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Inspirational Lessons for Black History Month

By Julie St Clair Hoare - 1 Dec 2020

October is Black History Month. Use this time to explore the culture and people of the African diaspora with your class.

Celebrate the achievements of Black Britons and other inspirational people of the African diaspora. Explore the issues raised and the art and writing produced by Black Lives Matter movements.

Black Lives Matter

A block of reading, writing and discussion drawing on poetry and art, tracing the history of this movement and exploring the current issues raised. Poems on a Theme: Black Lives Matter

Black History for Key Stage 1

Black History Month Cross-Curricular Topic
Hamilton's creative cross-curricular Black History Month topic block is designed to be used all through the month of October. Or, you can focus on one or two specific individuals for a session or two.

In Session 1, children choose a significant black person to study and report back on. They carry out research using non-fiction books, newspapers and online sources and then present the results of their research to their class. They enjoy an opportunity to draw a picture of their chosen black VIP. This is an excellent way to use the whole month to highlight achievements of Africans around the world.

In session 2, children learn about the Crimean war heroine Mary Seacole, and, inspired by a statue of Seacole, they create their own sculpture of the person they chose in session one.

In session 3, children learn about Olympic athletes Mo Farah and Nicola Adams, along with other black sportspeople. They conclude by organising a mini-Olympics of their own.

Explore our Black History Month Topic Block.

Other key stage 1 lessons about notable black people
In our Famous for More than Five Minutes Topic we cover a range of inspiring and influential people including these notable black heroes:

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Black History for Lower Key Stage 2

Explore wonderful stories from the diverse continent of Africa with our Year 4 flexible English block on Stories on a Theme. Think about Africa and use the non-fiction sections of African Tales to research information about African countries. Read the story Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom and write Ananse stories using extended sentences. Read Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe, and learn about the author and how he wrote the book.

Explore our Stories From Other Cultures English Block for Year 4.

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Black History for Upper Key Stage 2

Why not use Black History Month to introduce your class to the West African historical Kingdom of Benin? Our UKS2 Topic is rich and varied and covers c. AD 900-1300 . The introductory first block puts the development of the Kingdom of Benin into context within a West African setting, and contrasts it with contemporary developments in Europe. Let your UKS2 class compare the history of art in both areas and the effect that the art of Benin has had on the western world. Then follow up with your choice from a wide range of blocks, including ones focused on the Benin Kingdom, the everyday life of the Benin people, their religion, their rulers and more.

Explore our UKS2 Benin Topic.

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