So here I am taking on another task to help all those that are interested in learning more about wonderful African American role models for our children! In past post's I have given you the information based on the individual and the younger grades will appear all the way to high school.
I really hope that you learn from this post as well as all the others. I truly have an enjoyable time finding the information as well as learning more and more along the road. I figure I am never to old to learn more!!!
So let's begin our journey on the subject of Black History Month with activist and reformers and the first person we are going to discuss is of course Martin Luther King, Jr. If you look back at January's post will find all the information that will need to complete any study you like on this wonderful Civil Rights Leader.
I have also included a few new activities that I found while researching Black History month about Mr. King.
Have your child write an "I have a dream" paper. Let them explain what their dream would be for the world in the upcoming years. This activity can be done for any ages. The younger children could tell you what they would like you to write for them. I found that writing down my child's thought helped them with their thought process. It helped the ideas just flow and they did not have to worry about spelling or how neat the paper looked. Some kids can get really obsessed with neatness and spelling. Older children should be able to do this activity on their own.
This crossword puzzle is more for the middle school and high school. Scroll down the page about a quarter of the way and you will find the puzzle. You can print the puzzle or work is right on the computer.
This last link is a photo that can be colored and then have your child write a poem or even a newspaper article about the life of Mr. King. This is recommended for upper elementary and middle school.
The nest person I would like to introduce to you is Frederick Douglas. He was the first black citizen to hold a high rank position in the U.S. government. He was the U.S. minister and counsel general to Haiti.
Frederick Douglas born Feb. 1817 died Feb. 20, 1895You can read about his life with the following link and this can be used for elementary to high school.
After he escaped slavery Mr. Douglas decided to publish a newspaper in New York called the The North Star. He wanted to publish the newspaper to help promote freedom of slaves and the name was created since the slaves followed the North Star to freedom.
This link will take you to the newspaper information you can even enlarge the above image at this site in order to get a better view of how newspapers were written back in the 1800's.
With this information and the information you child knows about slavery have them create their own North Star newspaper. Have them incorporate photos along with their stories. This activity can be done with upper elementary, middle and high school.
Mr. Douglas also had a huge role in the Civil War. He became the consultant to then President Abraham Lincoln in helping to free the slaves so that they could enlist in the army. Mr. Douglas also helped enlist recruits and the first few that he recruited were none other than his own sons.
The link below has more information about this topic as well as a picture of Mr. Douglas' son Charles.
The next person of interest is W.E. B. DuBois 
Feb. 23, 1868 died August 27, 1963.
Feb. 23, 1868 died August 27, 1963. Mr. DuBois was also an activist and a founding member of the National Association the Advancement of Colored People, (NAACP the largest and oldest civil rights organization in America). Mr. Dubois also served as the editor of the The Crisis magazine and also published several works on the topics of race and African American history. The link below has more information about his role in history.
The link below has information about Mr. DeBois's role in the NAACP. It also speaks about another well known person in today's history Thurgood Marshall who was one of the famous lawyers for the NAACP and then later become a Supreme Court Justice.
Have your child create a group that could help others, have them name the group and explain what it is they would like the group to accomplish. This activity will help them to see that others are in need of voice and that voice can come from anyone. The less fortunate need those to help speak for them especially those that are uneducated. Teach your child that they need to stand up for what they believe in and voice their opinions for the good others.
Before we begin our journey to the next activist you need to understand that all slaves had to encounter many set backs and a tremendous amount of pain and suffering just to stay alive. The link below will help your child to explore the history of slavery in America. This link also contains other information such as the underground railroad, Harriett Tubman, and the route to freedom. Just have your child click on the area that they would like learn more about.
This next person follows the link above she was a great woman activist also who
helped slaves like herself obtain freedom. The first woman we are going to learn about is Harriet Tubman
born in 1820 and died on March 10, 1913.
born in 1820 and died on March 10, 1913. Miss Tubman was known as the Moses of her people. She helped thousands of runaway slaves secure freedom by way of the underground railroad. She was also an leader in abolitionist movement and during the Civil Was she was a spy for the federal forces in South Carolina. She was on busy lady for sure.
Miss Tubman was a runaway slave herself who helped slaves to escape to free states and Canada many times. This link has more information about her underground railroad escape routes. I have given you link to follow the underground railroad it has information about each stop that the slaves took. It is very interesting!
This site has more information as well as many civil war books that might spark an interest in your child to learn more about the civil war.
This site invites your child to take an adventure by becoming a runaway slave. Your child will can investigate how the runaways traveled, pick an escape route to the North, create a map tracking their journey and write a diary telling about their adventures along the way. The site above should help with the information they need to accomplish this task. There are also many links on the page that will help them to learn more information if needed.
This link is of the underground railroad route.
Many quilts were sewn in order to show the slaves where to go on their journey to freedom. Here is a link of few of the different types of quilts that were made.
Have your child create a quilt on paper on how they would show the escape route. Any age can draw these pictures. It will help them to understand the route and also to understand that many of the slave did not know how to read or write so seeing the drawings were a way for them to understand what they would see to know they were in the correct safe spot.
Here is a crossword puzzle about Harriet Tubman.
The last lady we are going to study is the famous Rosa Louis Parks.
born Feb. 13, 1914 died on Oct. 24, 2005
The lesson plan is geared for children ages K-2 and 3-5.
This reading assignment will help your child delve into the life of Rosa Parks. This link is suited for the upper elementary, middle and high school ages.
This link is also geared for middle school and high school. It has more information about the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott that lasted a year.
Here is a link for all children to color the famous bus that Rosa Parks decided that she alone would change history by not giving up her seat after a long day at work to a white person. This seat was located in the front of the bus and the Black's at the time were forced to sit in the back of the bus. Miss Parks refused to move and created the largest boycott in transportation history.
The link below will also allow your child to create a 3 dimensional bus if they like.
In the next few weeks I will be posting many other famous African American who have helped to change history for the better!
