Questions For Discussion Pertaining To The History Of African Americans: Discussion Questions About African American History
- When is February recognized as Black History Month? When was the first year that Black History Month was celebrated? Who exactly was the Reverend Carter G. Woodson? What part did he play in the creation of Black History Month, and what was that role?
- What are other important moments and landmarks in the history of black people in the United States? Who are among some of the people who have made important contributions to the annals of black history?
- In what ways may the study of black history contribute to the telling of the tale of what it means to be an American? In what ways have African-Americans contributed to the enrichment of that story? What life lessons can we take away from the experiences of people who made black history?
Activities That Promote Education: Discussion Questions About African American History
Discussion Questions About African American History: You can encourage your pupils to learn about it and respect the history, culture, and accomplishments of African-Americans by using the activities that are provided here.
1. A Watershed Moment In American History
Remind the kids that they have lived through an event that will go down in history books: the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American to hold the office of president of the United States. What aspects of this landmark event will stick out in their minds? What is it that they hope people in the future will learn from this? Give pupils the assignment of writing letters to other students who would be in their position one hundred years from now. In the letters, they should describe the event and explain why it was significant for all Americans. Create a book, a website, or a video of reading comprehension of their letters to be combined with the letters they have already written. You should give the finished output to the historian and media specialist at your school so that it can be archived.
2. The Study Of African-American History: Discussion Questions About African American History
Discussion Questions About African American History: Ask students what they think would have happened if CNN correspondents had been present to film significant events in black history for the benefit of the entire world. Students should be organized into small teams of reporters, and then each team should choose a period of time in the history of the United States as well as a significant figure or event that contributed to define the era for African-Americans. The next step is for pupils to pretend that they are reporters for CNN covering the historical figure or event. Inquire: Do you have any thoughts on how the CNN reporters might have covered these stories? Instruct the groups to compose scripts for news reports based on the historical individuals and events that pertain to their group. After the students have presented their scripts, you should have them compare their reports to contemporary eyewitness accounts and reports that were published in local newspapers at the time.
3. Harlem Renaissance: Discussion Questions About African American History
Discussion Questions About African American History: Explain to the class that the term “Harlem Renaissance” refers to a cultural upheaval that took place in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s and was associated with the African-American community. It was a literary, musical, and creative explosion that began in Harlem, New York, and it had a major impact not just on the culture of African Americans but also on the culture of the United States as a whole. Arrange for your class to host a cultural fair based on the Harlem Renaissance. Students should be directed to various online sites in order to learn about the significant painters, writers, and musicians that were a part of the Renaissance and their contributions to the cultural movement that was taking place at the time.
Discussion Questions About African American History: Ask each student to choose one of these African-American artists and create a presentation that explains about the artist’s life and times as well as the significance of the artist’s work. You should ask people from your school and the surrounding community to come see the show. Have students act as “roaming curators” to educate and engage guests about the creative works produced during the Harlem Renaissance and the outstanding African-American artists of the time period.
4. A Roster Of Notable African Americans: Discussion Questions About African American History
Do the pupils in your class exhibit a personal interest in subjects like science, music, politics, theatre, education, or sports? Encourage people to recognize the significance of the achievements of African-Americans by asking them to compose biographies of African-Americans in the fields that most pique their interest. An aspiring young scientist might, for instance, decide to write a profile of an African-American person who invented an ironing board, a lawn mower, or the arm used to retrieve the space shuttle. All of these people were or are African-American. Have your students conduct research on the individuals they have picked by directing them to print and internet resources and having them do it themselves. The next step is to invite students to submit concepts for new postal stamps that would memorialize the people they’ve chosen. The concepts that students submit ought to be accompanied by their designs for the stamps. During their presentations, students should attempt to persuade their peers as to why the individuals they have profiled need to have a stamp designed in their honor. Display the designs in various places around the classroom.
5. The History Of African Americans In The Community
Discussion Questions About African American History: Stories and records that can be discovered in nearby libraries, historical organizations, universities and colleges, and even online can provide illuminating and instructive insights about black historical events that occurred not too far in the past. Students should be encouraged to research the history of black Americans in local city or towns by going out and into the community and learning about the contributions that they have made. Students may opt to structure their study according to significant moments in black history, acquiring information on the ways in which those occurrences had an effect on the neighborhood and the people who lived there. They may also choose to do profiles of significant individuals of the black community. Students should invite members of the community to the a celebration of black history in their community.
6. A Museum Devoted To Black History
Discussion Questions About African American History: As a way to honour black history, you should start making preparations for just a local black museum. First, it is important to get the input of the pupils regarding the location of the museum. Some possible locations for the museum could be a school or a local library, an existing history museum, or even an internet museum. Other possible locations include: Next, we will have a conversation on the layout of the museum. The students have the option of classifying the information according to the topic, specific time periods, specific dates, certain people, or unique local landmarks. In their planning, students should be encouraged to include both interactive and multimedia components. The next step is to urge the kids to think about the people, events, and contributions that should be included in their Black History Museum. Ask: “What messages or teachings do you want people to bring away from the exhibits?” (What do you want visitors to learn from the exhibits?)
7. Not Only In The Month Of February: Discussion Questions About African American History
Discussion Questions About African American History: Explain to the kids that while Dr. Carter G. Woodson picked the month of February to highlight the achievements of African-Americans, black history may actually be celebrated at any time of the year. Foster students to build year-long calendars and timelines that highlight the achievements of African-American newsmakers, highlight major events in black history, or encourage an ongoing enjoyment of black culture by setting a challenge for them to do so.