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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Teaching empathy, compassion and kindness are three of the most important character qualities I try to instill in my students during the school year. I want to share an engaging and important lesson and activity that I teach to 8th graders that is on empathy and compassion.

 In my school district’s English department, our entire English Language Arts theme for the 8th graders is empathy.  The literature we read are To Kill a Mockingbird, “Flowers for Algernon”, and The Diary of Anne Frank. They all link to the theme of empathy. We constantly connect the theme into the short stories and articles that we read.

I have to be honest; I love having the theme of empathy and compassion in 8th grade. As a middle school teacher, this age group often lacks compassion and empathy for one another, their peers and others. I don’t entirely blame it on them either. We know this is a pivotal time in their adolescence. Teenagers are immersed in their friends, social media and “their” world. Nevertheless, we do know the video games, social media and other things help desensitize them from reality and the real world. This is a perfect theme to have resonate throughout the year.

Activities to Teach Empathy, Compassion & Kindness

The first activity my students start with is an article called, “Are You Empathetic? 3 Types of Empathy”. This is a great introduction into the theme, and it helps my students understand the different types of empathy and what category they fall into as a maturing, young adult.

Secondly, I show them an empathy video clip. I have a few that I have in my teacher toolbox, and depending on how much time I have, all depends on how many I use; however, I always show “Empathy: The Human Connection. 

I came across this video on accident. I was searching for activities to complete with my students when introducing empathy, and I found this gem! It is amazing! It is very hard to show students to see through others’ eyes, and this video does just this! What I love about the video is there is no talking or speaking, but just the thoughts of the people. It gives an excellent perspective to others. If we knew what others were thinking or feeling, would we have more compassion and empathy for them?

Walk in Someone Else’s Shoes Activity

The culminating activity I give my students in order to introduce the theme of empathy and compassion is, “Walking in My Shoes.”  I introduce the infamous Atticus quotation from To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”  Here, I teach “Perspective-Taking Empathy”, which is the ability to put oneself into a person’s “shoes” and see things from his/her perspective.  

From there, I introduce my shoe activity.  On the front side of the shoe, my students write down ten things that people would not know about them unless they told you or could get into their mind.  This ranges from sports, passions, interests, favorite movies, broken bones, hardships, obstacles, successes, and other interesting facts.  

On the back of the shoe, my students choose a line from a song that best represents him/her (I assign this as a homework assignment I instruct the students to bring in the song lyrics to school, so they are able to write.)  You would be amazed at the lyrics the students use to represent themselves.  They range from popular pop songs to 70’s rock!   In addition to them choosing a line, the students have to explain why they chose the line.  The students have to give a detailed and thorough analysis of the line and relate it to their life.  I am usually blown away by the amount of perseverance and strength many of the students have and how much they are willing to share with me regarding some of their struggles, obstacles and future goals.

For the final presentation of the two-part activity, the students get to choose their shoe template on which they want to complete their final piece. I have a variety of shoes from heels to Converse to sneakers. On one side of the shoe, the students write their ten facts about themselves, and on the other side of the shoe, they write their song lyric paragraph.  The students love coloring in the shoe, and they are usually very creative with them.  As you can see from above, the shoes come out a-mazzzzzzing! You can grab this activity below!

After I grade the shoes, I hang them up in my room in a “walking” pattern.   I absolutely love this activity, and I hope you do too!  The students really enjoy this activity, and they are always awfully proud of their shoes.

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