Black History Month is a powerful opportunity to celebrate the achievements, contributions, and stories of Black individuals throughout history. As English Language Arts (ELA) educators, we can create meaningful and engaging learning experiences that inspire students to explore Black voices, literature, and culture. Here are some exciting ELA activities to bring Black History Month to life in your classroom.

1. Dive into Literature by Black Authors

First, introduce students to influential Black authors such as Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Jacqueline Woodson. Select age-appropriate poetry, short stories, or excerpts from novels to analyze themes of resilience, identity, and social justice.

Activity Idea:

• Conduct a “Poetry Analysis Gallery Walk,” where students read and analyze poems, annotating literary devices and discussing their impact.
• Host a “Read Aloud & Reflect” session to encourage thoughtful discussions on character development and cultural themes.

Recommended Books:

• “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson
• “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
• “Hidden Figures” by Margot Lee Shetterly (Young Readers Edition)

2. Black History Month Writing Prompts

Encourage students to reflect on key figures and events through writing activities. Creative and analytical writing helps students connect personally with historical moments.

Activity Idea:

• Use prompts such as:
  • “If I could interview one Black historical figure, who would it be and why?”
  • “How has the Civil Rights Movement shaped our world today?”
  • “What does Black excellence mean to you?”

Tip: Create a classroom writing wall to showcase student reflections and celebrate their voices.

3. Black History Month Bulletin Board

Make learning visible by designing an interactive bulletin board featuring influential Black figures in literature, music, activism, science, and the arts.

Ideas for this Activity:

• Set up a “Who Am I?” section where students match achievements to key historical figures.
• Have students create biographical pennants summarizing an inspiring person’s contributions.

Check out my Black History Month Bulletin Board:

Why You’ll Love This Bulletin Board Set:

✔ Encourages Inclusivity: Promote cultural awareness and inspire students to embrace diversity and representation in your classroom.

✔ Versatile Display Options: Perfect for Black History Month, but also ideal for year-round decor in ELA, social studies, and history classrooms.

✔ Classroom Engagement: Use the posters as teaching tools to highlight the achievements and contributions of Black leaders across history.

✔ Easy to Assemble: Simply print, cut, and arrange to create an engaging and motivational display that aligns with culturally responsive teaching practices.

4. Reading Comprehension Activities with Historical Passages & Pennants

Enhance reading skills while exploring key moments in Black history through engaging passages and comprehension questions. In addition, have your students take their new knowledge and create beautiful pennants for your classroom. Check out this Black History Leaders Reading Passages & Snapshot Pennants.

5. Black History Month Speech Analysis

Analyzing famous speeches by Black leaders can help students explore rhetorical strategies and persuasive techniques.

Activity Idea:

• Assign speeches such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” or Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?”
• Break students into groups to identify rhetorical devices like ethos, pathos, and logos.

More Black History Month Activities & Websites:

• Black History Month Activities

• 13 Fun Black History Month Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

• 12 Black History Month Activities to Engage Students

By incorporating these engaging Black History Month ELA activities, you can foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Black history and culture in your classroom. Whether through literature, writing, or interactive displays, these activities empower students to honor the legacy and achievements of Black individuals.

Looking for ready-made Black History Month classroom resources? Browse our collection of posters, reading passages, pennants, and bulletin board kits to make your lessons even more impactful.

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February is a month that brings with it a feeling of celebration for many people. Are you looking for ideas on how to celebrate Black History Month in the classroom? After all, it marks the start of the new year, Valentine’s Day, and a time to remember and celebrate the achievements of African Americans during Black History Month. In schools across the country, teachers are using this month as an opportunity to discuss and explore the history of African Americans and their contributions to our society. So how can educators make sure they’re teaching Black History Month in an effective and meaningful way? Let’s find out!

The Importance of Contextualization

Contextualization is key when it comes to teaching and celebrating Black History Month in the classroom. We know that African American history goes back centuries before slavery – so why do we only focus on that period of time? It’s important to include stories from all different times in history, including those from pre-colonial Africa, the Civil Rights Movement, and modern-day events. When you contextualize your lessons, you give students a better understanding of where people have come from and where they are going.

Engaging Black History Month Activities

It’s no secret that students learn best when they’re engaged. That’s why it’s important for teachers to get creative with their lesson plans for Black History Month! There are lots of ways you can engage your students without having them memorize facts or dates. For example, you could have them create timeline posters showing important moments in African American history or have them write original speeches from famous civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, or Sojourner Truth. These activities allow students to explore ideas in a fun and meaningful way while still learning about black history.

