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Black History Month Research Project: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hello Teacher Friends! How is your 2022 going? For me, this year is just zipping by! I cannot believe it is nearly Black History Month already! Since February is so close, I wanted to take a quick minute and highlight one of my most popular resources in my TpT Store . My Black History Month Research Project is incredibly popular this time of year. This resource has helped literally hundreds of teachers and thousands of students learn the research process and commemorate important Black individuals! I’ve recently updated the entire product and wanted to break it down and show you how I use this resource in my classroom!

Black History Month Research Project

With this resource, each student will research an influential Black individual, write a biographical essay about their individual and create a visual representation of their person! While this sounds like a lot of work, I promise I have broken it down into manageable chunks for YOU and your students! Even students who struggle with reading and writing have succeeded with this project!

Phase 1: Building Research Skills

Before beginning, students need a research subject! Included in this resource is a list of over 140 Black individuals who have made significant contributions to society— including many influential women! Personally, I like to randomly assign names to students. (Actually, I usually have them pick a name out of a bowl.) I do this for a few reasons. First, I think there is value in learning about someone new that students maybe haven’t even heard of before. If given the choice, students often default to the Black figures they already know! I don’t want them to do that! Second, I like to have all my students in all my classes have different names. This way, when we display them in the hallway or classroom, we don’t have any duplicates!

After students have their research subject, it is time to learn how to research. Instead of setting my students loose on Google right away, I like to teach them the research process. This direct teaching does take a little bit of class time. However, it is totally worth it! Not only will your students’ end results be infinitely better, but they are learning foundational research skills. Research skills that they will use again and again throughout their educational careers!

In these lessons, students will learn about different types of sources, how to determine if a source is credible, and how to recognize an author’s bias.

I’ve included a “Source Credibility Checklist” for students to keep as a reference that will help them determine whether a source is a “good” source or not. I’ve also outlined a fun activity intentionally using a completely biased website! It’s a real eye-opening activity for students that shows them the need to use multiple sources and check for credibility.

Phase 2: Research & Note-taking

The next step in the Black History Month Research Project is to research! I have two Slides Presentations giving students tips for conducting thorough research and taking notes to keep track of the information they have gathered! Students can take notes on their KWL Chart. I’ve also included a Note-taking Graphic Organizer that helps students keep track of what information came from what source. Keeping track of their information will come in handy later when they create their bibliographies!

Phase 3: Writing Black History Month Research Project Essays

Following the research and note-taking process, it’s time for students to outline and draft their essays. I’ve included a suggested outline that students can use to organize their information. In the Slides, I show how to take the information from their outline and notes and turn it into paragraphs in their essays! In my class, we talk a lot about writing excellent paragraphs . Here is another resource that can help if your students are struggling with this basic building block of writing!

Also in this phase, students will work together to edit and revise one another’s essays. This collaborative process is a great way to teach students how to give and accept feedback. It is also helpful in learning how to improve one’s writing from the first draft to the published final copy!

Additionally, students will also practice citing their sources by creating a bibliography. At the middle school level, I don’t require my students to stick with MLA or Chicago styles or anything in particular. I’m most interested in them understanding that they should be giving credit to the original authors. I don’t worry too much about formatting it in a specific style. I’ve included a Simple Bibliography Guide for students to use!

Phase 4: Visual Display & Class Presentations

Finally, students will create a visual display of information for their person. There are endless options for this portion of the assignment. You could ask students to simply use a large sheet of paper, a poster board, etc. to create a visual by hand. Alternatively, I heard from one tech-savvy teacher who asked his students to create a Slide for their visual component. He compiled the Slides, set up a projector in the front of the school, and looped the Slides all throughout February to allow others in the school to learn from their research!

I generally stick with a low-tech option and use large sheets of paper (my school has 12×18 sheets of paper that seem to work well). Students include the the most important facts and information about their individual. I also ask them to include pictures and a quotation on their poster. When students have finished their essays and their posters, students present their Black History Month Research Projects to the class. Afterwards, I like to display the posters in the hallway outside my classroom to allow others to learn as well!

Phew! If that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered! This resource includes over 120 Instructional Slide s that literally walk you through the entire process! Also, if you need any help along the way, I’m just an email away!

How do you like to commemorate Black History Month with your students? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Brenna (Mrs. Nelson)

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A Black History Month Research Project for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade

A Black History Month Research Project is a great way to help your students learn more about and celebrate the impact African Americans have made to the United States.  It's also a good way to help students learn about obstacles African Americans have had to face in this country.  But having 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students conduct research and complete a project based on that research can be an overwhelming task.

