Teachers like you are dedicated to honoring Black identities in your year-round curriculum and school culture, and Black History Month offers an opportunity to shine an extra spotlight on Black history. 

As you plan ways to recognize Black History Month this year, here are a handful of strategies and resources your fellow educators have relied on:

1. Black History Month Choice Board

Educator Torrey Trust and her team created a choice board that invites educators and students to follow multiple learning paths in their exploration of Black history. You can find a template and more resources here. 

2. Periodic Table of Black History

In the names honored on this Periodic Table of Black History, students can discover influential Black figures in the arts, sciences and more.

3. 6 Teaching Tools for Black History Month

From ready-to-use lesson plans to a deep primary source collection, this roundup of teaching tools from Edutopia can spark your students’ inquiry.

4. A New Daily Routine, inspired by teacher Adrienne Wiggins

Teacher Adrienne Wiggins shares why she loves Black History Month and walks fellow teachers through the ways she adjusts her classroom routines and engages her students in explorations, read-alouds and interactive bulletin boards.

5. Ways to Elevate Black Brilliance

“Why did I know that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone but didn’t learn that Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light until I was an adult?” Teacher Ronda Ortiz reflects on why she dreaded Black History Month as a student – and shares actionable ways to make sure Black students find positive representation in your classroom year-round in this article published by Achieve the Core.

6.  Strategies for Highlighting Black History All Year, in Every Discipline

Black history is American history – and teaching about it can’t be confined to one month. These reflections and strategies published in Edutopia help guide thinking around how Black History Month fits into your year-round efforts to center Black experiences.

While each piece of inspiration from your fellow teachers could play a valuable role in your Black History Month celebrations, the learning shouldn’t end there. Consider how this inspiration might guide your teaching all school year long – and share your own approach in the comments!