February is Black History Month. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme for the month. The theme for Black History Month in 2023 was “Black Resistance.” This theme explores how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression since the earliest days of our nation.”
As a former elementary school teacher, it was always very helpful to me to have a list to sift through to find just the right resources for a lesson. Feel free to check out this list of resources I think you’ll find useful for Black History Month.
National Today
National Today is a website that lists individual and monthly holidays, and it is a great resource to draw from if you just need quick facts and information on Black History Month, such as:
- History
- timeline
- FAQs
- Activities for observing the month
- Five interesting facts
- Why it is important
34 Black History Month Activities for February and Beyond
This is a GOLDMINE! We Are Teachers has released 34 Black History Month activities for February and beyond. This site has a wonderful variety of ideas that covers a wide range of grade levels, and I think this is my best find! Here are a few of the options:
- Recreate a civil rights freedom movement poster.
- Virtually visit the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
- Watch “Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History.”
- Create a Black History Month playlist.
- Check out online exhibits on Black History.
Black History Month Posters
Jen Bengel has shared her daughter Malaya’s artwork with a set of free posters. These are in the Teachers Pay Teachers marketplace. There are 15 prominent African Americans featured. Each person has two posters. One poster has a quote, and the other one has contributions from the individual. Selections include:
- Harriet Tubman
- Sojourner Truth
- Rosa Parks
- Crispus Attucks
- Angela Davis
- Barrack Obama
- Barbara Jordan
- Mae Carol Jemison
- Coretta Scott King
- Bryan Stevenson
- Bessie Coleman
- Alice Coachman
- Shirley Chrisholm
- Ida B. Wells
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Teaching Mama
Angela Thayer’s blog, Teaching Mama, has free printable Black History Month posters. The author requests that you please visit her blog to download the PDFs. Look for the large pink “Download Here” box to download the posters.
Rise Vision
The Rise Vision Blog has ten free Black History Month posters for schools. You will need to enter your name and email address to receive the ZIP file. Among the honored are Shirley Chisholm, Elijah McCoy, and Barack Obama.
Education.com
Education.com has an 11×17 poster of Black changemakers featuring activists, artists, authors, and revolutionaries. You will need to create an account in order to download the poster.
We Are Teachers
We Are Teachers has two sets of posters: Five Free Black History Month Quote Posters for Your Classroom and Science Posters to Celebrate Black History All Year Long.
And, just in case you missed it, check out this blog post for all kinds of other free classroom posters.
Student Poster Creation
Adobe Expres
This next one is pretty cool. Adobe Express allows you to choose a template that highlights prominent Black leaders. Teachers and students can customize a poster with professionally designed images, graphics, fonts, and more. Do note that you will need to create an account.
Canva
If you or your students are using Canva in your classroom, try creating a poster or designing a quote with this online graphic design tool. With just a quick search, I found plenty of choices to help create a professional-looking design.
120 Inspiring Quotes for Black History Month
This article has 120 inspiring quotes from powerful public figures that have left a lasting effect on our country with their insightful words, historic speeches, and more.
Here is a sampling:
“Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”
– Coretta Scott King
“The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind.”
– Maya Angelou
“Character is power.”
– Booker T. Washington
One more resource to pull quotes from is 99 Black History Quotes to Start 2023.
Can Kids Change the World?
In 2021, Scholastic released a seven-minute video that asks the question: Did the fight for civil rights include children? Watch the video to learn about seven year old Ayanna Najuma, who braved consequences to make her community more inclusive.
The 13 Best Places to Celebrate Black History Month in 2023
If you happen to live in LA, Houston, Kansas City, Missouri, or any of the other ten places listed in this U.S. News article, plan on a visit or field trip to these top museums or events.
Oprah Daily Black History Month 2023
If you are looking for a book to read? Check out the Oprah Daily on Black History Month 2023. The website lists the 21 best books by black authors you should read in your lifetime.
Featured image created in Canva by TCEA staff
