Black History Month Lessons Beyond MLK: Fresh Resources for Your Classroom

Every February, teachers gear up for Black History Month and rightfully so. Our curricula are still lacking in diversity. However, it can sometimes feel like the same familiar people and stories are covered year after year.

What if you could take this month to highlight a broader, richer range of voices, eras, and stories?

From ancient African empires to 20th-century activism, here are 7 resources that broaden the narrative and bring diverse perspectives into your social studies classroom. 

These classroom-ready resources go beyond Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. to help students explore Black history across time and space.

1) African Empires Interactive Notebook

Focus on African history with interactive notebook activities on the great empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. These resources include map activities, readings, and foldable-style graphic organizers. make this accessible and engaging.

These help diversify your “Euro-centric” World History curriculum and give students a global context for African civilizations.

2) Black History Month Sculpture Garden Project

Students design a “sculpture garden” honoring Black changemakers in this PBL activity. They think through who, why, and how to honor these greats from history with a sculpture garden filled with statues. 

The download includes planning templates, biographies, and student presentation pages. It's a great project because it combines art, history, and civic thought.

3) Exodusters Primary Source Analysis Lesson

This fantastic lesson teaches students about the African Americans who migrated to Kansas and the Midwest from the South after the end of Reconstruction.

Inspired by the Homestead Act, these Exodusters established towns like Nicodemus, KS and bravely created new lives in the Midwest. The lesson includes 14 primary source document excerpts and images along with worksheets and a lesson plan detailing how to use everything. 

4) Juneteenth Lesson Plan

Teach the significance of Juneteenth with this reading and project tied to the end of slavery and the struggle for freedom. With Juneteenth earning broader recognition, this lesson helps anchor students in its historical roots.

The lesson also works great as part of your Civil War or Reconstruction unit in US History. 

5) Buffalo Soldiers Reading & Graphic Organizer

Explore the story of the Buffalo Soldiers, who were African American regiments in the U.S. Army after the Civil War. They served in the West and beyond, making this a great resource for your unit on Westward Expansion or Manifest Destiny.

The resource is great because it offers a lesser-told story that enriches students’ view of American history.

6) Black History Month Biography Projects

Let students choose from a wide array of Black historical figures like scientists, artists, athletes, and activists. They then research and present their findings in a variety of ways. The download comes with ready-to-use readings, graphic organizers, and project templates.

I like to assign in February then showcase the projects as a gallery walk. Personalizing history makes it relevant so that students see the human behind the story.

7) World War 2 “Double V” Campaign Lesson

Teach about the famous Double V campaign (“Victory abroad, victory at home”) for African Americans during WW2. Black soldiers who fought bravely against fascism in Europe wanted to win and return home to win a victory against racism and injustice here in America.

The resource includes readings, discussion questions, and primary sources to connect global conflict to domestic civil rights. It's a great one to use before your Civil Rights unit as a bridge from WWII to the modern era.

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I hope some of these are helpful for you and your classroom. And remember: you can access every lesson, activity, project, and curriculum in either US History, World History, Geography, or with a Students of History subscription! 
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