In addition, you can also celebrate Black History Month in the classroom by introducing compassion and empathy lessons. Teaching empathy, compassion, and tolerance in the classroom is so important for laying the foundation for our students’ future. It exposes them to different personalities and cultures, providing them the opportunity to learn about black history month or to understand cultural differences at a much deeper level. Educating our children on these concepts isn’t just important during black history month or other special events—it should be woven into curriculum as early as possible. That way they learn not only facts, topics and subjects but also how to interact with others compassionately and respectfully. It’s our job to teach them how to be mindful of one another while working together on tasks that foster patience, respect and tolerance—essential skills needed in today’s society!

Here are some empathy, compassion, and tolerance activities your students will enjoy and love-

Teaching Empathy & Compassion

Black History Month Article & Reading Comprehension

Encourage Discussion

Finally, don’t forget to encourage discussion among your students! This is a great opportunity for them to ask questions about what they’re learning and share their own personal experiences related to black history – something that can be difficult but incredibly rewarding if done correctly. Encouraging discussion also gives students an opportunity to find common ground with one another while deepening their understanding of the material being taught.

Other Resources for Black History Month

• 5 Black History Month Activities for Middle School
• Breaking Down Stereotypes & Prejudices -Social Justice Lesson

Black History Month is an important time for us all – not just African Americans – because it allows us to take a step back and reflect on our shared past while also looking ahead towards a brighter future together. As educators, we have a responsibility to teach black history effectively by providing context for our lessons; engaging our students; and encouraging open dialogue among student peers so that everyone can gain new insights into the long-standing struggles faced by African Americans throughout our nation’s history. With these tips in mind, let’s use this month as an opportunity to empower each other through education and work together towards creating a more inclusive society for all!

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A lot of teachers, at least in my district, are looking for Holocaust resources and documentaries for middle school to teach their Anne Frank or World War II unit around this time of year. If you are preparing to start the same, check out some of these great resources for introducing your Diary of Anne Frank unit or World War II unit to your middle schoolers. Educating your students about the Holocaust and events helps them learn, remember, appreciate, and respect those who went through these events. Studying history helps students understand and grapple with complex questions. It also helps them analyze dilemmas by examining how the past has shaped (and continues to shape) global, national, and local relationships between societies and people.

Holocaust & Anne Frank Teaching Resources

1.Voices of the Holocaust– The link below provides details and actual quotes from people who lived through the event. There is information about what it was like before the Holocaust began, what it was like in the concentration camps, and more

2.  While there is graphic video in this “One Survivor Remembers” documentary about Gerda Weissmann Klein, it shows students how terrible of an event the Holocaust really was.

https://www.learningforjustice.org/classroom-resources/film-kits/one-survivor-remembers?fbclid=IwAR2_u9yczjey_bDHWIiShnQ2rEJa4RM3OvySDCUpFfrAOoVU1AKOgOtxAcA

3.  This article does incorporate current politics, but you may also want to include this Newsweek article in your introduction. It would be very thought provoking for students to form their own opinions and explain why they agree or disagree with this article. 

4.  You can find an in-depth introduction to the Holocaust on the website of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum HERE.

5.  Now, this last resource, a lot of teachers differ on. This is a video clip of Oprah Winfrey interviewing Elie Wiesel who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 “for being a messenger to mankind: his message is one of peace, atonement and dignity.” He was a Jewish writer who wrote about his experiences as a prisoner in concentration camps. Some teachers like to show this interview as an introduction to their unit. Others prefer to show it at the end, particularly if they have read his book, Night.

Other Helpful Holocaust Resources for Your Middle School Units

1. Blog Post-How to Teach the Diary of Anne Frank

2. The United States Holocaust Museum

3. Facing History-Teaching the Holocaust-Bearing Witness

Hopefully this is a helpful list for you either in now or in the future. Please be sure to share your favorite Holocaust resources so we can keep our list growing.

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In February, classrooms across the nation celebrate Black History Month.  This month is an important time for reflection of our nation’s history. Secondly, it gives people the opportunity to see through a different lens, and understand empathy and tolerance for those who face adversity. In addition, Black History Month in the classroom lends itself to empathy and compassion lessons, as well as teaching the importance of tolerance and equality for all people. Here are five impactful Black History ideas for middle school and engaging activities for middle school students for Black History Month.

Perfect Ideas for Black History Month

1. Create a gallery walk using images from the Civil Rights Movement. Firstly, hang some of the images around your classroom. Next, have your students rotate through each picture.  Give your students a minute or two to analyze the picture. Then, have them reflect on what is happening in the picture.  In addition, provide your students with a worksheet where they can write down their thoughts and reflect on the images.  Here are some excellent websites for Black History images:

Images & Posters

Civil Rights Still Images

2. Take part in a virtual museum exhibition. Have your students go on a virtual field trip and view exhibitions of the Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.  Create questions based on the virtual museum that your students will answer as they explore.  Your students can also work on this collaboratively with one of their classmates. This makes an excellent group work assignment.

