Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated annually in the United States and Canada in the month of February. The remembrance was started in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson. He chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass.
Due to the enormity of the project, this year the ESOL Reading students joined forces with Ms. Roberts' Reading classes. This result was a heartfelt project entitled:
Overcoming Oppression:
An African American Story
Task:
1. First, each student/ group(comprising of 2/3 students) chose 1 vocabulary word.
2. Then, they used www.dictionary.com to locate the definition of the word.
3. After that, students spent considerable time researching the time period and important events in the African-American history associated with the word.
Click on the link below to view the templates(also included the list of vocabulary words) used by the students to gather information:
Download Blackhistory
4. Now, it was time to type a short paragraph explaining the event.
5. Later, images/symbols associated with the events were added.
Click on the link below to view the Black History Timeline PowerPoint:
Download Black history timeline
Standards/ Elements:
ELA6-8R1 Comprehension/Informational Text
The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts. For informational texts, the student reads and comprehends in order to develop understanding and expertise and produces evidence of reading
- ELA6-8R1.a Informational Text: Applies, analyzes, and evaluates knowledge of common textual features to obtain information (e.g., paragraphs, topic sentences, concluding sentences, introduction, conclusion, footnotes, glossary, index, bibliography).
- ELA6-7R1.b Informational text: Identifies and applies knowledge of common graphic features to draw conclusions and make judgments (e.g., graphic organizers, diagrams, captions, illustrations).
- ELA6R1.d Informational text: Identifies and analyzes main ideas, supporting ideas, and supporting details.
ELA6-8RC3 Vocabulary
The student acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses it correctly
- ELA6-8RC3.a Demonstrates an understanding of contextual vocabulary in various subjects.
- ELA6-8RC3.c Explores understanding of new words found in subject area texts.
ELA6-8W1 Writing Organization
The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and provides a satisfying closure
- ELA6-8W1b Writes texts of a length appropriate to address the topic or tell the story.
- ELA6-8W1.d Uses appropriate structures to ensure coherence (e.g. transition elements).
ELA6-8W3 Research/Technology
The student uses research and technology to support writing.
Finally, after all the hard work, the end product: OUR PROJECT.
The vocabulary words and their definitions, the timeline and important events associated with it - together they tell the African-American Story, centuries in making...
Together,
