3 Important Things to Teach Upper Elementary Students about Black History Month

Kirsten 0:00

This is the social studies teacher podcast, a show for busy elementary teachers looking for fun and engaging ways to easily add social studies into their classroom schedule without feeling overwhelmed or pressed for time. I'm Kirsten at the southern teach, an educator and mom who is passionate about all things social studies. I love sharing ideas and strategies that are low prep and easy to implement. So let's dive in together.

Kirsten 0:47

Hi everybody. Welcome to the social studies teacher podcast. I hope you're having a wonderful day so far. Today we are going to be talking about a topic that's not just important for February, but throughout the year, and that is teaching Black History Month to upper elementary students. While it's easy and usually common to focus on well known figures like Martin Luther King Jr or Rosa Parks, Black History Month is an opportunity to go deeper and share a more comprehensive understanding of Black History and Culture. And today, I'm going to be sharing with you three important things to focus on with your students during Black History Month that can spark meaningful conversations, build empathy, and promote a greater understanding of history. All right, let's get started, and I'm going to share with you three important things to teach upper elementary students about Black History Month.

Kirsten 1:39

The very first thing to make sure you're teaching is that black history is American history. One of the most important messages to share I believe. It's not a separate story. It's woven into the very fabric of the United States. From the achievements of black inventors and activists, to the struggles of enslaved people and civil rights leaders, Black history is an essential part of understanding the country's past and present. Now you might be asking, well, how can I teach this in the classroom? Start by showing how black history connects to the larger themes you're already teaching. One way to do this is thinking about when you're teaching about the Industrial Revolution, you can highlight the contributions of black inventors like Elijah McCoy or Granville T woods, and even when discussing westward expansion, includes stories of black pioneers and cowboys who played a role in shaping the American frontier. This approach helps students see that black history isn't limited to one month. It is vital for every lesson. I do have a Black History Month unit specifically for Black History Month, but my curricula for third, fourth, and fifth grade includes different perspectives and different parts of Black History embedded within each of the units. So while there might be talk about the American Revolution, I do share information on famous black Americans during the American Revolution and how they were helpful and beneficial and what they did to contribute to the Revolutionary War.

Kirsten 3:14

Kirsten 5:12

All right, the third important thing to teach upper elementary students about Black History Month is to explore black culture beyond the struggle. This is a real important one that I personally believe in. While it's essential to teach about the challenges black Americans have faced, it is equally important to celebrate the richness of black culture and achievements. Help your students explore the joy, creativity, and resilience that define so much of black history. This is something that I think my parents instilled in me, personally as an African American, my parents are African American, and they just through what they did growing up. We grew up pretty well off having what we needed. My parents were college educated, both had master's degrees, and they currently are still working like haven't retired yet, but they have told me that just because we are African American does not mean we are struggling or that we cannot achieve great things. So just kind of expanding on that, here are a few ideas to bring this to life. One way is through music. Introduce students to the history of jazz, blues, gospel, and hip hop. Discuss how these genres have influenced music around the world. Another is through art and literature. Highlight works by black authors, poets, artists from Langston Hughes to Jacob Lawrence and let students explore how these creators expressed their experiences and their perspectives. And another one, food and traditions. Share the history of traditional African American foods and their connections to the African diaspora, and you can discuss how food tells stories and preserves culture. By celebrating these cultural contributions, you can help students see that black history is not just a narrative of struggle, it's a vibrant, ongoing story of creativity and achievement. I mentioned a resource about the Civil Rights Movement web quest but I also have the Black History Month unit that kind of goes into this a lot more in depth. So while it is specifically Black History Month, I share information about the Underground Railroad the civil rights movement, but I also go into famous artists, musicians, and famous scientists, and inventors that are commonly known and commonly not known. So I do a little mix of both, so students will learn about people when you might even learn of a couple of people that you might not have heard of. So this is just a really great overall resource that's three weeks. You can pick and pull lessons as needed, however you see fit, mix it in with what you're currently learning in your social studies curriculum.

Kirsten 8:07

So to recap, here are three important things to teach your students about Black History Month. Number one, Black history is American history, and we should be integrating these into everything we teach, not just in February. Number two, to highlight unsung heroes in everyday stories, to show how change happens at all levels, both known and unknown. And number three, celebrate black culture and creativity beyond the struggle, emphasize the joy and resilience. Remember Black History Month is a starting point, not the end point. The lessons you teach in February should inspire students to keep learning and exploring throughout the year. Thank you for joining me on this week's episode of the social studies teacher podcast. I will talk to you again next week.

Kirsten 8:56

Thanks for listening to the social studies teacher podcast. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, hit that subscribe button and leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can also find me on Instagram at the southern teach. I can't wait for you to join me in the next episode for more teacher tips and strategies.