Sixth graders in Cohoes Middle School are immersing themselves in Black History Month, learning about the many important Black people who have made a difference in the world.
There are the familiar names, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Michael Jordan, Barack and Michelle Obama, Muhammad Ali, Oprah Winfrey, and the not-so-known names, such as Faith Ringgold (artist/author), Jacob Lawrence (artist), Marshall Taylor (athlete/cyclist), George Carruthers (scientist), Mae Jemison (astronaut) and Katherine Johnson (mathematician)
Recently, students met in the library, where they split into groups for Team Project Day. They were shown a short video explaining the origins of Black History Month and then rotated between three assignments: a biography quilt, where they learned about over 20 people, a historical facts scavenger hunt, and a “Change the World with Words” poster, where they discussed the defining words/character traits and/or famous quotes of the people they learned about and how they “changed the world.”
In a bit of self-reflection, it was the students’ turn to write a defining word or phrase that described themselves – and how their own character traits will help “change the world.”
All of the words were illustrated and used to frame the Quilt Bulletin Board.
Learning about Black History Month has been an impactful experience for the students. “The response from students has been nothing but positive,” said Mrs. Gresis. “They loved learning about everyone, but especially the people they have never heard of.”
“Kids love it,” echoed Mrs. Smith-Ball. “Our team wanted to continue to build community and celebrate our shared history,” she said, adding that the banner at the top of the bulletin board says, “It’s all about honoring the past and inspiring the future.”
Throughout the month, teachers will continue to weave important Black figures into lessons during social studies, science, ELA and math, learning about biographies and timelines, scientists, poets and the mathematicians of NASA, respectively.