Scaffolding this process is essential in order for your students to be successful - and for them to actually stay engaged and excited!

After I fine-tuned the process, this Black History Month Research Project was one of my students' favorite projects all year.  It included researching a famous African American, writing an essay, creating a timeline of their life, and labeling a map.  The upper elementary students remained engaged throughout the entire project and were always very proud of the outcome!

Choosing an African American Hero to Research

Part of making a Black History Month Project meaningful is exposing students to people that they might not be familiar with.  If you let 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students choose who they want to research, you'll probably find that everyone wants to research Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, or Barack Obama.

Instead of simply letting students choose people they are already familiar with, collect a variety of biographies on different African Americans - or find some  kid-friendly biographies online.

Do whatever works for your classroom, as long as you give students an opportunity to introduce themselves to different African Americans.

How I Organized This in My Classroom

There are a lot of different ways you could do this with your students. I would always have my librarian collect enough child-friendly biographies for each student in my class.  We would sit in a circle, and each student would get one of the books.  They had about a minute to look through the book, and then everyone passed their book to the left.

After everyone had looked through every book, students would write down the top 5 people they were interested in researching.  Then, I would look through everybody's choices and assign each student their famous African American to research.

This process got students excited and gave them more ownership over the project.  However, it also allowed me some freedom to make adjustments that would help students be successful and be exposed to different people.

My students used a book from the library as their main source for research, so I wanted to make sure the reading level of the books was appropriate for each of my students.  (If you have a really well-organized classroom library checkout system, this might be easier for you!)

Scaffolding a Black History Month Essay

As all upper elementary teachers know, having students complete research and then use that to write a successful essay is much harder than you would think.

You have to teach students not to copy paragraphs straight from a book or website.  And how to organize a research paper.  And you have to motivate students so that they will actually WANT to write.

This No Prep Black History Month Research Project scaffolds the entire process so students can succeed.  And even better, it will minimize all the one on one time and help students complete their project much more independently.

But there are ways you can scaffold on your own.

1. Model the Project for Your Students

Modeling an entire project takes up a lot of class time, but it makes a huge difference in your students' success.  Plus, it will prevent a lot of student questions later.

This No Prep Black History Month Research Project has all the information you need to use Martin Luther King, Jr. in your modeling.

2. Provide a Research Page with Clear Topics

Instead of having students do their own research on note cards or a blank sheet of paper, provide a research page that tells them exactly what sorts of topics they should be researching.

Otherwise, students have the tendency to copy paragraphs and collect information on irrelevant topics.

Decide what exactly you want your students to learn about - for example, their African American's family, accomplishments, and impact - and create a research page that helps students easily organize that information.  (And, of course, this project also includes research pages.)

3. Scaffold the Writing Process

This might be one of the most important ways to help your students write a successful, organized research paper. Simply providing students with paragraph frames can make a drastic difference and give students more confidence in their writing.

This is similar to this scaffolding you can use when having students write a compare and contrast essay.   Or, use the no prep option with this already ready-to-go Black History Month Project.

Use the Research to Create a Timeline and Map

Use this opportunity to address some other social studies skills - timelines and maps!

Have students use their research to create a timeline of important events in their famous African American's life.  Then, provide students with a blank map and have them color in different states that were important to their African American.

This is a very simple way to make these skills more meaningful to students.

Presenting the Black History Month Project

There is no one right way to have students share their projects.  It really depends on how much time you have!

Here are some options:

• Have students simply turn in their projects.  You could use them to create a bulletin board or just take a grade.
• Have students create a poster with their essay, map, and timeline.  They can present it to the class, or you could make a display.
• Have a Living Wax Museum!  This takes a lot more preparation, but your students and parents will love it.  Find more information on Living Wax Museums here.

If you think this scaffolding would be beneficial to your students as well, then you might like my Black History Month Research Project – Essay, Map, and Timeline Resource.   It includes everything I used to help my students be successful – even a model using Martin Luther King, Jr. so you can show students what is expected of them!

Testimonial:

"This has made doing this research project so much easier! The best part is that samples of the completed steps are included. They always want to copy full sentences instead of making notes, and displaying the sample while they worked led to many more children succeeding without my one to one help."

You might also like these other ideas and resources for teaching during Black History Month - including a freebie!  

