Resources for Black History Month

February marks not only I Love to Read Month but also Black History Month, a time where parents and educators should celebrate the many contributions made by Black people and honour Black Canadian history. Here are resources you may find helpful: Virtual field trips, reading lists, and activities.

First, check out this list of Events from Black History Manitoba. On the list is an exciting Virtual Field Trip for Home Learning presented by the Manitoba Museum. A live, interactive field trip will look at Black History in Canada on February 20, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. Register online. 

The Winnipeg Public Library has prepared an Info Guide for Black History Month. We love the list of books for teens and children. Consider the many titles when preparing reading lists and classroom library orders. A bonus for parents and educators in French Immersion: There are French books, too! 

We appreciate this list of resources collected by Facing History and Ourselves’ Canadian Office. Many of the suggested resources are complex and would be best used in high school English Language Arts and Social Studies classrooms. However, they make for a fascinating personal read, too. 

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario has shared beautiful posters to celebrate the month along with links of interest. This year’s poster features Black NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison in front of a unique projection of the world map and other symbols, which invite the viewer to pause and ponder. We could see classes practicing visual literacy using the See – Think – Wonder thinking routine to generate discussion about the ideas (and possibilities) conveyed by artist Leone McComas in her work.

The Black History and Anti-racism in Canada page on Manitoba Education’s Diversity Education website made for a fascinating read. Manitoba Education has provided a summary of Black History in Manitoba along with many resources to use in classrooms. The National Film Board has also curated a playlist, Black Communities in Canada: A Rich History, which features films of all lengths for all ages. 

Finally, parents and educators may also be interested in a new book from DK Publishers, written by Mireille Harper:  Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies. A Discussion Guide will help educators translate the stories into rich discussions.  Another new series comes from Crabtree Publishers. Their Black Stories Matter series would lend itself well to a middle-school study of biography writing. Crabtree also has a series of Black History biographies for the Early Years. 

We remind parents and educators that celebrating Black history and amplifying Black communities locally and globally extends far beyond February. Events like Black History Month are necessary and important, but parents and educators must take action year-round to show that Black Lives Matter.