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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.