Books and Projects to Celebrate Black History Month
History is our favorite subject, and we love reading picture book biographies to learn about amazing people who have overcome hardship and modeled bravery in the face of adversity. We hope you enjoy learning about some of these people as well.
Book: A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver by Aliki
Projects:
Dissect a flower and make a notebook page with labels of the different parts of a flower.
Make peanut butter from fresh, whole peanuts. Grind them in a food processor or blender, adding organic vegetable oil as needed to create a smooth, creamy paste.
Book: Visions of Beauty by Kathryn Lasky
Projects:
Make your own beauty products. Try lip balm, face cream, or hair conditioner. Children love mixing and pouring.
Book: Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeannette Winter
Projects:
Practice finding the points of a compass. Point out where north, south, east, and west are in your yard.
Look for signs of north on a nature walk. Moss often grows thicker on the north side of trees or rocks, which will give you a clue about which direction you are headed.
Book: Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
Projects:
Leave notes with directions for your children to follow to get to a fun surprise.
Look up the routes that Harriet Tubman took, and try to make a map including those routes.
Book: I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Kadir Nelson
Projects:
Practice reading the speech as if you are giving it.
Write your own speech meant to inspire others to good works and brave living.
While I can’t presume to understand what it’s like to grow up as part of a minority group, my husband’s family did experience the effects of discrimination, and so it is very important to our family to introduce our children to people who have had a different experience than us. We hope you enjoy reading these books and that they help your family develop admiration and compassion for people who achieved great things in the face of adversity.
