Building community while exploring history

The goal was not only building knowledge, but also creating a sense of community when Jenna Marcal’s second grade class delved into their Black History Month studies.

“The first couple of weeks of the month, we had read alouds with accompanying discussions about the importance of Black History Month,” Marcal said. “When the children wrapped up their studies, they explored books on their own and completed a graphic biography sheet about a famous African American.”

The sheet asked students to explore the person’s childhood, why he/she became famous, key life events, major accomplishments, quotations, and lessons that could be learned from him or her.

“We read about Alvin Ailey, Reggie Jackson, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Barack Obama, Ruby Bridges, Henry Aaron and a few others,” Marcal said. “We are displaying our work soon in the halls.”