chapter 4: Why Is Citizen Participation Important to Democracy?    

• describe the characteristics of nonviolence;
• discuss the costs and benefits of using nonviolence.

  Materials Needed

• Student Say-So (Handout 1) —two copies per student
•  KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2)
•  Poster paper and markers for the KWL chart and for recording students’ ideas during discussion
•  Characteristics, Costs, and Benefits Chart (Handout 3)
•   “Heed Their Rising Voices,” New York Times , March 29, 1960
•   “Rosa Parks,” by Rita Dove, The Time 100 , June 14, 1999
•   An excerpt from Walking with the Wind , by John Lewis
•   “‘School’ Prepares Negroes for Mass Return to Buses,” December 15, 1956
•   “Notes from a Nonviolent Training Session,” by Bruce Hartford, 1963

Lesson Procedure   1. Beginning the lesson. Begin the lesson by asking students to respond individually to the statements contained in the Student Say-So (Handout 1). Students respond to the statements with - Agree (A), Disagree (D), or Unsure (U). They should complete the same handout after the lesson and discuss if/how their ideas have changed.    2. KWL chart on nonviolence . Complete the KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2) with students to activate prior knowledge and engage students in the lesson. Use the K column to record what students already know, or think they know, about nonviolence. Use the W column to record what they want to know. At the end of the lesson, complete the L column with facts the students have learned. This will also be the point in the lesson at which you invite students to make any necessary corrections to the K column as a result of their new learning.     3. Reading about it . Divide students into small groups. Assign each group one of the sources listed below. Ask the students to become “experts” on the source by reading and taking notes. Tell the students that at the end of the allotted time, they will present a summary of their source to the class. This summary should include specific examples from their source that demonstrate the characteristics, costs, and benefits of nonviolence. Review these terms with your class, if necessary. The Characteristics, Costs, and Benefits Chart (Handout 3) can be used to help students take notes.

•  Heed Their Rising Voices,” New York Times , March 29, 1960: https://www.archives.gov/ exhibits/documented-rights/ exhibit/section4/detail/heed- rising-voices.html
•  “Rosa Parks,” by Rita Dove, The Time 100 , June 14, 1999: http://www.yachtingnet.com/ time/time100/heroes/profile/ parks01.html
• An except from Walking with the Wind , by John Lewis: http://www.tolerance.org/ activity/commitment- nonviolence-leadership-john-l
• “‘School’ Prepares Negroes for Mass Return to Buses,” December 15, 1956: http://www.montgomeryboycott. com/article_561215_schools.htm
• “Notes from a Nonviolent Training Session,” by Bruce Hartford, 1963: http://www.crmvet.org/info/ nv1.htm

4. Whole-class discussion . Use the quotation below to stimulate the class discussion:

“Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn’t negotiation a better path?” You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue [so] that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.   —Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

  Questions to guide discussion:

• According to this quotation, what is the goal of nonviolence?
• Why is nonviolence effective in achieving this goal?
• What have you learned today that demonstrates King’s point? Give specific examples from your reading.

5. Concluding the lesson .

• Complete and correct the KWL Chart on Nonviolence (Handout 2).
• Give students a fresh copy of the Student Say-So (Handout 1). Discuss to see if their attitudes toward nonviolence have changed.

Supplemental Activity: Write a Letter   Remind students that Malcolm X, at one time, did not believe that nonviolence was the best way to gain rights for African Americans. In 1964, he wrote, “Concerning nonviolence: it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.” Write a letter from Martin Luther King Jr. to Malcolm X persuading him that nonviolence is the best way to seek justice for African Americans. Include the characteristics of nonviolence, why it is effective, and other reasons why it should be used. Address concerns that Malcolm X might have had about using this method.   Correlations to the SVPDP Curricula   Foundations of Democracy , middle school level         Authority:              Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3                                       Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7                                       Unit 3, Lesson 8         Privacy:                 Unit 1, Lessons 1, 2, and 3                                       Unit 4, Lessons 9, 10, 11, and 12        Responsibility:        Unit 1, Lesson 2                                                                                  Unit 3, Lessons 6, 7, and 8          Justice:                 Unit 1, Lesson 1                                       Unit 2, Lesson 2                                       Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                       Unit 4, Lessons 11 and 12       Foundations of Democracy , high school level          Authority:              Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 2                                       Unit 2, Lessons 6 and 7                                       Unit 3, Lesson 8         Privacy:                 Unit 1, Lessons 1, 2, and 3                                       Unit 4, Lessons 9 and 10         Responsibility:       Unit 1, Lesson 3                                       Unit 3, Lessons 5 and 6         Justice:                  Unit 1, Lesson 1                                       Unit 2, Lesson 3                                       Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7                                       Unit 4, Lessons 10 and 11   We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution , Level 2 (middle school)         Unit 1, concepts from Lesson 3         Unit 5, Lessons 23, 25, and 26         Unit 6, Lessons 29 and 30     We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution , Level 3 (high school)         Unit 1, Lesson 2         Unit 5, Lesson 27         Unit 6, Lessons 33, 34, and 35     Project Citizen , Level 1 (middle school)         What Is Public Policy and Who Makes It?     Project Citizen , Level 2 (high school)         Chapter 1: Introduction to Project Citizen         Chapter 2: An Introduction to Public Policy         Chapter 4: Why Is Citizen Participation Important to Democracy?  

• identify some of the major historical proponents of nonviolence;
• distinguish between the adherence to nonviolent philosophies (“philosophical nonviolence”) and the strategic application of nonviolent tactics (“tactical nonviolence”);
• describe various nonviolent tactics and the challenges that they present in their implementation;
• develop, present, and defend strategies aimed at bringing about change through nonviolence.

Materials Needed 1. Teacher Concept Paper: Nonviolent Resistance to Oppression 2. Five background information sheets on proponents of nonviolence

• Henry David Thoreau (Handout 1)
• Susan B. Anthony (Handout 2)
• Mohandas K. Gandhi (Handout 3)
• Martin Luther King Jr. (Handout 4)
• Cesar Chavez (Handout 5)

3. Copy for each student of Hypotheticals: Change through Strategic Nonviolent Action (Handout 6) 4. Articles on facts underlying hypothetical situations:

• Hypothetical 1: Based on Bob Jones University
• Hypothetical 2: Based on Shoal Creek Country Club
• Hypothetical 3: Based on John Pickle Co. in Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Hypothetical 4: Based on an article in USA TODAY

Lesson Procedure 1. Beginning the lesson . Ask students to share their understanding of nonviolence as a historical concept and as it practically applies to their everyday lives. Write the terms philosophy , tactics , and strategy on the board and have students free associate these with the concept of nonviolence. Write down the results of the free association on the board and leave it there for the duration of the lesson. Introduce the lesson topic and review the purpose of the lesson with students. 2. Studying historical proponents of nonviolence . Divide the class into pairs and distribute to each pair one background sheet on one of the following major proponents of nonviolence: Henry David Thoreau (Handout 1), Susan B. Anthony (Handout 2), Mohandas K. Gandhi (Handout 3), Martin Luther King Jr. (Handout 4), and Cesar Chavez (Handout 5). Each pair of students will focus on only one proponent. You might pause here to define proponent. Ask each set of paired students to draw a table composed of three columns on a blank sheet of paper, with the columns labeled: (1) Who am I? (2) What did I believe? (3) How did I act on my beliefs? After reading the background information, the students should write notes in each column that respond to the question being posed about their assigned proponent. After students have completed the columns, call on each pair to report highlights of their notes to the class. Use these to create a master table on the board for each of the proponents. Please note that more than one pair of students can be assigned the same proponent. Teacher may then call on pairs who worked on the same proponent at the same time. 3. Defining philosophy v. tactics . Return to the free association between philosophy , tactics , strategy , and nonviolence . Ask the entire class to categorize the quotes and actions in the background sheets as reflecting either philosophical or tactical nonviolence. Guide the class as it comes up with working definitions of philosophical nonviolence and tactical nonviolence . What is the difference between the two? Are the two indivisible? Why does it matter whether something gets labeled as philosophical or tactical? Does a nonviolence strategy require both? Please note that useful background information for teachers may be found in the Teacher Concept Paper: Nonviolent Resistance to Oppression. 4. Tackling change hypotheticals . Distribute the hypothetical situation sheet to students, and then divide the class into four groups, assigning one of the four hypothetical situations to each group. Explain that each hypothetical situation sheet describes a situation that the students, as a group, will seek to reform. Ask students to work in their groups to develop a nonviolent strategy that reflects their own nonviolence philosophy (if any) and includes specific nonviolent tactics to bring about the desired reforms. The strategy and a clear statement of its objectives should be prepared for presentation to the class. Visual aids may be used to complement the presentation. Ask each group to present its hypothetical situation and its proposed strategy of nonviolent action aimed at reform. The other groups should offer constructive critiques of the student group proposals following the presentation. Time permitting, presenting groups may respond to the critiques of their proposals. 5. Concluding the lesson . To conclude the lesson, distribute articles describing the factual situations that served as the basis for the hypotheticals. Lead students in a discussion comparing the hypothetical situations to the actual facts and examine the types of nonviolent tactics actually used and their effectiveness. 6. Assessment . Assign students to search for articles about a current situation that they would like to change. Ask the students to write one-page memos addressed to their fellow students summarizing the situation and then presenting a nonviolent campaign aimed at reforming the situation. In their memo, students may also predict the reaction to their proposed campaign and how best to anticipate and address that response.