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Rubric – Social Studies Grade 8 Black History Month

Criteria / Topics	4 Points	3 Points	2 Points	1 Point
Thesis	The essay has a clear and concise thesis statement that effectively presents the main argument.	The essay has a thesis statement, but it may lack clarity or conciseness.	The essay has a weak or unclear thesis statement.	The essay does not have a thesis statement.
Citations	The essay includes accurate and properly formatted citations for all sources used.	The essay includes citations for most sources used, but there may be some inaccuracies or formatting errors.	The essay includes few citations, and there may be inaccuracies or formatting errors.	The essay does not include any citations.
Grammar and Spelling	The essay demonstrates excellent grammar and spelling, with no errors.	The essay demonstrates good grammar and spelling, with only minor errors.	The essay demonstrates some grammar and spelling errors that may impact readability.	The essay demonstrates numerous grammar and spelling errors that significantly impact readability.
Format	The essay follows all formatting guidelines, including proper paragraph structure, indentation, and font size.	The essay mostly follows formatting guidelines, but there may be some minor deviations.	The essay deviates from formatting guidelines in several areas.	The essay does not follow formatting guidelines.
Transition words	The essay effectively uses a variety of transition words and phrases to enhance the flow and coherence of ideas.	The essay uses some transition words and phrases, but there may be limited variety or effectiveness.	The essay uses few transition words and phrases, resulting in a lack of coherence and flow.	The essay does not use any transition words or phrases.

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Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families

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At Center for Racial Justice in Education, we believe that the histories, futures, stories, and voices of Black people should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day. We also acknowledge the importance, relevance and origins of Black History Month. In 1926, Carter D. Woodson and the ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History) launched “Negro History Week” to promote the studying of African American history as a discipline and to celebrate the accomplishments of African Americans.  Today, we still see the absence of Black history and experience in our textbooks, required readings, STEM, and overall curriculum of our educational system.

As we enter February, the Center for Racial Justice in Education is providing resources to be used beyond the scope of this one-month. Unless Black history is taught throughout the year, it perpetuates an “othering” of Black Lives and Black students, and is also a manifestation of anti-Blackness.  Ensuring the ongoing integration of Black history and experiences throughout all curriculum is imperative as educators continue to uplift every student and reinforce that Black lives matter everyday.

How Do We Celebrate Black History Month? Lesson Plans and Curriculum Resources for Educators:

• Black History Month resources for the Classroom -PBS
• Black History Month – Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility
• Creative Resources for Teachers Celebrating Black History Month -Education Week
• Putting the Movement Back into Civil Rights Teaching – A Resource Guide for Classrooms and Communities
• Discuss Black History All Year Long – Learning for Justice
• 50 Resources for Black History Month – KQED Education
• Black History Month – Library of Congress, et al.
• Black History Month Resources – Archives.gov
• National Endowment for the Humanities – African American History and Culture in the United States
• National Park Service – Black History Month
• Reading Resources – National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Black History Month Lessons & Resources – National Education Association
• Black History Month Resources – ReadingRockets.org
• 6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month – Edutopia
• Black Lives Matter in Schools Resources – D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice
• Black Lives Matter in Education-Week of Action Getting Started Packet – Black Lives Matter in NYC Schools
• Black Lives Matter at School-Resources – Ed Justice
• Resources for Educators: Elementary and Early Childhood – Teaching for Change
• Classroom Flyers, Posters, and Visuals – BLM Educators Group
• Resources for Educators: Middle and High School – Teaching for Change
• BLM National Curriculum Folder – NyCoRE
• Black Lives Matter in Schools Booklists – Social Justice Books
• 28 Days of Black History Month (newsletter) – Anti-Racism Daily

Do We Need Black History Month? The Underrepresentation and Miseducation of Black Stories, Experiences, and Histories in Schools:

• The History Behind Black History Month – Learning for Justice
• Five Things Not to Do During Black History Month – Zaretta Hammond
• Mining the Jewel of Black History Month – Emily Chiariello
• Black History Month Is Over. Now What? – Dena Simmons
• It’s Black History Month. Look in the Mirror. – The NY Times
• Black History Month Isn’t Racist, It’s a Form of Reparations – Jenn M. Jackson
• Teaching Hard History – Learning for Justice
• ‘Black Season’ at My White Middle School – Baratunde Thurston
• Black history is bigger than slavery. We should teach kids accordingly – The Guardian
• What Kids Are Really Learning About Slavery – Melinda D. Anderson
• Why we still need Black History Month in the US – Aljazeera
• 4 Reasons why it’s critical to teach black history – sheknows.com
• America Is Losing the Real Meaning of Black History Month – TIME
• We Teach Racism, Sexism and Discrimination in Schools – HuffPost
• Black History Month Has Ended. Here’s What Experts Think the Black Future Will Look Like – TIME

Why Teach Black Lives Matter in Schools? (Think Pieces):

• Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters | Part I – Learning for Justice
• Bringing Black Lives Matter Into the Classroom | Part II – Learning for Justice
• How One Elementary School Sparked A Citywide Movement To Make Black Students Lives Matter – Rethinking Schools
• Teaching #BlackLivesMatter – Teaching for Change
• Black Students’ Lives Matter – Rethinking Schools
• From MLK to #BlackLivesMatter: A Throughline for Young Students – Learning for Justice
• How to talk to young children about the Black Lives Matter Guiding Principles – Lalena Garcia
• A District Profile | Black Lives Matter at School – Learning for Justice
• How Black Lives Matter Is Changing What Students Learn During Black History Month – TIME

Where Are Afro-Latinos Represented in School Curricula?

