Black History Month 2024 Teaching Resources
Get ready for Black History Month 2024 with hundreds of printables, worksheets, digital activities and more ways to bring the stories of Black Americans alive in your classroom this February.
This collection of Black History teaching resources was created by the teacher team at Teach Starter, with printable and digital options that have been designed to meet Common Core and state standards. The majority include editable options so you can easily differentiate them for your students, and each one has been reviewed by a member of our teaching team to ensure they're classroom-ready — so you can save time on your lesson planning.
Teaching about Black History for the first time this February, or simply looking for fresh ideas to bring this topic to life in the classroom? Explore some tips from our teachers, including a look at the theme for the 98th celebration of Black History in the US and some important historical information about the month to anwer students' questions.
When Is Black History Month?
Black History Month is officially marked in February every year. In 2024, due to the leap year, the month will be marked from February 1 to February 29.
What Is the Theme for Black History Month 2024?
Each year, the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History (ASALH) chooses the theme for Black History Month. In 2024, that theme is African Americans and the Arts because — as the ASALH explains:
"In celebrating the entire history of African Americans and the arts, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) puts into the national spotlight the richness of the past and present with an eye towards what the rest of the twentieth-first century will bring."
Black History Month Activity Ideas for Teachers
Some ideas to approach the theme in the classroom this year include:
- Discuss the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and the ways in which it continues today.
- Host an African American read-in event. Join schools around the US on February 3 by reading books and texts written by Black authors in the classroom, exploring the 2024 theme of "the arts" through the lens of important Black writers.
- Focus biography projects on Black Americans. Give your students a list of notable Black Americans who have resisted oppression. Students can fill out biography cubes with details about these history-changing figures.
- Set up an interactive bulletin board for students to uncover new facts about Black Americans who have been activists and changemakers throughout American history.
- Explore Black artists! To incorporate the theme for 2024, teach your students about the work of artists like Jean-Michael Basquiat and Norman Lewis.
- Explore the poetry of Black Americans. From protests against slavery through spirituals to the use of powerful spoken word poetry today, oral poems have long been a means of resistance for Black Americans. Turn your ELA lessons to Black poets and the oral tradition this month.
Who Started Black History Month?
If you're looking to teach students the background of Black History Month itself, you'll need to start with Carter G. Woodson.
Known as the father of Black History Month, Woodson was a historian and author whose establishment of Negro History Week in 1926 paved the way for the federal declaration of February as Black History Month some 50 years later.
The founder of the ASALH — which today determines the theme for each Black History Month — Woodsen never meant for the study of Black history to be limited to just a week, or even just a month.
Woodsen’s work until his death in 1950 and the work of the ASALH since has been to promote the “year-round and year-after-year study of African American history.”
When Did Black History Month Start?
Although Woodson laid the groundwork in the 1920s, Black History Month would not officially start until 1976 when President Gerald Ford became the first president to declare February as Black History Month.
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Black History Profile: Shirley Chisholm - Comprehension Worksheet
Review our profile on Congresswoman and first Black presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm, and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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Black History Profile: Barack Obama - Comprehension Worksheet
Review our profile on the first African American President of the United States, and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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I See My Dream — MLK Art Activity
Encourage students to share their dreams for the future with an MLK Art activity.
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Character Development – Fakebook Page Worksheet
Use research and creative writing skills to design a social media profile for fiction or nonfiction persons.
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Black History Word Wall Cards
Use this set of 42 Black History Month vocabulary words to expand your students’ language skills and knowledge of history.
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Marshall vs. Tubman Differentiated Paired Passage Worksheets
Combine reading and history content with differentiated reading comprehension worksheets.
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Biography Timeline Template
Use this multipurpose timeline template for a variety of assignments, projects, and more!
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Diversity Craft Templates
Prepare for your diversity-themed lessons and more with 3 versatile black and white craft templates.
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Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Fakebook Worksheet
Design a social media profile for civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. in this creative writing activity.
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Biography Writing Template
Guide students through the structure and elements included in biography writing.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Reading Activity Pack
Apply a range of reading comprehension strategies to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The Civil Rights Movement and Segregation in America Brochure
Demonstrate learning about the major events and leaders who helped end segregation in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement with a brochure project.
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Harriet Tubman Comprehension Worksheet
Uncover facts about Harriet Tubman with a Reading Passage and Comprehension worksheet.
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Thurgood Marshall Constructed Response Worksheet
Discover the influence and positive character traits of Thurgood Marshall with a reading passage and RACES writing prompt for fourth grade.
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I Have a Dream - Speech Analysis Activity
Review MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech text and explore the metaphors he used to convey his message through the accompanying questions.
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Ruby Bridges – Comprehension Task
Review our profile on 6-year-old civil rights figure Ruby Bridges, and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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Black History Profile: Kamala Harris - Comprehension Worksheet
Review our profile on Vice President Kamala Harris and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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Biography Cube
Research and create an interactive biography for a historical figure.
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Character Traits Graphic Organizer
Describe the most notable mental and moral qualities of a real or fictional person.
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Diversity is our Strength Poster
Display this ''diversity is our strength' poster in your classroom as a reminder of unity and inclusion.
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Who was Marie Maynard Daly? Women in History Activity Pack
Learn about the life and contributions of Marie Maynard Daly with a comprehensive pack of inspirational women worksheets.
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Sojourner Truth Worksheet Pack
Learn about the life and contributions of Sojourner Truth with a comprehensive pack of Women’s History Month worksheets.
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Historical Heroes - Harriet Tubman Worksheets
Learn about the life and contributions of Harriet Tubman with a comprehensive pack of Women’s History Month worksheets.
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Influential Black Leaders - Research Project
Help your students learn about and recognize some of the most influential Black leaders in history with Black History Month Research Project.
- Black History Month 2024 Worksheets
- Black History Month 2024 Templates
- Black History Month 2024 Instructional Slide Decks
- Black History Month 2024 Posters
- Black History Month 2024 Coloring Pages
- Black History Month 2024 Cut and Paste Worksheets
- Black History Month 2024 Graphic Organizers
- Black History Month 2024 Mini Book
- Black History Month 2024 Writing Templates
- Black History Month 2024 Brochure Templates
- Black History Month 2024 Flipbooks
- Black History Month 2024 Bulletin Board Displays
- Black History Month 2024 Puzzles
- Black History Month 2024 Labels Signs Decorations
- Black History Month 2024 Word Walls
- Black History Month 2024 Bookmarks
- Black History Month 2024 Craft Activities
- Black History Month 2024 Games
- Black History Month 2024 Matchup Games
- Black History Month 2024 Crossword Puzzles
- Black History Month 2024 Task Cards
- Black History Month 2024 for Pre-K
- Black History Month 2024 for Kindergarten
- Black History Month 2024 for 1st Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 2nd Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 3rd Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 4th Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 5th Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 6th Grade
- Black History Month 2024 for 7th Grade