• use primary source documents to make observations and take notes
• correct possible misconceptions about events on the day Rosa Parks was arrested
• apply what they have learned about the Fourteenth Amendment
• evaluate the actions of the three key players (Rosa Parks, the bus driver, and the arresting officer) on the day of Rosa Parks’s arrest, based on the standards set by the Municipal City Code of 1955 and the Fourteenth Amendment
• Montgomery City Code (five to ten copies)
• Diagram of the bus (five to ten copies)
• Arrest Report, page 1 (five to ten copies)
• Arrest Report, page 2 (five to ten copies)
• Student Journal: The Arrest Records of Rosa Parks (one copy for each student)
• “Teaching with Documents: An Act of Courage, The Arrest Records of Rosa Parks” (one copy for each student)
• A copy of the Fourteenth Amendment

Before the Lesson Review this guide and all materials provided. Set up four stations around the room. At Station One, place several copies of the Montgomery City Code; at Station Two, place several copies of the diagram of the bus; at Station Three, place several copies of the first page of the police report; and at Station Four, place several copies of page two of the police report (students will likely need help deciphering the handwriting on this page). For large classes, set up two sets of four stations, or complete this lesson in the school library, where you may have more room to move around. For SVPDP teachers: Read or review We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution , Level 1, Lesson 19, or Level 2, Lesson 26. Lesson Procedure 1. Beginning the lesson . Ask students to share aloud everything they know about Rosa Parks. Write their answers on a chalkboard or chart paper. This should be done fairly quickly and conducted similar to a brainstorm activity, where there are no right or wrong answers. Simply list the responses, and then set them aside to return to later in the lesson. 2. Working with primary source documents . Tell students that they will examine the experience of Rosa Parks on the day she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white. Explain to students that they will be looking at copies of the actual papers pertaining to her arrest. Help students differentiate between primary and secondary source documents. Give each student a journal and ask them to go to each of the four stations to look at the documents and write about what they see, answering the questions provided. (They do not need to go to the stations in order. Students may disperse to view the documents individually, or you might choose to have them visit the various stations in assigned groups.) 3. Sharing their findings . After students have visited all four stations and returned to their seats with their journals completed, distribute copies of “Teaching with Documents: An Act of Courage, The Arrest Records of Rosa Parks.” Read the first paragraph of “Teaching with Documents,” then have students look at their answers from Station One.

• What does Section 10 require bus drivers to do? (Answer: Keep the races separate on the bus.)
• What kind of authority does Section 11 of the Montgomery City Code give bus drivers? (Answer: The same authority as police officers.)
• How is the bus driver supposed to use his authority according to Section 11? (Answer: The bus driver is supposed to use his authority to keep the races separate.)

Read the second paragraph of “Teaching with Documents,” and direct students’ attention to the diagram of the bus. Show students the first ten seats that were designated as the white section of the bus. Point out that Rosa Parks was not in the white section of the bus. Ask the following questions:

• Which rule in the Montgomery City Code that you just read support Rosa Parks’s position that she should not have to move? (Answer: She wasn’t in the white section; the races were still separate.)
• What language in the Montgomery City Code supports the bus driver’s position? (Answer: The bus driver has the authority of a police officer. It is unlawful for “any passenger to refuse or fail to take a seat among those assigned to the race he belongs.”)

Read the third paragraph of “Teaching with Documents.” Remind students that Rosa Parks was charged with “refusing to obey orders of bus driver,” which was against the city code at the time. Remind them that there was a higher law, however: the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the highest law in the land. Ask students to review or apply what they have learned about the Fourteenth Amendment to this situation.

• How was Rosa Parks’s arrest seemingly a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment? Was there a good and fair reason for her not to sit anywhere she liked on the bus?
• Why were states able to have laws upholding segregation when the Constitution said that people were entitled to “equal protection under the law?”
• Rosa Parks’s mother asked her, “Did they beat you?” How does her question demonstrate that the Fourteenth Amendment was not being upheld in Montgomery, Alabama?
• From what you have learned from this account and others, does it seem like “separate” was ever “equal”? Give examples.

Read the fourth paragraph of “Teaching with Documents.” Emphasize to students that Mrs. Parks was very active in the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Tell them she is often portrayed as someone who was “just tired,” but in reality she was someone who had struggled against segregation for a long time. Look at page one of the police report from Rosa Parks’s arrest.

• What did the bus driver say was the problem? (Answer: A black woman was sitting in the white section of the bus and would not move to the back.) Ask: Is that a true statement? Was Rosa Parks seated in the white section of the bus?
• Which city code was Rosa Parks charged with violating? (Answer: Section 11: Powers of persons in charge of vehicle; passengers to obey directions.)
• What date was this report written? (Answer: December 1, 1955)

Ask the following questions:

• Is it always wrong to disobey laws and rules?
• What are some consequences of disobeying laws and rules?

Explain that Rosa Parks and others in the civil rights movement disobeyed rules and laws and accepted the consequences as a way to demonstrate that the laws were unjust and wrong. By responding nonviolently to mistreatment, they were powerful in their efforts to bring about change. Look at page two of the police report from Rosa Parks’s arrest.

• What does it list as the charges against Rosa Parks? (Answer: Refusing to obey orders of a bus driver.)
• What is listed as Rosa Parks’ nationality? (Answer: Negro)
• Nationality refers to the country in which one is born or of which one has become a citizen. Rosa Parks was born in America. Why do you think the police did not list her nationality as “American”? (Answers will vary.)
• Does it seem from this report that African Americans in Montgomery were viewed as full-fledged American citizens? What would have been listed under “Nationality” if the police officer had viewed Rosa Parks as an American citizen?
• How might being considered noncitizens affect the way African Americans were treated by police officers and other officials?
• The Montgomery City Code says that equalbut separate accommodations must be provided for whites and “negroes.” Thinking about Rosa Parks’s experience, were equal accommodations provided?
• What is the danger in saying things are equal when they are not?
• What we have learned . Look back at the list the students developed at the beginning of the class, and ask them the following:
• How much of their list was accurate?
• What was inaccurate or perhaps a misconception?
• What have they learned about Rosa Parks or the events of that day?
• What is the value of working with primary source documents?

Help students understand how Rosa Parks’s arrest began the Montgomery Bus Boycott and led to Parks being known as the “mother of the modern civil rights movement.” Remind students that the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) declared that separate but equal educational facilities are unconstitutional—the decision pertained only to schools—and that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally ended segregation in public places. Correlations to SVPDP Curricula

Foundations of Democracy , Elementary School Level

      Authority:             Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3

                                  Unit 2, Lessons 7 and 9

                                  Unit 4, Lesson 11

      Justice:                Unit 1, Lesson 1

                                  Unit 2, Lessons 2 and 3

                                  Unit 3, Lessons 5 and 6

                                  Unit 4, Lessons 9 & 10

      Responsibility:     Unit 1, Lesson 1

                                  Unit 2, Lessons 3 and 4

                                  Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7

Foundations of Democracy , Middle School Level

      Authority:             Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3

                                  Unit 3, Lesson 6

                                  Unit 4, Lessons 8 and 9

                                  Unit 5, Lessons 12 and 14

      Responsibility:     Unit 1 Lessons 1 and 2

                                  Unit 2, Lesson 4

                                  Unit 3, Lesson 5

                                  Unit 2, Lesson 3

                                  Unit 3, Lessons 7 and 8

                                  Unit 4, Lessons 10, 11, and 12

We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution

      Level 1 (Elementary)        Lesson 19

      Level 2 (Middle School)   Lesson 26

Project Citizen , Level 1

      “What is Public Policy and Who Makes It?” This lesson was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents of this lesson do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. ©2012. Center for Civic Education. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely reproduce and use this lesson for nonprofit, classroom use only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.

• Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3 • Unit 2, Lessons 7 and 9 • Unit 4, Lesson 11

• Unit 1, Lesson 1 • Unit 2, Lessons 2 and 3 • Unit 3, Lessons 5 and 6 • Unit 4, Lessons 9 and 10

• Responsibility

• Unit 1, Lesson 1 • Unit 2, Lessons 3 and 4 • Unit 3, Lessons 6 and 7

Foundations of Democracy , Middle School Level • Authority

• Unit 1, Lessons 1 and 3 • Unit 3, Lesson 6 • Unit 4, Lessons 8 and 9 • Unit 5, Lessons 12 and 14

• Unit 1 Lessons 1 and 2 • Unit 2, Lesson 4 • Unit 3, Lesson 5

• Unit 1, Lesson 1 • Unit 2, Lesson 3 • Unit 3, Lessons 7 and 8 • Unit 4, Lessons 10, 11, and 12

• We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution

• Level 2 (Middle school), Lessons 26 and 29 • Level 3 (High school), Lessons 17 and 19

This lesson was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the contents do of this lesson do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. © 2011, Center for Civic Education. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely reproduce and use this lesson for nonprofit, classroom use only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.

[1] Patrick, John J. "Civic Education for Constitutional Democracy: An International Perspective. ERIC Digest." ERICDigests.Org - Providing Full-text Access to ERIC Digests . ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education Bloomington IN., 00 Dec. 1995. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. <http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-3/civic.htm>.

Center for Civic Education

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  Phone: (818) 591-9321

  Email: [email protected]

  Media Inquiries: [email protected]

  Website: www.civiced.org

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The Black History That Moves Us: A Resource List for Educators

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Beyond February: Teaching Black History Any Day, Every Day, and All Year Long, K–3 (book)

This guide by Dawnavyn James (who also contributed to this resource list) supports elementary educators in their Black history instruction. Because Black history is often taught during February, this book dives into ways that Black history can be taught throughout the school year.

The book includes examples from the classroom and additional resources for educators to use in their classrooms. There are templates for educators, frequently asked questions about elementary Black history instruction, and strategies for reading Black-history-centered picture books.

Beyond February gives examples of what Black history can look like in social studies, literacy, math, and science instruction and weaves in personal stories of the author’s experience teaching Black history in elementary classrooms.

Black Lives Matter at School, edited by Denisha Jones & Jesse Hagopian (book)

This text chronicles National Black Lives Matter at School , a movement that began in Seattle in 2016, through interviews, essays, poems, lessons, and depictions of campaigns.

The book includes writings from leading voices in anti-racist education like Bettina Love and Wayne Au but also highlights the work of teachers, community and union activists, and, most importantly, the students who have built this national movement through a variety of activities, events, and its annual week of action in February. (This year, the week of action will occur Feb. 5-9.)

Part activist guide, part autobiographical account, it reveals the struggles and challenges to institutional racism in schools by focusing on the movement’s four key demands: 1) ending zero-tolerance discipline practices, 2) mandating Black history and ethnic-studies classes, 3) hiring more Black teachers, and 4) funding counselors, not police officers, for schools.

“ Coded Bias ” (documentary)

This Netflix documentary was created by MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini to expose the racial bias, sexism, and flaws of artificial intelligence, facial-recognition technology, and software algorithms. This documentary encourages educators to more closely analyze the role of technology, specifically generative artificial intelligence, and to advocate ethical and inclusive technology.

Included are stories of algorithmic discrimination related to policing, surveillance, hiring practices, technology, and housing. Each story gives viewers an in-depth exploration of how data and algorithms can reinforce existing inequalities and harm marginalized communities.

Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness by Simone Browne (book)

This book examines the intersection of surveillance and race. Browne delves into the history of surveillance technologies and practices, highlighting how Black bodies have been surveilled, controlled, and commodified throughout history, from the era of slavery to modern surveillance technologies.

Dark Matters informs us of the history, strategy, planning, and technologies behind the creation of the slave ship. When it comes to teaching slavery in the United States, we can no longer shy away from the brutal truth of transporting, branding, owning, selling, and tracking Black bodies across land and sea.

“ High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America ” (docuseries)

This Netflix docuseries centers not just on the richness of African American cuisine but also on the richness of Black history. Food journalist Stephen Satterfield and culinary historian Jessica B. Harris trace the origins of different dishes and highlight the history of Black people, their culture, and a variety of cooking techniques and recipes.

“High on the Hog” can be used by educators and families alike to educate children and themselves about the people and places that cultivate the culture and meals that nourish the souls of Black people.

Through the two seasons of this docuseries, viewers get to hear stories of resistance and agency, meet historical and modern chefs, and learn innovative recipes.

Histematics (video)

Histematics, a concept created by former Philadelphia public school teacher Akil Parker, is a combination of history and mathematics. Parker offers a unique approach when encouraging pre- and in-service teachers to combine subjects, specifically history and mathematics. Through the concept of Histematics, he has been able to attract and engage the attention of many as his theory of mathematics education continues to evolve.

Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery (online archive)

After the Civil War, finding family members was a priority for formerly enslaved people. Launched in 2017 as a collaboration between Villanova University’s graduate history program and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Last Seen is an extensive collection of primary-source ads from across the country placed by family members searching to reconnect with loved ones. The ads reveal the perseverance, hope, and problem-solving of the Black community during and after Reconstruction.

The ads can be searched by location, specific term, and name, and a variety of filters can be used to narrow down results. An interactive global map indicates the locations where ads were placed or appeared. Last Seen also includes several lesson plans for elementary through high school on how to use the primary sources to learn about the domestic slave trade, the lives of the enslaved, resistance, and family separation.

Teaching White Supremacy by Donald Yacovone (book)

This 2022 book chronicles the deliberate creation of a white supremacist narrative that has been pervasive in our country’s educational system, especially in K-12 textbooks and curriculum . Yacovone explores how ideologies of white supremacy have deep roots in education starting with the nation’s inception and continuing to the present day and have become a major part of our collective national identity.

For teachers, this resource provides an argument to teach diverse perspectives and to critique what (and most importantly who) is considered an American. In these divisive times, this book provides important historical context to current attacks on teachers, books, and school boards teaching about race, racism, and white supremacy in the classroom.

Suggested Instagram Pages:

• @iamblacklit : a Black, woman-owned bookstore featuring all-Black authors
• @HBCUprepschool : a Black-owned shop with books and other instructional and learning materials created for children by founder Claudia Walker
• @justice4blackgirls : a Black, women-owned platform to amplify voices of Black girls and women

Explore the Collection

Read more from historians and educators celebrating the history and progression of Black history education. In this special Opinion collection, explore the history of the discipline and find resources for teachers today.

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• Lesson Plan Collections
• Harmony Student Wellness Program
• Student Edition
• Trace It Back
• An American History of Rock and Soul
• Partnerships

Without doubt, the history of American popular music is the history of Black experience in the United States. From the banjo (one of America’s earliest popular instruments) to Hip Hop, popular music has been continually informed by the cultural resilience, ingenuity, and genius of the African American community in the face of enormous injustice.

The lesson collection below highlights the intersections of music and black experience in America, from slavery to the Civil War to abolition to Reconstruction and sharecropping to the Great Migration to Southern integration . The collection also focuses on the various social movements initiated by the Black community, from  Civil Rights to Black Power to Black Lives Matter . In addition, a pair of lessons explore the establishment of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday – both the legislative process and Stevie Wonder’s long-lasting musical contribution to the successful public campaign. Finally, several lessons focus on prominent African American writers and artists such as Langston Hughes , Gwendolyn Brooks , and Gordon Parks .

lesson: Music of the Civil Rights Movement

How did music advance the goals and inform the tactics of the Civil Rights Movement?

lesson: The Black Origins of Punk

How did the bands X-Ray Spex, Bad Brains, and Death define Punk on their own terms?

lesson: Identifying and Resisting Jim Crow with Words and Songs

How have works of literature and music by Black Americans shared an empowering theme of identifying and resisting Jim Crow?

lesson: How a Bill Becomes a Law: Legislating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

How does a bill become a law in the United States of America?

Student Edition: Afrofuturism and Flying Africans

lesson: How Dr. King’s Birthday Became A National Holiday

How did Dr. King’s Birthday become a national holiday?

lesson: Writing Personal Narratives and The Harlem Renaissance

How do Langston Hughes, Gladys Bentley, and Louis Armstrong effectively write personal narratives about living during the Harlem Renaissance?

Student Edition: Funk Upon A Time: The Beginnings of Funk

lesson: Blues, Poetry, and the Harlem Renaissance

How does Langston Hughes’ Blues-inspired poetry exemplify the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance?

lesson: The Juke Joint: Where Oral Literature Comes Alive

What role do Blues lyrics and juke joints play in Black American literature and life?

lesson: Swing Down: Afrofuturism & Flight in the Black Imagination

What is Afrofuturism and what are some of the cultural traditions and historical events that inspired and reinforced it?

Student Edition: Who Is Mavis Staples?

Student Edition: “Y’all Better Quiet Down”: Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ Pioneers

lesson: “Glory” and the Continuing Civil Rights Movement

How does Common and John Legend's “Glory” signal Civil Rights movements of the past and the present?

