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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Barack Obama Mini Book
Learn about the life and contributions of Barack Obama with a printable mini-book filled with facts and details for early readers.
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History of Black History Month - Brochure Project
Demonstrate learning about the history of Black History Month with a brochure project.
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Thurgood Marshall Mini Book
Discover the accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall with a printable mini-book.
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Sojourner Truth - Printable Book for Kids
Discover the accomplishments and influence that Sojourner Truth had on America with a printable mini-book.
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Facts About Katherine Johnson - Printable Mini Book
Discover the accomplishments and influence that Katherine Johnson had on America with a printable mini-book.
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Barack Obama - Biography Activity Pack
Learn about the life and contributions of Barack Obama with a comprehensive pack of Presidents’ Day Worksheets.
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Read Along Pocket Chart Cards - Rosa Parks
Read and learn about Rosa Parks with printable pocket chart cards.
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Who's Who - Dr. Mae Jemison
Learn about Dr. Mae Jemison with this cut-and-paste activity for younger students.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Coloring Pages
Celebrate MLK Day in the classroom and engage your students in thoughtful discussion with a Martin Luther King, Jr. Coloring Page!
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Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have a Dream" Hat Template
Get crafty and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy with a printable hat craft.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Activity Book
Celebrate MLK Day in the classroom and engage your students with a booklet of MLK Day activities.
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Trifold Brochure
Demonstrate learning about the Martin Luther King’s contributions to the Civil Rights Movement with a brochure project.
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Who is Amanda Gorman? Biography Research Template
Conduct and organize Amanda Gorman facts and research with a printable or digital flipbook activity.
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Influential Black Leaders InstaFan Profile Template
Demonstrate learning about the most influential black leaders in history with an engaging social media biography template.
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Dr. Mae Jemison – Biography Structure Sorting Task
Read and sort to help students learn about the structure of a biography with our cut and paste biography worksheet.
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Who's Who - Barack Obama
Get to know President Barack Obama with this primary-level cut and paste activity.
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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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My Nobel Peace Prize – Upper Grades
Encourage students to think about how they could make the world a better place with our Nobel Peace Prize writing template.
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Read Along Pocket Chart Cards – Dr. Mae Jemison
Use this set of 13 sight word and image display cards for your reading and history lessons.
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Read Along Pocket Chart Cards – Black History Month
Use this set of Black History Month text and image pocket chart cards for reading and history lessons.
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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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Biography Flipbook Template
Create a flipbook that clearly illustrates the most significant aspects of a biography subject.
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Inspirational Woman Profile: Dr. Mae Jemison – Comprehension Worksheet
Review our profile on the first Black woman astronaut and answer questions to reinforce understanding.
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Black History Profile - Picture Match Activity
Review and complete the defining details of 6 revered Black icons and match their images with each completed biography.
- 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 Mini Book
- Black History Month 2024 Coloring Pages
- Black History Month 2024 Cut and Paste Worksheets
- Black History Month 2024 Graphic Organizers
- Black History Month 2024 Writing Templates
- Black History Month 2024 Brochure Templates
- Black History Month 2024 Bulletin Board Displays
- Black History Month 2024 Puzzles
- Black History Month 2024 Flipbooks
- 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 Matchup Games
- Black History Month 2024 Games
- Black History Month 2024 Task Cards
- Black History Month 2024 Crossword Puzzles
- 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