13 Black History Month Homeschool Ideas – It’s that time of year again when we take a moment to reflect on the important contributions of African Americans throughout history. If you’re looking for ways to incorporate black history into your homeschool curriculum, you’re in luck!
There are plenty of great resources available online and in your local library but here are just a few ideas from a black homeschooling mom to get you started. Happy learning!
Top 13 ideas For Black History Month
1. Books on Black History
It doesn’t have to be Black History Month for you to start a reading group on books that highlight the contributions of African Americans. You can plan it around a black author, a certain topic, or just as part of your regular homeschool schedule.
Make sure to include nonfiction and biographies as well as fiction titles. Everyone will benefit from learning about people whose stories are not often told.
2. Watch a Documentary Together as a Family
There are countless documentaries available on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime about the contributions of African Americans throughout history. Take some time as a family to watch them together and discuss what you learned afterward over dinner or before bedtime.
3. Go on a Field Trip to a Black History Museum
Seeing artifacts and displays in person is always more interesting than just seeing pictures online. Many communities have local museums that may be open during the day for your children to look around and learn more about black history in their own backyard!
4. Read African Folktales or Fables Together
Teaching your children about African folktales can be a great way to introduce black history lessons early on in life. It will help them have a better understanding of not just the stories being told, but also of the different cultures that exist today.
5. Make Up Your Own Black History Lesson Plan
Personalizing any lesson is a great way to really help your children gain some understanding of what they’re being taught. Take the information you’ve learned about black history this month and come up with an activity or craft that can be done with your kids at home!
6. Get Their Creative Juices Flowing
As you continue your research about African Americans throughout history, look for some great art that has been created by black artists. Have your kids create their own pieces inspired by the ones they find online or in books. This is not only a fun way to teach them about art but also will help them gain an understanding of how much it meant to these individuals to spread this message through art.
7. Introduce Them To A Few African American Inspired Hairstyles
Having your kids learn how to do something new is always fun. Have them spend some time learning about different African American hairstyles and their significance. There are plenty of great tutorials online for things like braids, locs, and cornrows and they even go into detail behind their meaning.
8. Make Appointments to Visit Local Black-Owned Businesses
As you search for great black history activities, consider visiting some of your local black-owned businesses that are unique to the area. Visiting them during Black History Month is a great way to help support your local community and can be especially fun for the whole family!
9. Watch Some Classic Movies Like “The Color Purple”
Getting the chance to watch movies that are classics is always great. Have your kids consider watching some of these films with you to get them introduced into the world of black history in film. Classics like The Color Purple, Glory, and Malcolm X are all movies that will help your children understand how significant African Americans have been throughout history.
10. Write a Letter to the Author of Your Favorite Black History Book
If you’re reading any books by black authors with your family this month, be sure to write a letter to the author thanking them for bringing this story to life and sharing it with your children. You can even include any personal stories or questions that your kids might have to make it even more fun!
11. Bake a Cake in the Shape of Africa
Do you have a baker or foodie on your hands and looking to do something unique and educational, baking a cake to celebrate Black History Month can be both fun and tasty! Have your children help come up with a recipe that resembles traditional African cuisine or just use the colors red, black, and green to create a festive cake.
13. Create a Chart of Your Family’s Heritage
Finding out more about your family’s heritage is such an important part of getting to know who you are as well as where you came from. Have your kids help you create a chart that outlines all the different races and ethnicities that make up your family tree to help them learn more about their culture as well as how they fit into the bigger picture.
Historical Travel With Kids – Birmingham 16th Street Baptist Church
Encourage your kids to have fun this Black History Month while learning about African Americans throughout history. Whether you decide to celebrate through books, movies, art, or other activities, be sure that your family takes time out of their day each day this month to acknowledge how special it is to live in a country where they are free to dream and achieve great things.