Student Edition: Lost Friends

lesson: “Alright” and the History of Black Protest Songs

How have Black artists throughout the 20th century used music to speak about racial injustice in America?

lesson: #BlackLivesMatter: Music in a Movement

How have musicians responded to the Black Lives Matter movement?

lesson: DAMN.: The Art and Importance of Storytelling

How do Kendrick Lamar’s album DAMN. and the work of photojournalist Gordon Parks tell stories that bring attention to social issues?

lesson: Celebrating Community with Art and Poetry (Elementary School Version)

What different types of communities exist, and how do the people in our communities impact us?

lesson: Celebrating Community with Art and Poetry (High School Version)

lesson: Debating the Apollo 11 Moon Landing

What was NASA’s Apollo program and why was it controversial?

lesson: The Crossroads as a Literary Symbol

How have writers, storytellers, and musicians explored the crossroads as a symbol in their work?

lesson: The Blues and the Great Migration

How did the Great Migration spread Southern culture, helping to give the Blues a central place in American popular music?

lesson: Muddy Waters, the New Kid in Town

How did Muddy Waters’ music change after he moved to Chicago, and what does that say about the relationship between place and self-expression?

lesson: The Science and Civics of the Flint Water Crisis (Elementary/Middle School School Version)

What is the Flint water crisis, and why did it occur?

lesson: The Reclamation of the American Cowboy

How has the image and history of the American cowboy been reclaimed in the 21st Century?

lesson: Almost Emancipated: Reconstruction

What is the significance of Reconstruction and what does it reveal about the freedom that the post-Civil War constitutional amendments secured for African Americans?

lesson: Almost Emancipated: The Civil War and the Port Royal Experiment

How does the Union occupation of Port Royal highlight the complex issues behind the Civil War?

Student Edition: Who is Lizzo?

lesson: The Banjo, Slavery, and the Abolition Debate

What is the relationship between the banjo and slavery, and how did music making by enslaved people influence the abolition debate during the 18th and early 19th century?

lesson: The Rise of Black Pride

How did Social Soul reflect a new vision of African-American identity in the late 1960s and early 1970s?

lesson: Producing the Sounds of a Changing South

How did the recordings Sam Phillips produced at Sun Records, including Elvis Presley’s early work, reflect trends of urbanization and integration in the 1950s American South?

lesson: ChocQuibTown: Embracing Cultural Identity through Colombian Rap

How can the music of ChocQuibTown, from the Pacific Coast of Colombia, help students express and celebrate their cultural identity through Rap?

• Trace It Back - People
• AP/Honors/101
• Elementary 3-6
• Ethnic Studies
• General Music
• Physical Education
• Social Emotional Learning
• Social Studies/History

Black History Month: Home

To help students understand the reality of Black people's experiences in American history, their impact on American culture, and to celebrate their achievements, we've compiled a selection of lesson plans that cover a variety of subjects that can be adapted to fit multiple grade levels.

Database Resources

• Facts on File- African American History This link opens in a new window

Curated Collections

Classroom activities.

Notable African Americans from the 18th-century to the present In this Jeopardy-type quiz game students in  grades 5-12  can choose from three levels of difficulty to test their knowledge of famous African Americans. Spelling counts, for example Billy Holiday rather than Billie Holiday would be marked incorrect.

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

To begin this inquiry lesson, students can construct a timeline from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Library of Congress’s  Chronicling America newspaper sources  and the  Digital Public Library of America . Students might also research people and key phrases around these critical years:

Activities & Lesson Plans

Lesson plans.

Rhythm & Improv: Jazz & Poetry Students in  grades 9-12  analyze jazz music, considering sound, rhythm, and improvisation in order to identify jazz characteristics in poems by Yusef Komunyakaa, Sonia Sanchez, and Langston Hughes. They will then incorporate the elements in their own poetry.

Teaching Hard History These resources for middle- and high-school educators include Learning for Justice's grades 6–12 framework, as well as student-facing videos and primary source texts to help all students grasp the historical significance of slavery. Educators will also find teaching tools and professional development resources. 

Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten Through a series of video clips and activities, students can learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and how the community of Tulsa is coming to terms with its past, present, and future.

African American English In this unit, students in  grades 9-12  examine several hypotheses about the development of African American English (AAE), consider how AAE has been treated in schools, and analyze the influential role of AAE in modern culture and society.

PBS Black History Lesson Plans These lesson plans and resources cover topics ranging from civil rights events to discussions about race in current events. These lessons are appropriate for history, ELA and social studies classrooms. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture's Learning Labs The Smithsonian's free, interactive platform provides ways to explore well-known and lesser-known moments of history by utilizing objects, documents, imagery, and videos to enhance content knowledge, hone historical thinking skills and inspire users to see themselves as agents of change. (Free account registration required) 

Featured Authors

Social Studies Resources

African American History Month Exhibits & Collections Resources covering art and design, baseball, civil rights, culture, folklife, military, music and performing arts, religion, slavery, and resource guides.

W. E. B. Du Bois: Online Resources Includes digital materials related to W. E .B. Du Bois and links to external Web sites.

Separate Is Not Equal - Brown v. Board of Education History, images, and other resources covering the historic Supreme Court ruling ending segregation and ensuring opportunity in education.

Africans in America Images, documents, stories, biographies, and commentaries. The site provides teacher’s and youth guides. The four part series may be in local libraries.

Black History - Biography - Celebrate Black History Month & People Biographies, photos and videos of notable African Americans.

• Last Updated: Jan 31, 2024 12:01 PM
• URL: https://ramseyhs.libguides.com/c.php?g=1377592

• SOCIAL MEDIA

Black History Month Lesson Plan

Share the importance of black history month with your students. bring classrooms to life with my hero's multimedia resources and lesson plan for teachers. includes discussion guide and learning outcomes..

Click here for resources curated for elementary students. 

Activity suggestions are included.

Lesson Resources for Middle and High School Students

Students watch the following black history month films reflecting on the fight for civil rights..

The March for Freedom 1963

Nonviolent civil disobedience based on Christian beliefs started long before the 1963 peaceful protest, March for Freedom on Washington D.C. PASSWORD: 2march4freedom1963

William D Matthews: A Cure for Rebellion

This documentary tells the story of William D. Matthews, , abolitionist, and Civil War veteran, who assisted African-Americans escaping from slavery using the Underground Railroad, and led troops to victory, as the first African-American officer, in the Civil War.

Black History Film Discussion Questions

1. What were the contributions of A. Phillip Randolph, Bayard Rustin and A.J. Muste to the Civil Rights Movement? 

2. What effect did the March for Freedom in 1963 have on the rights of individuals? What still needs to be done to ensure equal rights for all?  

3. William D. Mathews is an example of an unsung hero who fought for freedom. Who are other unsung heroes who have fought or are fighting for equal rights and freedom from discrimination? Consider sharing their story with MY HERO.

4. The students from Seaman High School produced the film honoring William D. Mathews. Students are encouraged to use this as an example of how to honor their hero through audio and images in film.

Black History Month | Featured Hero: John Lewis

Citizenship

A film about John Lewis on citizenship and character: "To be a good citizen is to obey the rules...the laws. Unless those laws conflict with your conscience.

Congressman John Lewis, Portrait by Robert Shetterly, AWTT.org

John Lewis was involved in the Civil Rights Movement as a young man and then later became a member the House of Representatives from the state of Georgia.

Congressman John Lewis Discussion Questions

1. In the film Citizenship, Congressman John Lewis states when the laws conflict with our conscience, we have an obligation to disobey the laws. Do you agree or disagree with Lewis?

2. Were the civil rights activists of the 1960s successful in changing the laws by breaking the laws? 

3. What character traits do you think a good citizen possesses?

4. As a student, what tools do you have in your power to affect laws in your country?

The following films, which were recognized at the MY HERO International Film Festival, are by young emerging African American student filmmakers.

Racism Must Stop

Heroes Wanted

Breonna's Garden AR

An expressionistic account of a devastating historical event by emerging filmmaker Gabrielle Gorman.

Emerging Filmmakers Discussion Questions

1. How do these films look back at history and also tell us about the African American experience today?

2. How do each filmmaker's personal beliefs and individual styles influence the content of each film? 

3. How does racism still exist today? 

Learn about Byran Stevenson and the Equal Justice Initiative.

Bryan Stevenson

Bryan Stevenson has been recognized across the globe for the work that he has done to address poverty and racial inequality.

The Equal Justice Initiative

Bryan Stevenson and Equal Justice Initiative litigate cases for the unjustly imprisoned and work to reform the justice system.

Amanda Gorman made history as America's First Youth Poet Laureate and read her poem "The Hill We Climb" at Joe Biden's Presidential Inauguration.

Learn more about Amanda Gorman by reading this story by Shannon Luders-Manuel.

Listen to Amanda Gorman reciting "The Hill We Climb". Scroll down to external links to find a lesson plan by PBS for "The Hill We Climb". 

Amanda Gorman: The Poet Who Healed a Nation

The Hill We Climb by Poet Hero Amanda Gorman

Audio of The Hill We Climb "For there was always light. If only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it." 

