ELA Black History Month Ideas for School

Black History Month is a time to celebrate stories of creativity, innovation, and resilience. In your classroom, you can share authentic windows into others’ experiences and mirrors reflecting students’ own lives. 

Using engaging Black History Month ideas for school, you can create interesting ELA lessons for any grade level you teach.

Jump to:

• Explore influential Black voices in poetry
• Learn about influential Black writers of yesterday and today
• Discover the significance of Black history in American history

[Explore influential Black voices in poetry](id-poetry)

Black History Month is a great time to introduce students to influential Black poets. Poetry provides an opportunity to explore emotion, storytelling, and historical perspectives while encouraging self-expression.

Key takeaways:

• Poetry can connect students to historical and cultural experiences.
• Comparing poets across eras helps students understand literary evolution.
• Students can analyze style, theme, and voice while working through creative lessons.

Who are some influential Black poets students can learn from?

Share works from famous Black poets to highlight their voices and contributions to literature. Try:

• “When I Rise Up” by Georgia Douglas Johnson
• “The Black Queen” by Carrie Law Morgan Figgs
• “As I Grew Older” by Langston Hughes
• “children do” by Alyssa Gaines
• “America” by Claude McKay

You can use these and other poems to guide discussions on theme, language, and rhythm to help students connect more personally to the works.

How has Black poetry changed over time?

Take students on a historical journey through eras of Black poetry. Try selections like:

• “Sympathy” by Paul Laurence Dunbar
• “Absolute” by Jacqueline Woodson
• “The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman [Video]
• “won’t you celebrate with me” by Lucille Clifton
• “To the Right Honourable William” by Phillis Wheatley

Analyzing these works helps students see stylistic evolution and changing themes in response to historical and cultural contexts.

What can students learn about expression through Black poetry?

Poetry is a powerful way for writers to share their experiences and ideas. Students can explore selections like:

• “Calling on All Silent Minorities” by June Jordan
• “a brief meditation on breath” by Yesenia Montilla
• “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes
• “the lost women” by Lucille Clifton
• “Brotherhood” by Georgia Douglas Johnson

These selections and others in the text set encourage conversations about self-expression, perspective, and cultural experiences.

Why should students compare Black poets across generations?

Compare Phillis Wheatley’s and Amanda Gorman’s lives and works to illustrate shifts in style and context of Black poetry through time. To build background knowledge on their works and lives, you can use resources like:

• A biography of Phillis Wheatley. 
• A news article announcing Amanda Gorman’s inclusion at President Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony.
• Poetry selections from both authors.

This activity develops critical thinking as students analyze how different eras shape literary expression.

[Learn about influential Black writers of yesterday and today](id-writers)

Exploring Black authors beyond poetry gives students insight into historical and modern perspectives. Understanding an author’s life can enhance students' comprehension of their work.

Key takeaways:

• Students gain background knowledge to contextualize literature.
• Comparing historical and modern writers highlights literary evolution.
• Inclusive storytelling lessons build empathy and engagement.

Who were some important Black writers of the past?

Introduce students to Black authors who shaped literature and society, like:

• August Wilson: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright who portrayed the lives and experiences of working-class Black Americans.
• Maya Angelou: Writer, poet, and civil rights activist whose memoir made her the first Black woman with a nonfiction national bestseller.
• James Baldwin: Writer and civil rights activist who broke barriers with his literature by discussing both race and social issues in his writing.

Which modern Black writers are inspiring students today?

Meet current popular and upcoming Black voices in literature who are paving the way for the next generation of authors, like:

• David F. Walker: A comic writer who studied Frederick Douglass’ life for a graphic novel.
• Amanda Gorman: The nation’s first National Youth Poet Laureate.
• Angie Thomas: A YA author who focuses on topics teens care about in today’s Black culture.

Want to introduce students to even more Black authors? Explore our Black History Month novel and book studies!

Why is inclusive storytelling important, according to Jacqueline Woodson?

One of author Jacqueline Woodson’s goals is to make her stories—and others—more inclusive and accessible. Use this lesson to help students discover why inclusive storytelling matters.  

• Ask students to consider the question, “Why is accessible and inclusive storytelling important?”
• Read an article about Woodson’s work as the education artist-in-residence at the Kennedy Center.
• Extend the lesson by having students consider how to make their school or community organizations more inclusive.

[Discover the significance of Black history in American history](id-history)

Black history is American history. Engage students in historical research, paired texts, and cultural analysis to deepen their understanding of past and present.

Key takeaways:

• Historical research and paired texts develop critical thinking.
• Students can connect cultural movements to modern contexts.
• Lessons can integrate fiction, nonfiction, and multimedia to create dynamic learning experiences.

What can students learn about the Harlem Renaissance?

Teach students about this cultural revival of music, literature, and art with a research project. Students can research and consider questions like:

• What factors led to the Harlem Renaissance?
• Who were the key figures in the movement?
• What does the poetry from this era show and share about America? 

Who was John Brown, and why is he significant?

Teach students about John Brown, a lesser-known abolitionist, with this paired text analysis:

• Read the fiction story “The Ghost of Harpers Ferry” by Billie Kay Tye about a failed slave revolt John Brown planned. 
• Assign John Brown’s statement to the court before sentencing for his involvement in the Harper’s Ferry raid.
• Have students complete a paired text analysis worksheet using the guiding question, “How do the genre and style of each text impact the author’s message?”

Discover the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Teach students about the Montgomery Bus Boycott with a paired text lesson:

• Assign the fiction story “Back Door Sugar” by Debbie A. Taylor about a young girl in Alabama who lives through the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
• Read an article about the history and significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
• Have students complete a Venn Diagram to compare the way each text compares the events of the boycott.

See why Marvel’s “Black Panther” captivated audiences

“Black Panther” was the first film in the Marvel universe to focus on a Black superhero. It quickly became a cultural phenomenon and a historic box office success. Students can learn more about the movie’s impact by reading articles on topics like:

• How the movie made Oscar history with winners for costume and production design.
• Chadwick Boseman’s acting and cultural legacy.
• How “Black Panther” gave a new generation of superhero fans a new character to root for.

Teach history through a civil rights lens

Teach students about the history of the Civil Rights Movement through nonfiction texts on topics like:

• The Great Migration.
• The music of the Civil Rights Movement.
• Organizations of the civil rights movement.

Extend Black History Month lessons in your classroom with Newsela ELA

You can use Newsela ELA resources to continue creating meaningful lessons beyond Black History Month. Interactive activities, assessments, and content make it easier for you to engage students in these and other topics all year.

If you’re not a Newsela customer, sign up for Newsela Lite for free and start your 45-day trial of our premium content to access everything you need to integrate content and tools that help you teach poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and research lessons.