Current Connections- Black History Month| TCI

Free Lessons

Download a free hands-on activity and start teaching in minutes.

Elementary

Honoring Rosa Parks

Learn how Rosa Parks improved her community, then build a human monument and create a plaque for the monument.

Download Lesson

Elementary

Civics Lesson: Garrett A. Morgan Made His Community Safer

In this civics lesson, your students will learn about Garrett A. Morgan and the steps he took to make his community safer.

Download Lesson

Secondary

Black History: The Right to Vote

Explore the history of voting rights through court cases, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Twenty-fourth Amendment. Then, create a timeline of the events.

Download Lesson

Secondary

Equality in the United States

Analyze primary sources, then research statistical data to discuss how racial equality was achieved in the United States.

Download Lesson

Biography Videos

Sojourner Truth

Watch a Biography Video about Sojourner Truth to learn about how she fought for human rights.

Download lesson

George Washington Carver

Watch a Biography Video about George Washington Carver to learn how he innovated farming and agriculture.

Download lesson

Biographies

Learn about and discuss 5 African American historical figures. Consider assigning a group to read each and share what they’ve learned.

Allen, Richard (1760-1831)

Anderson, Marian (1897 - 1993)

Carver, George Washington (about 1861 - 1943)

Truth, Sojourner (about 1797–1883)

Washington, Booker T (1856 - 1915)

Primary Source Activities

These rich Primary Sources come with questions to guide students through analysis and can be used to facilitate classroom discussions.

Documents on the Rebellions of Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner Examine 8 different primary sources about the same events and analyze how different sources report the same events.
Booker T. Washington’s “The Atlanta Compromise” Speech (1895) Analyze a speech given in 1895 to understand its content and then write questions based on different viewpoints.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 Analyze the purpose of different parts of the Civil Rights Act to help students unpack the content of the legislation.

Outside Resources

Every TCI lesson includes ideas for Enhancing Learning. Here are a few that may be helpful during Black History Month.

Readings

Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America by Lerone Bennett. This history of African Americans in the United States from early colonial periods to the present day discusses their often-overlooked contributions to the development of the country.

The Tuskegee Airmen Story by Lynn M. Homan and Thomas Reilly. A grandfather recounts his experiences as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the challenges of living in a segregated society, and the role of African Americans in winning the war and fighting segregation at home.

Films

Eyes on the Prize (no rating). The six episodes of this documentary series chronicle the important events of the civil rights movement. Primary source footage, interviews, and first-person accounts bring these events to life.

America Beyond the Color Line (no rating). In this documentary, Henry Louis Gates Jr. travels the United States to examine the lives of African Americans. Gates meets with a diverse group, from Hollywood movie stars to residents of Chicago’s South Side housing projects.

Website
- http://sheg.stanford.edu/montgomery-bus-boycott. Most people know the story of Rosa Parks and the city-wide boycott of the buses by African-Americans in Montgomery, Alabama. Use the documents provided through this site to gain a more nuanced view of the boycott and its causes.

Back to Free Lessons

Download Black History Month Resources

Honoring Rosa Parks

Civics Lesson: Garrett A. Morgan Made His Community Safer

Black History: The Right to Vote

Equality in the United States

Sojourner Truth

George Washington Carver

Experience TCI’s Hands-On Lessons