Black Lives Matter: Students learn about the Black Lives Matter Movement through art. 

George Floyd

Portrait of Breonna Taylor

George Floyd became a national symbol against police brutality on the black community. The Black Lives Matter's movement honors him and fights for injustices against the black community at the hands of the police.

Breonna Taylor

Ahmaud Arbery

Click on the banner below for additional artwork honoring black history heroes.

Historian Carter Woodson - Known as the Father of Black History Month

The historian Carter Woodson is known as the "Father of Black History Month." In 1926, he established Negro History Week. He chose the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Half a century later, this observance evolved into Black History Month, which we celebrate the entire month of February.

Carter G. Woodson

Carter Woodson, "Father of Black History Month," founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History because the contributions of African Americans "were overlooked and ignored.

From Slavery to Speeches: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass understood the power of stories. He wrote several autobiographies through his life, from slavery to statesman. He was a powerful advocate for the Abolitionist and Suffragist movement, and famous orator and writer.

Carter Woodson started the Association for the Study of African American Life and History because he felt the contributions of African Americans were "overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them."

In light of Woodson's quote, why do you think Frederick Douglass wrote multiple autobiographies? What might have happened if he did not write down his life story?

W.E.B. Dubois and Katherine Johnson

Students read the stories about W.E.B. Dubois and Katherine Johnson and watch the middle school-produced film, Katherine Johnson, the Human-Computer . Then consider the discussion questions . 

W.E.B. Dubois

Martin Luther King, Jr. said "history cannot ignore W.E.B. Dubois." Dubois was a leading 20th century writer and scholar who laid the intellectual foundations of African American literature and civil rights movement.

Katherine Johnson

Her story was hidden for decades: Katherine Johnson plotted multiple flight courses for NASA, including the Apollo 11 spacecraft, the first spaceship to reach the moon. This story is available in text with audio.

Katherine Johnson: The Human Computer

W.e.b. dubois and katherine johnson discussion questions.

1. Woodson thought the contributions of African Americans were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who used them. How does Woodson's quote relate to the story of Katherine Johnson, and the title of the movie about her, Hidden Figures ?

2. Martin Luther King, Jr. said "history cannot ignore W.E.B. Dubois." Based on your reading of the story, what do you think King meant by his statement? Why is what he said true or not true? 

3. What can we do today to  keep stories from being overlooked, ignored or suppressed? 

Additional stories of black heroes in history across disciplines

Constance Baker Motley

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Word Revolutionist: James Baldwin

Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Peter Norman

My hero black history month resources to enrich learning.

Click on the following thumbnails for curated stories, art and films on Civil Rights Heroes and World Leaders; Heroes in Art, Music & Literature; Sports Heroes; and Science Heroes, as we celebrate Black History Month.

Black History Month | Civil Rights Heroes and World Leaders

MY HERO Celebrates Black History Month. Be Inspired by African American Civil Rights Heroes and World Leaders.

Black History Month | Heroes in Music, Art, and Literature

MY HERO Celebrates Black History Month. Learn about Heroes in Music, Art, and Literature

Black History Month | Heroes in Sports

MY HERO Celebrates Black History Month. Get inspired by African American Heroes in Sports.

Black History Month | Heroes in the Sciences

MY HERO Celebrates Black History with this feature on African American Heroes in the Sciences

Black Lives Matter - Voices for Hope and Change Resource Showcase

Learning Outcomes

As students recognize the contributions of individuals to the abolition of slavery and civil rights movement, they will develop critical thinking skills. Students will identity civil rights leaders who inspire them. Students are encouraged to stand up for their rights and the rights of others, both in their community and globally.  

MY HERO Calendars for use in the Classroom

MY HERO's Teachers Calendar Features Lesson Plans and Multimedia Resources

Learn about a New Hero Every Day of the Year: Use the MY HERO Calendar in the Classroom

Links to more Black History Month resources.

15 great movies for kids and families for Black History Month

From USA Today: celebrate Black History Month by watching these movies that depict the lives of African-American heroes and the ongoing quest for greater human decency.

Timeline of Black History from Infoplease

Mission: "Infoplease is a reference and learning site, combining the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas and several almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records. The content is written and edited by professional editors, and the site has received numerous awards and accolades since launch. Parents, teachers and librarians turn to Infoplease for information on an array of topics, including current events, pop culture, science, government and history. "

National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture opened Sept. 24, 2016, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Occupying a prominent 5-acre location next to the Washington Monument, the nearly 400,000-square-foot museum is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive cultural destination devoted exclusively to exploring, documenting and showcasing the African American story and its impact on American and world history.

Even More MY HERO Resources to Use in the Classroom

How to use MY HERO's Create Program to Publish Stories, Art, Film and Audio for Students

Tutorial for students: Publish written stories, film, original artwork and audio in MY HERO's multimedia library.

And the easiest, quickest way to make a difference in the world is to sign the MY HERO Guestbook

Organizer created on 1/17/2020 11:21:24 AM by Laura Nietzer

Last edited 1/31/2024 11:19:45 AM by Laura Nietzer

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Hands-on and Minds-curious Art Learning

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February 21, 2019 1 Comment

Teaching the Past, Creating the Future: Black History Month Art Lessons

Inside: A collection of posts and resources with artworks by Black artists, civil rights art, African art, art projects, book suggestions, and more to teach Black History art lessons.

When students are exposed to a variety of works of art, they learn about the world and themselves. Children deserve to see the wide variety of possibilities in art, both in terms of art making and the artists behind the works. 

Black History Month is a time to discuss the history and celebrate the contributions of Black culture and individuals. These lessons should not be kept solely in the history classroom. Looking at art helps students develop empathy , flex thinking and observation skills, connect with history , get in touch with their creative side, and savor the human spirit. Black History Month offers art teachers a fantastic opportunity to feature Black artists and artworks about Black history in their classroom.

To support art teachers and ensure that they have a variety of artworks to choose from, this post is a collection of Black History Month art lessons from Art Class Curator, all of which you’ll find links to below. Most of the posts include looking questions, tips, information, and resources to help you teach the works of art.

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Free Printable Art Worksheets

The more time students spend looking at art, the easier it is for them to explore the narratives, techniques, and meanings behind the artworks. Take learning to a deeper level with a ready-to-go art lessons from the Art Appreciation Worksheet Bundle.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! 1. Pick a Black history artwork below 2. Print one of the Art Appreciation Worksheets 3. Watch with joy as your students connect with and interpret art

Free Worksheets

8 Free Art Appreciation Worksheets

Includes the elements & principles.

Download 8 Free Art Appreciation Worksheets – including 2 Elements and Principles pages! Activities designed to work with almost any work of art. Help your students connect with art while having fun!

Black History Month Art Lessons

This list of Black history month art lessons is of course not a full representation of all Black artists. These are the artists we have written about to date on Art Class Curator. We will update this post as we create new resources!

Black Artists

Kehinde wiley.

Kehinde Wiley is an American artist known for his powerful portraits of African Americans. He was chosen to paint  Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait in 2018.

Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson

Wiley is best known for painting young Black people, often placing them in into versions of portraits from art history. His paintings fuse the past and present in ways that force us to confront our notions of wealth, importance, race, and gender. In this lesson, put a Wiley artwork next to the artwork is was inspired by and lead an art discussion. This Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson blog post includes discussion questions, interpretation activities, as well as classroom extensions.

Lesson : Portraits for a New Century: Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson

Betye Saar is an American artist known for her assemblage and collage artworks.

Betye Saar Art Lesson

Saar uses stereotypical and potentially-offensive material to make social commentary, which makes her work an excellent way to teach kids about the world, acceptance, and empathy. In this lesson, students discuss an assemblage Saar created around a depiction of Aunt Jemima and watch a video of the artist discussing the work. This Betye Saar Art Lesson also includes several project ideas and extensions.

Lesson : The Liberation of Aunt Jemima

Augusta Savage

Augusta Savage was an American sculptor and prominent member of the Harlem Renaissance in New York City. She opened her own studio and became an influential teacher.

Augusta Savage Art Lesson

There have been few sculptors who can capture emotion in a subject like Augusta Savage. In this Augusta Savage Art Lesson , students learn about her life, discuss some of her work, and read In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor .

Lesson : The Art of Augusta Savage Artist Biography

• Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is an award-winning American painter, writer, sculptor, and performance artist. She is best known for her narrative quilts.

Faith Ringgold Art Lesson

Ringgold started out as a painter and focused much of her art on telling the stories of the Civil Rights Movement and her experiences growing up in Harlem. On a trip to Europe in 1972, Ringgold experiences some Nepali artworks that used fabrics around the border. This inspired her to start making quilt paintings, and those are the artworks she’s become best known for. In this Faith Ringgold Art Lesson , students dive into Ringgold’s The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles and imagine what it would be like to be the fictional woman featured in the artwork. To extend the lesson, students complete a portrait project and read Dinner at Aunt Connie’s House or one of Ringgold’s other children’s books.

