BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
LITERARY FINE ARTS MUSIC ARTS
Esperanza Rising by Frida Kahlo Pam Munoz Ryan Frida Kahlo and Her (grades 3 - 8) Animalitos by Monica Brown and John Parra What Can a Citizen Do? by Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris (K-2)
MATH & CULINARY HISTORY SCIENCE ARTS BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
FINE ARTS
Alma Thomas Jacob Lawrence Faith Ringgold Alma Thomas was an Faith Ringgold works in a Expressionist painter who variety of mediums, but is most famous for her is best-known for her brightly colored, often narrative quilts. Create a geometric abstract colorful picture, leaving paintings composed of 1 or 2 inches empty along small lines and dot-like the edge of your paper marks. on all four sides. Cut colorful cardstock or Using Q-Tips and primary Jacob Lawrence created construction paper into colors, create a painted works of "dynamic squares to add a "quilt" pattern in the style of Cubism" inspired by the trim border to your Thomas. shapes and colors of piece. Harlem. His artwork told stories of the African- American experience in the 20th century, which defines him as an artist of social realism, or artwork based on real, modern life.
Using oil pastels and block shapes, create a picture from a day in your life at school. What details stand out? BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
MUSIC
Creating a Music important to blues music, and pop to create and often feature timeless radio hits. Map melancholy tales. Famous Famous Motown With your students, fill blues musicians include B.B. performers include out a map of the United King and Muddy Waters. Aretha Franklin and The States based on the origin Jackson 5. points of these Jazz genres/styles of music. Jazz music developed out Hip Hop Research further about of blues and ragtime Hip hop started famous blues, jazz, and music, and started being becoming popular in hip hop hubs. When was played extensively out of 1970s New York City each genre most popular? New Orleans, Louisiana. neighborhoods, a blend How do these styles Unlike blues music, jazz of jazz, rhythm and overlap and influence one songs can be entirely blues, spoken word, and another? How was this instrumental. Famous jazz dance music. Rapping music reacting to social musicians include Billie soared as an artistic values at the time? Holiday, Louis Armstrong, form, and continues to
Blues and Duke Ellington. be incredibly popular through many sub- Blues music developed in genres. As musicians the American South in the Motown collaborate across genres late 1800s, a genre of folk Motown was a record and experiment with music derived from label based out of Detroit musical form, hip hop African-American in the 1960s that had a has grown and expanded spirituals. The vocals are huge role in bringing Black in performance style. incredibly artists to mainstream fame, often blending soul BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
LITERARY ARTS
PRE-K KINDERGARTEN - 2ND 3RD - 6TH
Mae Among the Stars The Story of Ruby The Watsons Go To by Roda Ahmed Bridges Birmingham by by Robert Coles Christopher Paul I Am Enough Curtis by Grace Byers Henry's Freedom Box What Color Is My by Ellen Levine Dream Big, Little One World?: The Lost by Vashti Harrison Hidden Figures Book History of African- by Margot Lee American Inventors by Kareem Abdul- This Jazz Man Shetterly and Jabbar and by Karen Ehrhardt Winifred Conkling Raymond Obstfeld
READING RESOURCES
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-tools/book-lists/29- books-for-black-history-month-.html "I Have A Dream" speech from Teaching American History: https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/i-have-a- dream/ BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
HISTORY
The Emancipation Segregation The Harlem Proclamation Racial segregation was Renaissance The Emancipation legal in the United States The Harlem Proclamation was the from the late 1800s Renaissance was an formal declaration by through the 1960s, which intellectual, social, and Abraham Lincoln freeing meant that African- artistic explosion over 3.5 million slaves in Americans were not centered in Harlem, the United States on allowed to use the same Manhattan in New York September 2, 1862. It facilities and services as City in the 1920s. Many went into effect January white Americans. This important writers, 1, 1863. It was an included drinking artists, musicians, executive order on behalf fountains, shops, public fashion, and cultural of the Union side of the transportation, and criticism came out of Civil War. A major goal schools. Brown vs. Board this movement. of the Confederate side of Education, an of the war sought important legal case in Research a historical continued legal ownership 1954 that ruled that figure from the Harlem of slaves. All remaining separating children into Renaissance, and their slaves were freed in the schools based on their contribution to the arts. subsequent two years, race was unconstitutional. What do you find most and culminated in the This paved the way for interesting about this ratification of the the end of enforced individual? What is a Thirteenth Amendment in segregation through the contribution you would 1865. Civil Rights Act in 1964. like to make to the world? BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
HISTORICAL FIGURES AND ACTIVISTS
Rosa Parks Ida B. Wells Martin Luther Rosa Parks was a Civil Ida B. Wells was an King, Jr. Rights activist who was investigative journalist arrested for her refusal to who lived from 1862 to give up her seat on a bus to 1931. She studied at Rust a white man. In 1955 in College and worked as a Montgomery, Alabama, it teacher before becoming a was illegal to do so. journalist.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is Her actions led to She wrote about the evils perhaps one of the most the Montgomery Bus of discrimination, and universally recognizable Boycott, as it came to be advocated for equal rights figures of the American known, which was very for African-Americans in a Civil Rights movement. successful. It lasted for 381 country that had just He was a minister and days and ended with a banned slavery. She fought activist who gave Supreme Court ruling hard against segregation impassioned speeches declaring segregation on and laws in the South about his hope for a more public transit systems to be which allowed enormous united nation, and he unconstitutional (Browder violence against Black men. advocated for the Civil vs. Gayle, 1956). She was also an early Rights Act of 1964. He suffragette and worked won the Nobel Peace toward women's right to Prize in 1964 for vote. She co-founded the nonviolent resistance in NAACP and believed in his pursuit of racial social values that would not equality. become the norm for decades. BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
