African-American Heroes
Grade Levels: 3 - 5
Objectives
- Students will use vocabulary related to important African Americans.
- Students will read the biographies of several famous African Americans.
- Students will appreciate the honor associated with having a stamp named after someone.
- Students will identify an important African American and write a letter recommending that this person be honored with a postage stamp.
Materials
- African-American Heroes worksheet
- Access to African-American History websites
Procedures
- Introduce key vocabulary: accomplishments, excelled, honor, invention, obstacles.
- Have students work with a partner to complete the African-American Heroes worksheet while they explore websites about African-American history.
- Encourage pairs to brainstorm lists of African Americans who deserve to be honored with postage stamps.
- Have students select one person and write a letter recommending this person for a stamp, citing specific reasons why the person should receive such an extraordinary honor.
- Set aside a time to share the letters of recommendation with the rest of the class and then mail the letters to the postmaster in each student's community.
Assessment
- Use students' worksheet responses and letters of recommendation to evaluate their ability to synthesize information and form opinions backed by facts.
- Find a variety of assessment techniques to use with this lesson.
Extension Activities
- Discover a huge collection of lessons and activities for Black History Month.
- Choose from a large collection of cross-curricular activities for all grade levels.
- Have students work with partners to make up their own black history quizzes and give them to each other.
Standards for the English Language Arts
Students:
- employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
National Educational Technology Standards
Students:
- are proficient in the use of technology.
- practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
July Events
Find educational resources for every day in July. Fill your July lessons with activities for the Summer, Independence Day (July 4), First World Cup Soccer Tournament (July 13), Ice Cream Day (July 19), First Moon Landing (July 20), Parents Day (July 26), and Beatrix Potter's Birthday (July 28).
Make Learning Fun with Sylvan
Introducing all-new Sylvan Workbooks and Learning Kits. Help children catch up, keep up, and get ahead! Click here to learn more about Sylvan Learning Products.
Free Summer Learning Guides – Gr. K-6
Make sure that your incoming students are prepared for the new school year with these packets of fun activities and skill-builders — perfect summer activities to prepare for back-to-school.
What Can Dominican U. Do for You?
Classroom Teachers: Regionally Accredited Dominican University can help keep your career on course with a MAEd in ESL, Elementary Ed, or Reading—100% online. Earn your MAEd in as little as 18 months! Find out more.
Dealing with Germs in the Classroom
Communicable diseases spread quickly among students in the classroom. We've gathered printables and advice for germ prevention in school. Find tips on how to keep your classroom clean and educate students on preventing diseases, from Swine flu to the common cold.
Educational Clip Art
TeacherVision and DK have teamed up to offer you DK's widely-recognized photographs as downloadable clip art. Find images for the human body, space, holidays, ancient Rome, and more. Feel free to use this clip art for school projects, reports, to create holiday cards, or just for fun!
Top-Ranked Educational Program—100% Online
Equip your faculty with today's best practices through an MS in Curriculum and Instruction or an MS in Educational Administration—100% online from The University of Scranton. Find out more!