Lesson : Faith Ringgold’s Celebration of African American Women Artist Biography

Ed Johnetta Miller

Ed Johnetta Miller is is a renowned American fiber artist, quilter, and teacher who regularly works within her community. Her work is often inspired by color, patterns, and jazz music.

Ed Johnetta Miller Art Lesson

One of Miller’s community art projects was an improvisational quilt completed with the children and families of Yale New Haven’s Children’s Hospital.

Lesson: Community Art Project Inspired by Ed Johnetta Miller

Get the Full Lesson!

This Lesson is in The Curated Connections Library!

Find the full lesson from this post along with hundreds of other art teaching resources and trainings in the Curated Connections Library. Click here for more information about how to join or enter your email below for a free SPARKworks lesson from the membership!

Romare Bearden

Romare Bearden was an American artist and author who created cartoons, oil paintings, and collages. He grew up in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance .

Romare Bearden Art Lesson

Featured in Multicultural Kid Blogs , this Romare Bearden Art Lesson recaps Bearden’s life, explores his art, and includes a collection of projects, books, and lessons.

Lesson : The Art of Romare Bearden

• Henry Ossawa Tanner

Henry Ossawa Tanner was a world-renowned American artist best known for his religious artworks.

Henry Ossawa Tanner Art Lesson

This Henry Ossawa Tanner Art Lesson features several artworks from the man who was “one of the first African-American artists to achieve a reputation in both America and Europe”. Six of Tanner’s artworks are presented for use with the Charlotte Mason Picture Study Technique .

Lesson : Henry Ossawa Tanner Artist Biography

Yinka Shonibare

Yinka Shonibare is a British-Nigerian artist whose work delves into cultural identities, colonialism, and globalisation. He is best known for his sculptural installations.

Yinka Shonibare Art Lesson

The Swing  is Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s best known work and is an icon of the Rococo style. Shonibare recreated the famous artwork and gave us a lot to think about regarding race, class, and multiculturalism. In this Yinka Shonibare Art Lesson , students compare and contrast the two artworks.

Lesson : Yinka Shonibare’s The Swing : Culture & Identity in a Global Society

Prince Twins Seven-Seven

Prince Twins Seven-Seven was a Nigerian painter, musician, actor, writer, and poet. He was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2005.

Prince Twins Seven-Seven Art Lesson

In this Prince Twins Seven-Seven Art Lesson , students consider his Healing of Abiko Children , watch a video of the artist discussing the artwork, and can read a book about his art and life .

Lesson : Twins Seven-Seven’s Healing of Abiko Children

Black History Month Art Projects

The internet outside of Art Class Curator has lots of great Black history month art lessons as well! Check out these links.

• Freedom Quilts  by  Colors of my Day — Upper Elementary students create quilt squares and write poems or short stories based on the book The Patchwork Patch: A Quilt Map to Freedom .
• Grades K-1: Art Projects for Black History Month by Scholastic — Four art projects for young elementary students inspired by famous Black individuals.
• Historical Genre Drawing Silhouettes by Incredible @rt Department — Inspired by Kara Walker’s silhouettes, middle to high school students research a historical event and create an silhouettes based on the subject and insert their likeness into the work.
• Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jazz-Inspired Painting, Mind Maps, and Getting Your Work Out There by Lauren Rouatt — 3rd grade students learn about Jean-Michel Basquiat and create paintings inspired by his work.
• Basquiat-Inspired Self-Portraits by Art Room Britt — Early elementary students look at and discuss Basquiat’s work, then create self-portraits with free-association elements.
• Horace Pippin Imagination Drawings by Deep Space Sparkle — Upper elementary students create self-portraits based on Pippin’s work and inspired by the book, A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin .
• Horace Pippin Lesson Plan by Trish Maunder — An art-making workshop designed for students in grades 3-6, based on Pippin’s The Domino Players .
• Decoding Jacob Lawrence by The Art of Education — Upper elementary students analyze Lawrence’s Forward , reflect on Harriet Tubman and the institution of slavery, and create an artwork that tells an important story.
• Jacob Lawrence’s Painted Stories by Crayola — Upper elementary students learn about Lawrence’s life, research a significant historical event, and create an artwork based on what they learn.

Children’s Books about Black Artists

This collection of highly rated children’s books about Black artists are a wonderful way to share information about the lives of Black artists with elementary students. Each book is marked with recommended student ages and a link to purchase the book.

Famous Black Artists Biographies

Integrate historical and cultural knowledge into your Black History Month art lessons with in-depth biographies and short videos about famous Black artists.

• Augusta Savage
• Edmonia Lewis
• Jacob Lawrence
• Jean-Michel Basquiat
• James Van Der Zee
• Lorna Simpson
• Gwendolyn Bennett
• E. Simms Campbell
• Gordon Parks
• Kara Walker
• Civil Rights Art

Art is such a vital tool to understanding the emotions, beliefs, and ideas of people throughout history. Art gives us insights into people like no other medium can. Consider using artworks about the Civil Rights era from the collections below for your Black History Month art lessons.

• More Civil Rights Movement Art

From native African art to modern artworks by Black artists from around the world, these pieces will get your students talking and connected to art.

African American Artists

• Portraits for a New Century: Kehinde Wiley Art Lesson
• The Liberation of Aunt Jemima  
• The Art of Augusta Savage
• Faith Ringgold’s Celebration of African American Women
• The Art of Romare Bearden
• Discrimination is Not Protection  by Lorna Simpson
• Ladder for Booker T. Washington  by Martin Puryear

Black Artists from Around the World

• Yinka Shonibare’s The Swing : Culture & Identity in a Global Society
• Twins Seven-Seven’s Healing of Abiko Children

African Art

• Art Around the World in 30 Days – Angola — This African Art Lesson features a sculpture from the Chokwe people of Northeastern Angola with discussion questions, a learning activity, and museum resources.
• Art Around the World in 30 Days – Nigeria — The artwork in this African Art Lesson comes from the Court of Benin and includes discussion questions, a project idea, and several resources covering the history of the Kingdom of Benin.
• Interpreting the Power of the Kongo Nkisi N’Kondi — A fantastic African Sculpture Art Lesson for middle schoolers to explore the meaning, function, and purpose of the Nkisi N’Kondi sculptures, complete with discussion questions, kinesthetic and drawing activities, a PowerPoint, and information on the history of these intriguing figures.
• Art Around the World in 30 Days – Democratic Republic of the Congo — Focused on a contemporary artwork from artist Trigo Piula, this African Art Lesson ties in with the Nkisi N’Kondi Art Lesson above and includes discussion questions and a project idea.
• Kuba Mask — This Wordless Wednesday post includes resources related to mask from the Kuba Kingdom, a pre-colonial kingdom in Central Africa.

Wordless Wednesdays for Black History Month Art Lessons

Wordless Wednesday posts on Art Class Curator offer artworks with little to no commentary. The artworks in these posts make for excellent bellringers when paired with an art appreciation worksheet or questions about art .

• Ladder for Booker T. Washington
• Discrimination is Not Protection

Teaching Black History Month Art Lessons

Sometimes teachers shy away from teaching about other cultures or difficult historical periods, but doing so robs our students of the opportunity to dialogue about important social issues and connect with art on a deeply personal level. The post below addresses some of these issues and why it is important to teach art from across cultures and time.

In this lesson, students learn how ethnocentric attitudes can shape how we look at art from other cultures, especially when studying non-Western art. Using three examples from the art world, high school or college students examine cultural reactions to art and how xenophobia shapes worldviews through classroom discussions and writing assignments.

Lesson: Cultural Sensitity, Xenophobia, and Ethnocentricism in Art Education

More Art Lessons

• 5 Women Artists of Color with Learning Activities
• 10 Intriguing Ancient Artworks from Around the World

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September 6, 2023 at 4:07 am

Great ideas for teaching the past, creating the future with Black History Month!

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Black History

As an integral part of the United States’ rich record of achievement, Black people have been instrumental in humans' exploration of space, in the development of important medicines, in feeding people around the world, in leadership for social justice, in all of the arts, in education, in tech, in business and so much more!

Studying Black history helps children see themselves and see others in what they are learning about the world, and we have a host of ideas and links to help your children learn about the leadership, influence, and ingenuity of Black people.

Amber O’Neal Johnston, author and homeschool mom of four, describes books as possible mirrors and windows for children, because books can show people who are like them—mirrors—and people who may seem different from them—windows (Johnston,  A Place to Belong , chapters 4, 5).

As you use the resources we offer as potential windows and mirrors for your kids and teens, we recommend reading Amber's book, A Place to Belong: Raising Kids to Celebrate Their Heritage, Community, and the World .  No matter your background, Amber offers concrete ideas for celebrating your own family heritage and helping your children learn about the heritage of others.

