Famous African Americans ABC Book

Teaching Theme of the Week

from Education World®

Help students create an ABC book with short biographies of famous African Americans in history.

Subject: Language Arts, Social Studies

Grade Levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 

Objectives
Students will:

• define the word biography,
• learn about famous African Americans in history, and
• use the letters of the alphabet to create an ABC book about famous African Americans.

Keywords
African Americans, famous, ABC book, history

Materials Needed

• teacher-selected and/or student-researched library sources about African Americans in history
• printouts from sites listed in the lesson
• construction or drawing paper
• drawing materials, such as markers or crayons
• pens or pencils

Procedure

Suggestion: You may want to complete this activity in two parts.

Part 1

• Ask students to name some famous African Americans they have studied.
• Read aloud to students background information about some famous African Americans in history from library sources.
• Discuss the meaning of the word biography. Tell students that each person will create a one-page biography for a class ABC book about famous African Americans in history.
• Assign each student one famous African American. Have students check library sources or provide printouts of information about African Americans from the links at Pathfinder: African American Biographies. 

Part 2

• Distribute construction or drawing paper and drawing materials.
• Have each younger student draw a picture of the assigned person and write a few words about the person under the picture. Have each older student draw the person and write several paragraphs about the person under the picture.
• When all the pages are finished, arrange them in ABC order. Have students brainstorm a title for the book and a design for the cover.
• Variation: Focus the book on a specific theme in black history; for example, create an ABC book about African American leaders, scientists, writers, or famous women.

Assessment
Evaluate each student's contribution to the book.

Copyright © 2006, EducationWorld.com, used by permission