• Diaspora Blackness in the Caribbean: A Radical Resource – Medium
• Afro-Latino: A deeply rooted identity among U.S. Hispanics – Pew Research Center
• Anti-Blackness in Latinx Countries is the Result of Deliberate Cultural Policy – Racebaitr
• Let’s talk about phenotype and global Blackness – Black Youth Project
• This Is What It Means To Be Afro-Latino – HuffPost
• Black history month is a token tribute, but Afro-Latinos don’t even have that – The Guardian
• The question of Blackness: How conversations about Bruno Mars and Cardi B miss the mark – Black Youth Project
• Uncovering Anti-Blackness in Casual Conversation: Young Hollywood’s Words to Amara La Negra – Latino Rebels
• The Black History of Latinos – Latino Rebels
• Afro-Latinas Embrace Their Heritage During Black History Month – NBC News

How Do We Center Black Women and Black Girls in Our Schools?

• Celebrate Women This Black History Month – Learning for Justice
• Don’t Forget About Black Girls – Learning for Justice
• The Black Girl Pushout – Melinda D. Anderson
• The Biased Policies That Are Pushing Black Girls Out of School – Dayna Evans
• Black Girls Matter: Pushed Out, OverPoliced, and Underprotected – Kimberle Crenshaw with Priscilla Ocen and Jyoti Nanda
• From Preschool to Prison: The Criminalization of Black Girls – Mackenzie Chakara
• Getting Black Trans Women’s Needs Met: An Interview With Phoebe VanCleefe – Huff Post
• #SAYHERNAME: Towards a Gender Inclusive Movement for Black Lives – Brittney Cooper
• Murders of trans women highlight the intersection of racial and gender-based violence – Women’s Media Center
• Centering Black Women, Girls, Gender Nonconforming People, and Fem(me)’s in Campaigns for Expanded Sanctuary and Freedom Cities  – Andrea J. Ritchie and Monique W. Morris, Ed.D
• Rediscovering the Black Girl Magic in literature that was snuffed out of my childhood – Black Youth Project
• Say Her Name: What It Means to Center Black Women’s Experiences of Police Violence – Andrea J. Ritchie

How Do We Center Black LGBTQ Experiences?

• Supporting Black LGBTQ Students – GLSEN
• 100+ LGBTQ Black Women You Should Know: The Epic Black History Month – Marie Lynn Bernard
• Trans Women of Color Collective: Shifting the Narrative – Trans Women of Color Collective
• What it’s like being Black and queer in school – Shantal Otchere
• Black LGBTQ History: Teachers Must Do a Better Job – Learning for Justice
• Black Gay History and the Fight Against AIDS – Dan Royles
• Redesigned pride flag recognizes LGBT people of color -CNN
• Growing Up Gay in Black America: An Exploration of the Coming Out Process of Queer African American Youth – DeMarquis Clarke

As a Parent, What Are Ways I Can Engage My Family in Black History Month?:

• 5 ways to celebrate Black History Month with your family – ChicagoNow.com
• 8 Black History Month Books and Resources for Kids – JusticeJonesie
• Top 15 children’s books for black history month – Family Education
• How to talk to your child about Black History Month (A script) – Mama Knows it All
• Black Children and Black History: The Importance Of Teaching Our Kids the Complexity Of Us – My Brown Baby

Center for Racial Justice in Education

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Black History Essay Rubric

The Black History That Moves Us: A Resource List for Educators

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Beyond February: Teaching Black History Any Day, Every Day, and All Year Long, K–3 (book)

This guide by Dawnavyn James (who also contributed to this resource list) supports elementary educators in their Black history instruction. Because Black history is often taught during February, this book dives into ways that Black history can be taught throughout the school year.

The book includes examples from the classroom and additional resources for educators to use in their classrooms. There are templates for educators, frequently asked questions about elementary Black history instruction, and strategies for reading Black-history-centered picture books.