MATH & SCIENCE
The Real-Life Benjamin Banneker Madam CJ Walker
Heroes of Hidden Benjamin Banneker was a Madam CJ Walker was Figures self-taught scientist who one of the wealthiest educated himself in many women in American During the 1940s and fields, from literature to when she died in 1919. 1950s, a group of African- astronomy. He wrote very She sold products for American female accurate almanacs, which African-American hair mathematicians known as are calendars composed of care for many years the West Area Computers statistical calculations. before starting her own worked for NASA. Though beauty business 1905. many prominent thinkers He also created America's There was a need for and scientists came from first fully-functioning these products, and her this group, Katherine clock that struck time on company became widely Johnson rose to the hour. successful. Walker was prominence for her skills an advocate for Black in orbital mathematics. In Banneker kept many businesses and social 2019, she received a observational journals to equality. Congressional Gold Medal help him understand the for her work. natural order of the world. Think of a product that Using a clipboard, examine you wish existed, or a Visit a plant, animal, or large product that exists that https://www.nasa.gov/st outdoor area, such as a you could somehow em/forstudents for grade- field. Write as many improve. What kind of appropriate NASA observations as you can. product is it? How activities. What do you see? What do would you market it?
you predict?
BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
CULINARY ARTS
The Red Foods of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the celebration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and commemorates the day that news finally arrived to the last slaves in Texas in 1865, who were informed of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.
Red foods and drinks have become part of the traditional food served during Juneteenth parties and parades, including strawberry soda, watermelon, and red velvet cake. Other foods are popular as well, such as a a variety of cooked meat, pies, and other summertime favorites.
Though different people offer different origins of the color red for this celebration, it is widely accepted that it represents perseverance and connects to West African hibiscus drinks that became popular in America during the slave trade. BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
CULINARY ARTS
Red Velvet Cake: Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening (you can substitute butter) 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1 1-oz. bottle red food color 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda 2 tbsp. cocoa 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. vinegar BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
CULINARY ARTS
Red Velvet Cake: Preparation
"Cream together shortening/butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Beat in vanilla and food coloring. Sift together flour, salt, soda and cocoa. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and vinegar, mixing well after each addition. Turn batter into 2 greased and floured 9- in. layer pans. Bake at 350 deg. 30 min. or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool slightly, then remove from pans to cool on cake racks. Split cooled layers, if wanted. Fill and frost with desired icing -- cream cheese frosting is the most popular."
You could also make these as cupcakes - fill a cupcake pan instead of a layer pan and proceed according to the recipe.
"Chocolate Cake With Unusual Twists," Los Angeles Times, August 12, 1968 (p. I20) foodtimeline.org BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
MORE RESOURCES
PBS.org: Teaching Your Child About Black History Month https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/teaching-your-child-about-black- history-month
The African-American History Month Website (.gov) https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/
The National Education Association: Black History Month Lessons & Resources, Grades K-5 http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/bhm-curriculum-resources-gradesK- 5.html
"The truth is powerful and it prevails." - Sojourner Truth BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
REFLECTIONS/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME?"
How did these lessons affect your students? What did they like best? What would they like to learn more about?
"WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO MY SCHOOL? MY COMMUNITY?"
What did we learn about the world around us? BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
BIG QUESTIONS FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS (PRE-K - 2ND)
DREAMING OF A BETTER FUTURE
IN REACTION TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH, WHAT IS A DREAM YOU HAVE FOR THE FUTURE THAT WILL HELP OTHERS?
STANDING UP FOR WHAT'S RIGHT
STANDING UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT TAKES COURAGE. HOW CAN WE BE BRAVE WHEN WE ARE STANDING UP FOR OUR FRIENDS? HOW CAN WE BEHAVE TO SHOW WE ACCEPT OTHERS FOR WHO THEY ARE, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE DIFFERENT THAN US? BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
BIG QUESTIONS FOR OLDER STUDENTS (3RD - 6TH)
LEARNING FROM THE PAST
THIS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, READ A HISTORICAL FICTION OR NONFICTION BOOK ABOUT THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, EITHER DURING THE PERIOD OF SLAVERY OR DURING THE PUSH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS. WHAT DO THESE LESSONS FROM THE PAST TEACH US ABOUT TODAY? HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS WITH OUR ACTIONS AND OUR WORDS?
TRUTH THROUGH ART
HOW HAS ART, FROM THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE THROUGH CONTEMPORARY WORK BY BLACK ARTISTS, BEEN A VEHICLE FOR TRUTH? WHAT CREATIVE FORMS DO YOU USE TO TELL YOUR STORY? BLACK HISTORY MONTH FEBRUARY 2020
MOST IMPORTANT TAKE-AWAYS
People that came Black History is a before me made vital part of progress that American history. shaped the world today. I can make a mark on the world.
Learning about I can be proud of places and people who I am and different from my respect my own experiences friends' and enriches my life. community's diverse heritages.