Kwanzaa: An African-American Heritage Celebration

Celebrate Black History Month with a packet of materials on African American inventors. Readers discover several inventors' character traits, their inventions, and their lives. They even have the opportunity to conduct further research...

A 10-page packet delivers a plethora of information about Kwanzaa—a week-long holiday that celebrates African American people and their heritage. Each page consists of informational text and an opportunity to respond to through pictures...

Fight for freedom! The lesson delves into the world of African American soldiers during the American Revolution. Scholars read documents, such as the Dunmore Proclamation, to understand how the British government treated African...

Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 

Enhance your Kwanzaa celebration with bulletin patterns that identify the seven principles of Kwanzaa, provide a pronunciation guide, and a brief explanation of the principle. A great way to encourage Umoja.

Celebrate Black History Month getting to know more about Lewis Latimer. Here, scholars read about his life and success, then apply their new-found knowledge by responding to questions about the text with short answers. 

Research the African family holiday of Kwanzaa and find the symbols for the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Learners analyze the symbols and how they may relate to their own lives. They then create an original art following the designs...

Students are introduced to the elements of African-American poetry. As a class, they are read different types of poems to discover there are different styles of poems and practice rhyming words. They share information on their family...

Students are introduced to various time periods in history in which African Americans wrote songs and poetry to cope. In groups, they travel between different stations to listen or read poems and music from the Civil War period, Civil...

Watch the hambone, an African-American rhythm technique that uses the whole body as a "drum set" to produce different sounds, demonstrated.