Black History Books

• Books are the perfect learning tools for kids because they allow kids to get involved, absorb information, and ask questions. Books also facilitate independent learning and some good ones focus on elements of black history.
  
  "There Comes a Time" --- This 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder award-winning book by Milton Metzler takes an in-depth look at the struggle African-Americans endured throughout 300 years of "slavery, segregation, Jim Crow laws, and the civil rights movement of the 1960s."
  
  "A Piece of Heaven" --- This work of fiction by Sharon Dennis Wyeth is a heart-warming tale about "a young teenager who deals with her family's disintegration with the help of a teacher who gives her a summer job working in his garden."
  
  "Through My Eyes" --- This incredible memoir by Ruby Bridges is the true account of when she was the first black student in the country to be admitted to an all-white school when she was just 6 years old.
  
  

Black History Month

• Black History Month, which is celebrated in February, is an ideal opportunity to incorporate Black history lessons into your classroom and home environment. Download printable activities from FunFamilyEducation.com to create quizzes about civil rights legends and Martin Luther King Jr. Students can also print out coloring pages, and read newspaper articles that highlight historic civil rights events. A class could also watch movies that deal with civil rights issues, such as "Ghosts of Mississippi," "Mississippi Burning," or "The Long Walk Home" and discuss them afterward. Don't be afraid to have an open discussion about racism with your kids as well, whether in the classroom or at home.
  
  

Educational websites

• There are many educational websites kids can visit in order to learn more about Black history. For example, History.com has an entire section dedicated to Black history. Kids can read articles about historic milestones, such as the development of the underground railroad or Jackie Robinson's integration into professional baseball. Kids can also watch online videos about the origins of slavery, the march on Washington, and the Harlem Renaissance. Kids can also listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech (at mlkonline.net) and view an interactive Black history timeline at biography.com.