Black History Month Activities – Elementary
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated April 07, 2024
February is almost upon us, and with that comes Black History Month! While I believe diversifying our curriculum year round is crucially important, February is a great time to dive a little deeper into the stories and events of African Americans, and the contributions they have made to our world. In this post, I have included several different ways to incorporate Black History Month activities seamlessly into your existing elementary curriculum. I hope you can take some of these ideas back to your own classroom to help celebrate this exciting and important month.
On the hunt for some no-prep resources to help celebrate this important month in your classrooms? Click on the image or button below to see all of the Black History Month resources available in my TPT shop!
For additional ideas to incorporate Black History based activities into your classroom, check out our middle school activities for Black History Month and favorite short stories for Black History Month.
Black History Month Activities – Ruby Bridges Read Aloud
Ruby Bridges was a young African American girl who moved with her family to New Orleans when she was 4 years old. During this time period, the schools in New Orleans were segregated.
By the time Ruby entered first grade, the government of Louisiana had decided that schools should be integrated. While many were excited about these changes, there were also people who did not agree with it. Because of this, there were a lot of protests against it.
Ruby attended her first day at a previously all white school on November 14, 1960. To protect Ruby from the protests going on outside, U.S. marshals were sent by President Eisenhower to walk her in and out of the school.
By the time Ruby began second grade, things had started to get a little easier. Some of the racial tensions had died down in Louisiana. She was able to go to and from school without protection from US Marshals. Ruby continued at the integrated school until graduation.
The story of Ruby Bridges is one many elementary students immediately connect to. Her courage to stand up to the struggles of racial segregation at a young age are truly inspiring. This makes for great classroom discussion.
I like to begin our unit on Ruby Bridges with a read aloud. There are a lot of really great picture books about this inspiring figure available. The books in the image above are three of my favorites.
Don’t have a copy of the book? No worries! Check out this version available on YouTube by clicking on the video below.
For additional information on read alouds, check out our posts on the benefits of read alouds, read aloud tips and tricks, and read aloud planning strategies!
Black History Month Activities – Ruby Bridges Color by Code
After we complete our read aloud about Ruby Bridges, I have the students work through a reading passage. This helps us gain some additional background information about this inspiring character.
After reading, I have students answer some comprehension questions about her life and struggles. These comprehension posters work great for that, as students can color up the cute clip art when they are done. These make great classroom work displays or interactive notebook additions.
When our questions are complete, I have students test their understanding with this fun color by code activity. Students answer key questions about Ruby Bridges by coloring in the correct answer on the coloring page. This is a great activity to check for understanding, and also makes a great early finisher activity.
Check out this color by code activity for black history month, and others, in my TPT store! Click here to see them!
Black History Month Activities – Mini Books
I am sure you have heard me go on and on about mini books in previous posts. I can’t help it! This is because I absolutely love using them in my elementary classroom!
I use these mini books to teach all about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.
To create their mini books, students simply stack the pages together. Next, they cut them out and staple them together. Completed books are great for buddy reading. They also make great take home activities to share their learning with family members.
Two different versions of the mini books are included with each resource. This is great for differentiation!
One version has all of the facts written in. For this version, students simply have to color the fun clip art.
The second included version has blank pages that only include titles and clipart. For these pages, students are required to write out the facts. I typically write the facts on the board, and have students copy them down. This works great for writing practice or center work!
Interested in trying these mini books out in your own classroom? Click here or on the cover images at the bottom of this post.
For more information on mini books, check out these three engaging ways to use mini books in your classroom!
Black History Month Activities – Biography Projects
For my elementary learners ready to take on a bit more when it comes to research, I love using these biography templates. They help to structure their research and keep things organized. The completed templates also make great classroom displays or interactive notebook additions!
To begin the activity, I have students choose from a list of key black history figures. Next, I pass each student a reading passage so they are able to get some important background information about the figure they are researching. These reading passages really help to introduce them to the figures.
Students use the information included in their reading passage to help fill out their biography templates. When additional information is needed (such as their date of birth or death), I let them search online for additional facts. This is a great way to introduce online research skills!
You can check out this Black History Biography resource in my TPT store by clicking here or on the cover image at the bottom of this post.
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Pop on over to Teacher Pay Teachers by clicking on the images below to snag some of the fun Black History Month activities mentioned in this post.
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