As you study Black history, you and your kids could:

(as always, parents should preview all internet resources for suitability)

• Watch a movie, documentary or video about Black accomplishments in STEM fields
• Make a poster featuring a Black scientist or engineer
• Classical music
• Best selling albums by Black artists (parents should preview; this is not a list that was curated for children)
• Great American Songbook's Spotify playlist, Gifted and Black
• Make a slideshow or write a sports article about a successful Black athlete
• Read aloud some poetry by Black authors
• Watch and discuss the Crash Course on Black American History on YouTube
• Learn about Black leaders in technology and tell a friend, relative or sibling about their accomplishment
• Explore Black artists in the National Gallery of Art Collection. Maybe even re-create a painting!
• Research successful Black entrepreneurs
• Take field trips to Black historic sites

Another idea is to study an aspect of Black history through your child's or teen's personal interest. In addition to the fields we have already mentioned, Black people have also been leaders in dance, literature, architecture, cinema, theology, politics, human rights, culinary arts, the military, academia and so much more. If someone in your family has a passion, you and your child or teen can research and celebrate the Black people who have influenced that field.

Use our site's suggested resources to find articles, websites, videos and activities to learn more about Black scholars, educators, engineers, activists, doctors, musicians, inventors, artists, scientists, writers, religious leaders, and others who have shaped our world. We also suggest heading over to Amber's Heritage Mom site for her well-organized, hand-curated list of book recommendations with summaries and descriptions of how Amber is using the books in her homeschool.

Black History Resources

• Y—Young (PreK-3rd)
• M—Middle (4th-6th)
• O—Older (7th-12th)
• T—Teacher Resources

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture    (Y, M, O, T) The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library has a large online collection of historical photos, art, artifacts, oral history recordings, books, newspapers, and other primary sources for studying Black history and culture in the US. In addition, its #SchomburgSyllabus catalogs a wealth of Black-authored educational resources, covering the topics of Afrofuturism & Comics, Fashion, Film, Disability, the Black Panther Party, Politics and Activism, Environmental Racism, Medical Racism, and much more.

Black History in Music    (Y, M, O, T) This lesson collection from Teach Rock "highlights the intersections of music and black experience in America, from slavery to the Civil War to abolition to Reconstruction and sharecropping to the Great Migration to Southern integration. The collection also focuses on the various social movements initiated by the Black community, from Civil Rights to Black Power to Black Lives Matter. In addition, a pair of lessons explore the establishment of the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday – both the legislative process and Stevie Wonder’s long-lasting musical contribution to the successful public campaign. Finally, several lessons focus on prominent African American writers and artists such as Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Gordon Parks."

The Harlem Renaissance    (M, O, T) "The Harlem Renaissance was a period of rich cross-disciplinary artistic and cultural activity among African Americans between the end of World War I (1917) and the onset of the Great Depression and lead up to World War II (the 1930s). Artists associated with the movement asserted pride in black life and identity, a rising consciousness of inequality and discrimination, and interest in the rapidly changing modern world—many experiencing a freedom of expression through the arts for the first time." These lesson plans, activities, and primary sources from the National Gallery of Art cover pioneering Black artists from the Harlem Renaissance.

Black Women in STEM    (Y, M, O) Black women hold the title of many famous firsts in history, many of which are in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Here's 50 pioneering Black women in STEM you should know about.

Black Women’s Suffrage    (Y, M, O, T) "The Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection is a collaborative project to provide digital access to materials documenting the roles and experiences of Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and, more broadly, women’s rights, voting rights, and civic activism between the 1850s and 1960. The materials in this collection include photographs, correspondence, speeches, event programs, publications, oral histories, and other artifacts." From the Digital Public Library of America.

NASA Black History    (Y, M, O) This Black History page from NASA profiles the Black men and women who have made and are continuing to make history through their work in STEM.

African American Intellectual History Society    (M, O, T) "The African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) is an independent scholarly organization that aims to foster dialogue about researching, writing, and teaching black thought and culture. AAIHS originally began as a blog founded by Christopher Cameron in early 2014." The AAIHS blog, Black Perspectives, is an excellent resource for learning about Black history through the eyes of Black scholars. You can find hundreds of articles covering Black history in art, music, politics, science, and more. The site also has a syllabus for additional learning.

13th    (O) 13th, named after the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, is a documentary that explores the history of slavery in the US and the policies that followed it. You can watch the full film for free on YouTube.

The National Museum of African American History & Culture    (Y, M, O, T) The National Museum of African American History & Culture of the Smithsonian Institute holds a vast online collection of historical photos, artifacts, and educator resources for learning and teaching Black History.

Teaching About the Tulsa Race Massacre With The New York Times    (M, O, T) "In this lesson, students will explore a 3-D model of historical Greenwood — home of “Black Wall Street” — and then learn about how a white mob destroyed a prosperous Black community 100 years ago."

Segregated by Design    (M, O) Segregated by Design is a short film that explores the history of national and local laws and policies that segregated US cities and built the landscape for modern society.

The 1619 Project Curriculum    (Y, M, O, T) The 1619 Project is a 100-page, special issue of the New York Times Magazine published in 2019 that reframes and then details American history following the arrival of the first slave ship to the U.S. in 1916. It digs into infrequently taught history from the nation's found to modern-day Redlining and Mass Incarceration practices. This curriculum by the Pulitzer Center includes a pdf version of the magazine, reading guides, accompanying podcasts, lessons, activities, and more.

Black Past    (Y, M, O, T) Black Past is a website dedicated to anything and everything Black History. The site has a vast catalog of primary and secondary sources to study both African and African American History. It includes links to museums and institutions, newspapers and periodicals, informational pages on Black issues, famous firsts, STEM, arts, biographies, and more, as well as dedicated children's pages.

Google Arts & Culture: Black History and Culture    (Y, M, O, T) Google Arts & Culture sites are are collaboration of various museums, universities, and other cultural institutions. The Black History and Culture project contains tons and tons of articles, art, artifacts, photos, interviews, videos, lesson plans, virtual tours, and more on Black figures from history, Black artists, makers, musicians, writers, activists, and historic locations.

Racial Justice Coloring Page Downloads    (Y, M) The featured Black historical figures include Malcolm X, Ella Baker, Bayard Rustin, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Harriet Tubman. Two activity pages are provided for each individual featured (one for research and writing, and one for coloring/art).

Guide to Black History    (T) "In 1984, to support the growing demand for knowledge of African American history, Dr. Debra Newman Ham, with the help of several other colleagues, took on the responsibility of compiling a guide to black history records at the National Archives. With the publication of Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) became recognized as one of the primary sources for African American historical documents. Here you will find an updated version, along with tools and other resources that can be used while conducting research relating to African American History at the National Archives."

Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site     (Y,M,O,T) Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader best known for starting a school for African American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, and for being an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The website offers historical information about Mary McLeod Bethune for those who cannot visit in person.

Hampton National Historic Site     (Y,M,O,T) Hampton is the name of the georgian estate built in the early 1800's. The historic site there tells the story of the people, enslaved African Americans, indentured servants, industrial and agricultural workers, and owners, who worked there.

Central High School National Historic Site     (Y,M,O,T) Little Rock Central High School is recognized for the role it played in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. The website offers historical information about the park for those who cannot visit in person.

Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site     (Y,M,O,T) Carter Godwin Woodson was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. The website offers historical information about Carter Godwin Woodson for those who cannot visit in person.

The Story of Nicodemus    (Y,M,O,T) The first town established by African Americans after the Civil War. This is a feature website from The National Park Service.

Boston African American National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) The African Meeting House was built in 1806 to house the first African Baptist Church of Boston. It was the first African American Baptist church created north of the Mason Dixon Line and is now the oldest surviving black church building in America. In 1863, it served as a recruitment post for the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Regiment, which was the first official African American military regiment to fight for the Union in the Civil War. The website offers historical information about the church for those who cannot visit in person.

40 Unsung Heroes of Black History We Should All Learn About This Month    (M,O,T) February is Black History Month. While schools feature Black history this month, most students will only hear about the same handful of prominent figures: Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and perhaps a few others. Such a limited view ignores the countless historical achievements of many Black men and women who faced enslavement, violence, and prejudice on their roads to greatness. From early inventors, authors, and entrepreneurs to civil rights activists and politicians, the scope of Black history is far older and more significant than the March on Washington or "I Have a Dream." Read on to learn more about sadly forgotten figures in Black history.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute    (Y,M,O,T) The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute has a wealth of resources to start any MLK lesson plans. The site offers encyclopedic information, primary sources, secondary sources, lesson plans, and online events (including documentaries).

