WTVM.com and WTVM News Leader 9, Columbus, GA | Teaching (and Learning) the Lessons of Black History
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By Daisy Whitney
Throughout Black History Month, you'll probably hear your kids talking more about the well-known accomplishments of major civil rights figures, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. But they will also likely be learning about the myriad ways that African Americans have made important contributions to American history. Schools across the country will be teaching children about these historic contributions in several unique ways.
We spoke to several organizations that help educators prepare to teach this important subject matter in schools to give you a sense of what your kids will be learning. Always bear in mind that education involves both parents and teachers. That means kids will learn more if parents can find creative ways to continue and reinforce the schoolroom lessons at home.
Many teachers draw their Black History Month lessons from The National Education Association, the nation's largest professional employee organization with 3.2 million teacher members. Here are some suggestions from the NEA:
--Let students choose one historic African American figure and create a timeline of that person's life and key events that made him or her influential. This approach makes learning more interactive for the students instead of just telling them the highlights about Black history. The research will help the student learn the context and circumstances of that person's life and achievement, while the class benefits from the information in the timeline.
--Have students write a rap or hip-hop song about a particular black person or event important to black history. This activity requires creativity to retell history in the student's own words, above and beyond writing a report.
Scholastic magazine, which reaches more than 25 million students and teachers across the country from grades K through 12, is running an interview in its February issue with Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play Major League Baseball, said Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Bondor. That's because April 15 marks the 60th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball. Ms. Robinson will share her father's story and how the experience affected him and his family.
--To help teachers, the magazine will also include questions and discussion topics to use with the students in the classroom.
--Scholastic will also highlight Black History Month on its Web site with the Scholastic News Kid Press Corps. This month's interviews will include ones a police officer who leads a Bias Crime Unit on Long Island, an African American teacher who grew up in the segregated school system and a jazz musician from Seattle.
Look for individual school districts to tackle Black History Month in their own unique ways. For instance, the Chicago School District will be promoting lessons and discussion around a NOVA special about Percy Julian on PBS. Julian was born in 1899 in Alabama under the Jim Crow law regime and went on to become a talented chemist and the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry. The Chicago School District's plan is a great example of how to dig deeper into Black History to learn about lesser-known African Americans who have made contributions in a variety of fields like science, humanities, the arts, sports and politics.
Educating children about Black History doesn't stop at the schoolyard, though. There are several great resources in libraries and online for parents to use to teach Black History at home. Links to three Web sites where you can start looking are included with this story. (Upper left)
And black history is not necessarily ancient history. Consider this year's Super Bowl XLI, a milestone with Tony Dungee of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears as the first African American coaches to lead their teams in the Super Bowl.
