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Black History Month Lesson Plan

Black History Month - The Journey to Freedom 🚀

Subject

History

Grade

4

Methodology

Direct Instruction

Duration (minutes)

45

Overview
  • Introduction (5 minutes) 🌟

  • Present New Material (10 minutes) 📖

  • Guided Practice (10 minutes) 🔍

  • Individual Practice (10 minutes) ✍️

  • Assessment and Reflection (5 minutes) 📝

  • Review and Closure (5 minutes) 🔄

Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Grade 4 History, specifically CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3, RI.4.7, and SL.4.1

Background Knowledge

Common verbs and their meanings.

Skills

Teamwork , Oracy , Critical thinking

Objectives

  • Students will identify and describe key events in Black history, focusing on the struggle for freedom and civil rights.

  • Students will analyze primary sources to understand different perspectives and challenges faced by historical figures.

  • Students will reflect on the emotional experiences of individuals in history and relate them to current social issues.

  • Students will participate in discussions and share their insights, promoting collaboration and oracy.

  • Students will express their understanding through creative journal writing, connecting historical events to their own lives.

Materials

  • Interactive Timeline Poster - A large visual timeline of key events in Black history.

  • Primary Source Packets - Photocopies of age-appropriate primary sources such as letters, photographs, and newspaper clippings.

  • Storybook - "Henry's Freedom Box" by Ellen Levine.

  • Smartboard/Projector - For multimedia presentations.

  • Reflection Journals - Notebooks for students to write their reflections.

  • Discussion Cards - Cards with discussion prompts related to Black history themes.

Lesson Activities

Introduction (5 minutes) 🌟


Hook

Begin with a provocative question: "What would you do if you had to fight for your freedom?" followed by a brief discussion to activate prior knowledge.


Objective

Explain that students will learn about important events in Black history and how they connect to today.



Present New Material (10 minutes) 📖


Storytelling

Read "Henry's Freedom Box" aloud, using a Smartboard to display illustrations.


Visual Aids

Use the Interactive Timeline Poster to highlight key events mentioned in the story.


Teacher Note

Emphasize the emotional journey of Henry as he seeks freedom, connecting it to the broader struggle for civil rights.



Guided Practice (10 minutes) 🔍


Primary Source Analysis

Distribute Primary Source Packets. In small groups, students examine the documents and answer guided questions on Discussion Cards.


Class Discussion

Facilitate a whole-class discussion where groups share their findings, promoting oracy and critical thinking.


Teacher Note

Encourage students to think about the perspective of the people in the primary sources. Ask, "How do you think they felt? What challenges did they face?"



Individual Practice (10 minutes) ✍️


Reflection Journals

Students write a journal entry from the perspective of a historical figure they learned about, connecting the past to their own lives.


Teacher Note

Prompt students with questions like, "Imagine you are Henry. How would you describe your journey to freedom?"



Assessment and Reflection (5 minutes) 📝


Quick Quiz

A short, formative quiz on key concepts to check understanding.


Group Reflection

Students share one new thing they learned and how it relates to current social issues.


Teacher Note

Look for students' ability to connect historical events to modern-day issues. Ask, "How can we learn from history to make our world better today?"



Review and Closure (5 minutes) 🔄


Summary

Recap the key points discussed, emphasizing the importance of Black history.


Exit Ticket

Students write one question they still have about Black history on a sticky note as an exit ticket, fostering ongoing inquiry.


Teacher Note

Use the exit tickets to plan future lessons or address any lingering questions in the next class.

Downloads

Worksheet

Worksheet

Discussion Cards

Discussion Cards

Timeline Poster

Timeline Poster

Presentation

Presentation

Resources

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

Link

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
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