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Celebrate Black History Month

Black History (or African American History) Month, observed in February, honors achievements by African Americans. Help your students recognize the central role of blacks in U.S. history with these resources.

Grades K-12

Black History Resources

Black history does not need to be limited to one month of the year. Elevate your lessons with this collection of resources filled with teaching ideas, research materials, and interactive sites for studying African American History in all grades.

Grades K-12

Black History Month Resources

Commemorate Black History Month with 20 lesson plans (some contain Common Core connections), plus resources covering a variety of topics including racial discrimination, civil rights, and discussions about race in current events. Search by topic or grade.

Grades K-4

They Had a Dream Too

Ideal for sharing during Black History Month, discover this unit about overcoming obstacles (for grades K-4). It offers profiles of several dozen famous people and asks students to research how they achieved success despite their challenges.

View & Share Stories

Follow stories of those who paved the way for equal rights for African Americans -- from the transatlantic slave ships of the 1780s to the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

Grades 7-12

Enslaved Africans - Our Truth

Follow the stories of four African slaves as they were taken on board a transatlantic slave ship in 1780. Meet your guides from four different tribes and choose a storyteller to start. Learn about their family life as well as cultural information.

Grades K-12

The Brown Bookshelf

This site features a new author each day during Black History Month. Find literature to share that is written by and featuring people of color. It is a month-long showcase of the best in picture books, middle-level books, and young adult novels.

Grades 6-12

The HistoryMakers

Peruse this rich collection of biographies and oral histories of 2000+ African Americans who have made history in their respective fields. Search the database of 15 fields: ArtMakers, EducationMakers, ScienceMakers, LawMakers, CivicsMakers, and others.

Lessons on Discrimination & Equality

Bring history to life with three powerful resources that offer lessons, videos, and stories of equality, equal rights, discrimination, and more related to the Civil Rights Movement. 

Grades 6-12

A Class Divided

Don't miss this video and collection of activities based on the daring lesson that teacher Jane Elliott taught her third-grade class to give them a firsthand experience in the meaning of discrimination following the assassination of MLK Jr.

Grades 6-12

Civil Rights History Project

Learn about the personal stories of civil rights activists (and members of the Freedom Movement) from the 1950s and 1960s through video interviews. Each interview also includes a written transcript for download and discussion about civil rights.

Grades 5-12

Virtual Learning Journey: Civil Rights Movement

Personalize the stories of the past as you listen to firsthand accounts, view the 14 videos, and explore primary source documents found along the way. This site includes seven themes and topics based on the Civil Rights Movement and extension activities.

This Week at TeachersFirst

Join our OK2Ask® virtual workshop this Tuesday (1/28) to learn how to use Flipgrid to give students a voice. We also invite you to read a blog post related to civil rights and community activism. And don't miss our weekly poll about Black History Month.