Celebrating Black History Month and Cultural Diversity ...



Celebrating Black History Month and Cultural Diversity

Key Subject Area: Social Studies

Goal: To celebrate the contributions African-Americans have made to American history and teach students the importance of cultural diversity.

Objective: This is a three day lesson plan to open the celebration of Black History Month. The students’ self-esteem will increase, and they will learn to be more tolerant of each others’ differences and respect each others’ rights as human beings.

Strategy: This lesson will be taught using oral discussion, handouts, video technology, the Internet, and research.

Introduction: After providing a brief lecture regarding the origins of Black History Month, the following lesson plan will be introduced to the class through open discussion.

Day One: The teacher and students will list the names of African Americans who have contributed to our civilization, and how their efforts have positively shaped our lives.

← Teacher/Student Tasks:

▪ T – Will ask students to identify African Americans who have played an important role in American history.

▪ T – Will write list of names from students on the board or flip chart.

▪ T – Will go through the list of names and ask students how each individual made a positive contribution to society.

▪ S – Will respond to question with varying answers.

▪ T – Will hand out a separate list to students that bears the name of African American inventors, scientists, educators, athletes, musicians, etc. - that has played an important role in American history.

▪ S – Will be asked to select an individual from the list and write a brief essay about the person’s life, how they overcame obstacles and reached their goals, as well as how their efforts contributed to American history. Students cannot pick an individual that was already discussed in class, and no two students can choose the same subject.

Additionally, students will be asked to bring in a photo of themselves and prepare a five minute speech/presentation titled, “I Have a Dream,” about what they would like to achieve and how they plan to accomplish their dreams. *Note: The essay and presentation will be submitted on Day Three.

Day Two: Students will watch an 18-minute presentation of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C., through ( /speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm). The teacher will pass out a copy of the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. for students to review while watching the video. After the video has ended, the teacher will ask the students to identify what they saw in the video, the effects of Dr. King’s speech, and why people should value and respect everyone’s culture, beliefs, and uniqueness.

Day Three: Students will submit their essays to the teacher and present their five-minute presentations to the class. At the end of the presentations, the teacher will provide each child an “I Have a Dream” certificate of completion and a frame. The student’s will place their speeches/presentations in their individual frame with their picture and place the frames around the room until the end of the school year. The teacher will have the class to observe all the “dreams” around the room and lead an open discussion about the display.

Materials: Computer(s), Internet access, paper, writing utensils, multi-colored paper picture frames, certificates of completion, school library, glue, tape, scissors, student photographs, board and/or flip charts, and materials for research (i.e., age-appropriate biographies of influential African Americans).

Instruction: This lesson plan will stimulate student participation through class interaction between the teacher and students. Each student’s learning style will be incorporated into the lesson by using verbal, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic types of instruction.

Enrichment: The students will learn that cultural diversity is important to our society because it is what draws us together and allows us to adapt to change. The teacher will gain the attention of the students because emphasis will be placed on each student’s uniqueness and how they contribute to society.

Summary: The teacher will discuss the importance of research and observation. The teacher will encourage students to learn more about themselves and other cultures. The teacher will demonstrate through the lesson plan how cultural diversity enriches us, and provides us with the opportunity to discover, learn, and understand more about one another and the world we live in.

For discussion:

▪ T – Will speak on each frame and ask the students to talk about what might happen if that person did not fulfill their dream. How might this impact the student? Their family? Society?

▪ S – Will respond to question with varying answers.

▪ T – Will use the students’ answers to discuss why cultural diversity is important from both a social and economic perspective.

Before the end of class, the teacher will announce to the students that every day, throughout the month of February, one of their essay/research topics will be covered until all individuals that the students researched have been reviewed.

African American Heroes

1. Muhammad Ali

2. Marian Anderson

3. Louis Armstrong

4. Benjamin Banneker

5. Ida B. Wells (Barnett)

6. Count Basie

7. Jim Beckwourth

8. Mary McLeoud Bethune

9. Eubie Blake

10. Ralph Bunche

11. George Washington Carver

12. Robeto Clemente

13. Nat King Cole

14. Bessie Coleman

15. John Coltrane

16. George Crum

17. Captain Merryl David

18. Dr. Allison Davis

19. Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.

20. Mark Dean

21. Clatonia Joaquin Dorticus

22. Frederick Douglass

23. Philip B. Downing

24. Charles R. Drew

25. W.E.B. DuBois

26. Paul Laurence Dunbar

27. Jean Baptiste Pointe Du Sable

28. Duke Ellington

29. Erroll Garner

30. W.C. Handy

31. Coleman Hawkins

32. Billie Holiday

33. Mahalia Jackson

34. James P. Johnson

35. James Weldon Johnson

36. Robert Johnson

37. Scott Joplin

38. Percy Lavon Julian

39. Ernest E. Just

40. Martin Luther King, Jr.

41. Lewis H. Latimer

42. Joe Louis

43. Hudson William Ledbetter (Leadbelly)

44. Roberta Martin

45. Jan E. Matzeliger

46. Elijah McCoy

47. Clyde McPhatter

48. Charles Mingus

49. Thelonious Monk

50. Garrett Augustus Morgan

51. Jelly Roll Morton

52. Jesse Owens

53. Charlie Parker

54. Bill Pickett

55. Salem Poor

56. ‘MA’ Rainey

57. A. Philip Randolph

58. Otis Redding

59. Norbert Rillieux

60. Jackie Robinson

61. Jimmy Rushing

62. Bessie Smith

63. Henry O. Tanner

64. Sonny Terry

65. Sister Rosetta Tharpe

66. Dr. Vivien Theodore Thomas

67. Sojourner Truth

68. Harriet Tubman

69. Madam C.J. Walker

70. Clara Ward

71. Booker T. Washington

72. Dinah Washington

73. Ethel Waters

74. Muddy Waters

75. James E. West

76. Josh White

77. Howlin’ Wolf

78. Carter G. Woodson

79. Whitney Moore Young

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download