Civil Rights Museum

3. Educate your students about racism, segregation, and stereotyping.  Understanding specific vocabulary and its impact is the first step to ending racism through education.  First, take a class period to review words like, “racism”, “tolerance”, “discrimination”, “prejudice”, and “stereotyping”. Next, follow up with an activity that has your students looking deeper into these words. Ask them, “How these words have the ability to impact someone’s life and feelings?“.

Stereotyping Lessons

If you are looking for stereotyping activities for middle school students for Black History Month, check out these lessons from Teaching Tolerance.  This lesson is created for a 3rd-5th grade classroom. However, this can be easily adapted into a middle school lesson on stereotyping:

Analyzing Gender Stereotypes in the Media

Here is another stereotyping activity based on the size of a person:

Accepting Size Differences

Lessons on Racism

Analyzing an Editorial Cartoon

Using Photographs to Expose Social Justice

4. Discover poetry by black and brown poets. Firstly, make a copy of different poems by black and brown poets for your students. Next, separate your students into pairs. Have them analyze the poem together. They can annotate in the margin of the poem.  Lastly, have your student recite the poem in front of their peers. Also, have them explain their analysis and the meaning behind the poem. Here are some beautiful poems by famous black and brown poets:

“Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou

“Dirt” by Kwame Dawes

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson

“Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes

“Please Don’t Steal My Air Jordans” by Reg e. Gaines

“Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

5. Explore novels about Black History and novels told through the eyes of black and brown narrators.  Literature gives readers a window into the lives and events of all different types of people and characters.   Exploring novels that have black history or a black/brown narrator lets readers comprehend the time period. It also has them analyze the struggles of these characters and settings.  In addition, readers have the ability to make connections and empathize with the characters. This ignites a growth of understanding and compassion for others of a different race.  Here are a list of novels that explores black history or are told through a black/brown narrator:

• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
• Monster by Walter Dean Myers
• The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
• Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
• Dough Boys by Paula Chase
• New Kid by Jerry Craft
• Reading Middle Grade shares her list of 65 of the Best Black Young Adult Novels

Other Resources You May Like…

Here are other resources you may want to include in your Black History activities and lessons:

Teaching Tolerance & Acceptance

Breaking Down Stereotypes & Prejudices

Martin Luther King Jr. Author Adventure

Defining Leadership

I hope you find these ideas exciting and engaging for your classroom!

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Martin Luther King Jr. is such an important person in our nation’s history. Although we have a lot more work to do as a country to ensure equal rights to all citizens, Martin Luther King, Jr. worked hard for the rights of African-Americans. Here are some activities to help teach your middle school students learn about this historic American.

Martin Luther King Jr. Activities

First, it is important for your students to learn about Martin Luther King Jr’s life and learn about his dedication and the esteemed leader. In this Martin Luther King Jr. Author Adventure, in the five activities, your students will go on a road trip to where Martin Luther King Jr. lived, learn about his life, determine facts and fiction, analyze his writing, and dive deeper into his famous quotes.

Want to allow students to showcase their artistic creativity while learning about Dr. King? Check out this engaging 3D craftivity that allows students to display just that! This Martin Luther King, Jr. 3D Craftivity explores vocabulary, defining, paraphrasing, close-reading, and pulling text-based evidence. This will certainly engage your students while working to show what they know about the iconic leader.

Dr. King was an amazing public speaker with an abundance of powerful and meaningful quotes. Have students research some of his speeches and quotes and pick a quote that is powerful to them. Students should create an image that displays the quote for others to read. Have students share the quote choices with their classmates and explain why they chose the quote they did.

Have you heard of Mix It Up at Lunch Day? Check out this fun idea and consider asking your entire school to participate in in the day:

Mix It Up at Lunch Day

If your school cannot coordinate this, consider doing it in your classroom for the day.

Also, show your students exactly where Martin Luther King, Jr. was actually born and where he grew up with this tour of his home:

Are you reading The Outsiders, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Hate You Give, Dear Martin, or any other piece of literature dealing with tolerance, prejudices, racism, and stereotyping? This social experiment will open your students’ eyes to the injustices that take place on a daily basis and why people need to be educated on these topics:

Hopefully this post has provided you with some fresh suggestions for teaching about such an important individual. Please keep in mind that teaching about Dr. King should not be limited to the month of January, and Black History should be taught year-round too, not just in February. We, as a whole nation, need to work to learn more about the injustices minorities are still facing, and work together to make positive changes.

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