Beyond February gives examples of what Black history can look like in social studies, literacy, math, and science instruction and weaves in personal stories of the author’s experience teaching Black history in elementary classrooms.

Black Lives Matter at School, edited by Denisha Jones & Jesse Hagopian (book)

This text chronicles National Black Lives Matter at School , a movement that began in Seattle in 2016, through interviews, essays, poems, lessons, and depictions of campaigns.

The book includes writings from leading voices in anti-racist education like Bettina Love and Wayne Au but also highlights the work of teachers, community and union activists, and, most importantly, the students who have built this national movement through a variety of activities, events, and its annual week of action in February. (This year, the week of action will occur Feb. 5-9.)

Part activist guide, part autobiographical account, it reveals the struggles and challenges to institutional racism in schools by focusing on the movement’s four key demands: 1) ending zero-tolerance discipline practices, 2) mandating Black history and ethnic-studies classes, 3) hiring more Black teachers, and 4) funding counselors, not police officers, for schools.

“ Coded Bias ” (documentary)

This Netflix documentary was created by MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini to expose the racial bias, sexism, and flaws of artificial intelligence, facial-recognition technology, and software algorithms. This documentary encourages educators to more closely analyze the role of technology, specifically generative artificial intelligence, and to advocate ethical and inclusive technology.

Included are stories of algorithmic discrimination related to policing, surveillance, hiring practices, technology, and housing. Each story gives viewers an in-depth exploration of how data and algorithms can reinforce existing inequalities and harm marginalized communities.

Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness by Simone Browne (book)

This book examines the intersection of surveillance and race. Browne delves into the history of surveillance technologies and practices, highlighting how Black bodies have been surveilled, controlled, and commodified throughout history, from the era of slavery to modern surveillance technologies.

Dark Matters informs us of the history, strategy, planning, and technologies behind the creation of the slave ship. When it comes to teaching slavery in the United States, we can no longer shy away from the brutal truth of transporting, branding, owning, selling, and tracking Black bodies across land and sea.

“ High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America ” (docuseries)

This Netflix docuseries centers not just on the richness of African American cuisine but also on the richness of Black history. Food journalist Stephen Satterfield and culinary historian Jessica B. Harris trace the origins of different dishes and highlight the history of Black people, their culture, and a variety of cooking techniques and recipes.

“High on the Hog” can be used by educators and families alike to educate children and themselves about the people and places that cultivate the culture and meals that nourish the souls of Black people.

Through the two seasons of this docuseries, viewers get to hear stories of resistance and agency, meet historical and modern chefs, and learn innovative recipes.

Histematics (video)

Histematics, a concept created by former Philadelphia public school teacher Akil Parker, is a combination of history and mathematics. Parker offers a unique approach when encouraging pre- and in-service teachers to combine subjects, specifically history and mathematics. Through the concept of Histematics, he has been able to attract and engage the attention of many as his theory of mathematics education continues to evolve.

Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery (online archive)

After the Civil War, finding family members was a priority for formerly enslaved people. Launched in 2017 as a collaboration between Villanova University’s graduate history program and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Last Seen is an extensive collection of primary-source ads from across the country placed by family members searching to reconnect with loved ones. The ads reveal the perseverance, hope, and problem-solving of the Black community during and after Reconstruction.

The ads can be searched by location, specific term, and name, and a variety of filters can be used to narrow down results. An interactive global map indicates the locations where ads were placed or appeared. Last Seen also includes several lesson plans for elementary through high school on how to use the primary sources to learn about the domestic slave trade, the lives of the enslaved, resistance, and family separation.

Teaching White Supremacy by Donald Yacovone (book)

This 2022 book chronicles the deliberate creation of a white supremacist narrative that has been pervasive in our country’s educational system, especially in K-12 textbooks and curriculum . Yacovone explores how ideologies of white supremacy have deep roots in education starting with the nation’s inception and continuing to the present day and have become a major part of our collective national identity.

For teachers, this resource provides an argument to teach diverse perspectives and to critique what (and most importantly who) is considered an American. In these divisive times, this book provides important historical context to current attacks on teachers, books, and school boards teaching about race, racism, and white supremacy in the classroom.

Suggested Instagram Pages:

• @iamblacklit : a Black, woman-owned bookstore featuring all-Black authors
• @HBCUprepschool : a Black-owned shop with books and other instructional and learning materials created for children by founder Claudia Walker
• @justice4blackgirls : a Black, women-owned platform to amplify voices of Black girls and women

Explore the Collection

Read more from historians and educators celebrating the history and progression of Black history education. In this special Opinion collection, explore the history of the discipline and find resources for teachers today.

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