We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
This post may contain affiliate links. You pay the same and I get a small commission. Win Win! (Check out the full disclosure here.)
Black History Month is an important time to reflect on and celebrate the rich culture and contributions of Black individuals throughout history. As educators, it’s essential to provide students with resources that not only highlight these important figures but also foster meaningful discussions about race, identity, and the ongoing journey for equality. In this blog post, I’ve compiled a variety of Black History Month resources—lesson plans, activities, writing tasks, etc—that will help make this month both educational and inspiring for your students. Perfect for high school, these resources will support you in creating engaging, thoughtful lessons that honor Black history year-round.
Civil Rights Movement Context Stations
Are you looking to give your students an overview of the context for the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s in the US? This 1-2 day inquiry based lesson plan (~90 minutes) with everything you need, including materials, handouts, lesson plan & a slide deck, is perfect for any history, social studies, or English Language Arts class, grades 7-12. Check it out here.
Rhetorical Device Rotations: “I Have a Dream”
Hoping to engage your students in analyzing Martin Luther King’s rich use of rhetoric in his famous “I Have a Dream Speech?” In need of a lesson related to the Civil Rights Movement for Black History Month? This 3 day lesson plan is perfect for grades 8 and up in any class where students need to be able to analyze rhetorical devices and arguments.
The 3 day lesson plan walks students through multiple reads of the speech. The first read is focused on identifying King’s argument and analyzing his delivery through a video. The second read shifts the focus to his use of rhetorical devices to support that argument (specifically hyperbole, alliteration, analogy, charged language & antithesis) through stations that students will rotate through (plus an option if you don’t want students to move around). You can check it out here.
Civil Rights Poetry: Pass the Poem Activity
Wanting to incorporate poems written during or about the Civil Rights Movement for Black History Month lessons? This “Pass the Poem” collaborative poetry analysis activity is perfect for students grades 8 and up. It works in any English Language Arts class.
It includes 4poems (“I, Too, Sing America” and “I Dream a World” by Langston Hughes, “Incident” by Natasha Trethewey, and “For My People” by Margaret Walker). Students will engage in completing a directed close read. Then they’ll pass to a peer before evaluating and adding another layer of annotations (4 times total).You can click here to check it out.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” Lesson Series
Looking for a way to guide students through Martin Luther King’s famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail?” This unit includes lesson plans & slide decks (EDITABLE). It provides an opportunity for 9-12th grade students to engage in discussions, rhetorical analysis, and close reads. The unit closes with a culminating argumentative letter writing task on a topic of their choosing. Depending on how long you expand the writing task, this could take from 7-12 50 minute class periods.
Part 1: Guide your students through the letter with pre-reading questions, video notes and quick write prompts. The included questions (with answer key) help them dive deeper into crucial aspects of the text.
Part 2: After reading, engage your students through a lesson on rhetorical devices. These include parallel structure, rhetorical question, analogy, repetition, & allusion. They will analyze King’s use of these devices (answer key included).
Part 3: Shift student’s into the driver’s seat. Provides an opportunity for them to write a letter based on a topic of their choosing. They can argue that their audience should make a change for any topic they choose. The provided scaffolded graphic organizers and letter template options mean any student can engage in this writing process.
You can check it out or purchase it here.
Research Project: Less Famous Civil Rights Leaders
Looking for a research project & presentation for? Want to encourage your students to learn about lesser known leaders/activists? The included individuals had a significant impact on social justice in the 1960s and beyond? This research project and presentation is perfect for grades 8 and up in any social studies or ELA class.
With 11 included individuals to research students are guided to organize their research. They can use the included graphic organizer (print or digital). The prompt focuses on biographical details, participation in organizations, involvement in the Civil Rights movement, and overall impact on pursuing equal rights for all Americans. I provided blurbs for each individual to make your life easy.
Civil Rights Unit
You can find all of the above (plus some extra goodies) bundled together in one 9-11 week unit. It includes a pacing guide and some bonus files as well. Check out the video overview below or click here to learn more about it.