Black History Crafts and Activities for Kids    (Y,M) A collection of crafts, coloring pages, puzzles, and activities to teach Black History Month. From DLTK's Crafts for Kids

Black History Month Resources for Kids    (Y,M) Fact pages, biographies, coloring pages, and other resources covering various Black History topics, such as Frederick Douglass, Tuskegee Airmen, Sojourner Truth, Juneteenth, and much more. From Surfnetkids.com

Puzzles for Kids - Black History Month    (Y,M) A collection of word search puzzles, crosswords, word scrambles, quizzes, and games pertaining to Black History and the civil rights movement. From The Spruce Crafts.

The National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture    (Y,M,O,T) The Center focuses on documenting and preserving memorabilia from the civil rights period, Montgomery black history, and the history of Alabama State University.

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) Maggie Lena Walker was an African American teacher and businesswoman. She was the first female bank president and the first woman to charter a bank in the United States. Walker also became an example for people with disabilities later in life when she became limited to a wheelchair. The website offers historical information about Maggie Lena Walker for those who cannot visit in person.

Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park    (Y,M,O,T) The Birth Home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visitors are allowed only with a park ranger led tour. The tours are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The website offers historical information about Martin Luther King, Jr. for those who cannot visit in person.

Nicodemus National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) At the end of the Civil War, African Americans left the south and settled in the Great Plains. Nicodemus is the oldest and only remaining all Black Town west of the Mississippi River. The website offers historical information about the town for those who cannot visit in person.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass was a runaway slave, abolitionist, civil rights advocate, author and statesmen. Visitors to the site learn about Frederick Douglass' efforts to abolish slavery and his struggle for rights for all oppressed people.

Selma to Montgomery National Voting Rights Trail    (Y,M,O,T) Established by Congress in 1996 to commemorate the events, people, and route of the 1965 Voting Rights March in Alabama. The website offers historical information about the march for those who cannot visit in person.

Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) On the campus of historic Tuskegee University. The site includes the George W. Carver Museum and The Oaks, home of Booker T. Washington.

Black Inventors A-Z    (Y,M,O,T) This is a A-Z list of popular Black inventors that we have more extensive information on: biographies, images, timelines, and other media.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute    (Y,M,O,T) The website of the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum includes a virtual tour of the museum as well as teacher resources.

Rosa Parks Library and Museum    (M) The only museum dedicated to the civil rights icon. Occasionally hosts virtual tours if you can't be there in person.

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church    (M O) On Sunday morning, September 15, 1963, the Ku Klux Klan bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four girls. This murderous act shocked the nation and galvanized the civil rights movement.

Famous Black Inventors    (Y,M,O,T) Famous black inventors - a database list of African American patent holders and individual biographies of African American inventors.

Teachers' Guide to Follow the Drinking Gourd    (Y,T) Follow the Drinking Gourd, a song published in 1928 by H.B. Parks, encodes instructions for enslaved peoples to escape to freedom using the Underground Railroad. This site contains lyric meanings, astronomy information and activities, and worksheets for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

Did Quilts hold codes to the Underground Railroad?    (Y,M) An article from National Geographic that explores the symbols and codes that two historians say enslaved people may have used to navigate the Underground Railroad.

Black Scientists and Inventors    (Y,M,O,T) An encyclopedic article and index of Black Scientists and Inventors from Infoplease.com.

George Washington Carver    (Y,M,O,T) "George Washington Carver (January 1, 1864 - January 5, 1943) was an agricultural chemist who discovered 300 uses for peanuts as well as hundreds of uses for soybeans, pecans, and sweet potatoes."

Black History at InfoPlease    (Y,M,O,T) An encyclopedic index of Black History from InfoPlease that covers the history of Black History Month, famous Black Americans A-Z, awards, holidays, contemporary issues, and much more.

Little Known Facts About Black History    (Y,M,O,T) Lots of biographies, a "Who Am I?" interactive quiz, teacher resources (created to accompany History Channel programming), and videos

The African-American Mosaic    (O) A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History and Culture; taken from an exhibit of the same name.

Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site    (Y,M,O,T) In the 1940's Tuskegee, Alabama became home to a "military experiment" to train America's first African-American military pilots. In time the "experiment" became known as the Tuskegee Experience and the participants as the Tuskegee Airmen. Come share their experience!

African-American History: Black History Month    (Y,M) A collection of coloring pages, worksheets, quizzes, activities, and more for studying Black History Month in your classroom. From EnchantedLearning.com

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'Freedom to Learn' protests have a clear message: 'We will be woke'

WASHINGTON, DC ‒ National civil rights leaders and other activists, including college students, rallied outside the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to push back against efforts to ban some books and restrict lessons about Black history and other social issues.

The effort is part of the “Freedom to Learn” campaign, a national movement to combat those restrictions and what activists call misinformation about Black history and critical race theory. Organizers tout the rally as a day of action.

“It was designed to expand our freedom to learn to make sure that we are pushing back against the work that is trying to ban our books, trying to ban the teaching of our history,’’ said Karsonya Wise Whitehead, special projects manager for the African American Policy Forum, a think tank focused on social and racial justice issues. “It was designed to make sure that if they are teaching history ‒ history includes everybody's story.”

Dozens of protesters, including students from Morgan State University, marched from the Library of Congress to the front of the U.S. Supreme Court chanting, “We won’t go back!” They carried signs that read, “Our history. Pass it on” and “History repeats when we forget.”

Thalya Baptiste, a junior at Morgan State University, said it was important for her and other students to honor the work of their ancestors who fought for civil rights. Those rights, she said, are still under attack. “We’re here…We’re fired up,” said Baptiste, who spoke at the rally. “We will continue to advocate for our freedom to learn.”

Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, told the crowd the campaign is going to be a multi-year effort. “We will not sleep…and hell yes, we will be woke!” he said.

The effort comes as more states and jurisdictions, including school boards, adopt measures that restrict some teachings of Black history and ban more books, many focused on race and sexual identity.

Dozens of states, including Texas and Oklahoma, have adopted or proposed measures that limit how Black history is taught or that restrict the use of some books. Proponents argue some books are offensive and that key parts of Black history are already taught in schools.

Supporters of so-called ‘’anti-woke’’ laws said such measures protect against teaching divisive issues and blaming current generations for past injustices such as slavery. Republicans have particularly attacked critical race theory, calling it “woke indoctrination.”

Digging deeper: Is new AP African American Studies course too woke? We attended class to find out.

Critical race theory is an academic framework that argues the legacy of slavery shapes systemic racism in existence today.

Jonathan Butcher, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said school boards and policymakers should be able to determine what should be taught in schools.

“I'm not arguing that we omit important topics,” Butcher said in an earlier interview. "I think it should be done in age-appropriate ways.”

By last fall, legislation to limit the teaching of "divisive" concepts or critical race theory in public schools and/or higher education institutions had been introduced in at least 21 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Reading further: Black history 'Underground Railroad' forms across US after increase of book bans

The African American Policy Forum will host a Critical Race Theory summer school in New York to provide a week of training on issues, including advocacy, education and political engagement.

Friday's rally will “serve as a gateway into Freedom Summer 2024 leading into the critical election season,’’ said Wise Whitehead, also a professor of communications and African American Studies at Loyola University in Maryland. Sixty years ago, during the initial Freedom Summer, hundreds of mostly college students joined local activists in Mississippi to register Black citizens to vote.

Other groups and organizations, including Black museums, have also launched efforts to counter book bans and history lesson restrictions. Some Black churches in Florida provided toolkits to help faith leaders teach Black history.

The American Library Association also launched its Unite Against Book Bans campaign. There were 1,247 attempts last year to censor library materials and services, according to the association.

Later Friday afternoon, local partners of the African American Policy Forum will host a banned book giveaway at a community center in the Bronx, New York. Organizers are also calling on faith leaders to participate in “Freedom Sundays’’ where they will urge churchgoers to register to vote and cast their ballots.

“There’s no time more important than where are right now,’’ Wise Whitehead said. “If we don't put the pressure on right now, not waiting until November, put the pressure on now to make sure that people are as well informed as possible about what is at stake at this moment ‒ which we believe is the future of democracy. That is what we're fighting for.”

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Stormy Daniels Takes the Stand

The porn star testified for eight hours at donald trump’s hush-money trial. this is how it went..

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonah E. Bromwich

Produced by Olivia Natt and Michael Simon Johnson

Edited by Lexie Diao

With Paige Cowett

Original music by Will Reid and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

This episode contains descriptions of an alleged sexual liaison.

What happened when Stormy Daniels took the stand for eight hours in the first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump?

Jonah Bromwich, one of the lead reporters covering the trial for The Times, was in the room.

On today’s episode

Jonah E. Bromwich , who covers criminal justice in New York for The New York Times.

Background reading

In a second day of cross-examination, Stormy Daniels resisted the implication she had tried to shake down Donald J. Trump by selling her story of a sexual liaison.

Here are six takeaways from Ms. Daniels’s earlier testimony.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonah E. Bromwich covers criminal justice in New York, with a focus on the Manhattan district attorney’s office and state criminal courts in Manhattan. More about Jonah E. Bromwich

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