#1976. Famous Black Americans

History, level: Elementary
Posted Mon Oct 9 15:41:35 PDT 2000 by Eugene Baker (ebaker@inteliport.com).
Notable African Americans
White Oak Elementary School, Edenton, North Carolina
Materials Required: internet access, multimedia program(such as Kid Pix Studios), Microsoft Encarta and other references
Activity Time: 2-3 weeks in February
Concepts Taught: research skills integrating technology

Objective: At the end of this lesson, the student will be able to recognize famous Black Americans and their roles in America's society. (Social Studies: Goal 7-History The learner will analyze religious and other cultural traditions. Objective 7.1-Identify and explain the importance of selected persons, patriotic symbols and public observances. Language Arts: Goal 3-Reading Comprehension: Constructs meaning from literary, informational, and practical texts. Objective 3.1-Reads literary, informational, and practical text. Objective 3.10-Summarized and records information. Notes and charts detail.).

Computer Functions: Students will gather information to describe a famous Black American. They will use this information to enter data into a Database of Famous Black Americans. They will create a slideshow containing the information they researched. (Computer Goal 3-The learner will use a variety of technologies to access, analyze, interpret, synthesis, apply, and communicate information. Objectives 3.2-The learner will locate and use information in electronic databases{Database]. Goal 2-The learner will demonstrate knowledge and skills in the use of computer and other technologies. Objective 2.10-Create a multimedia project as a group/class activity {Multimedia/Presentation}).

Specify a problem: In honor of February celebrated as Black History Month, students will create a booklet/slideshow/bulletin board of Famous Black Americans and their contributions to society.

Data manipulation: Students will enter data about the decade the person lived, the region of the United States they are from, their major contribution, and the number of resources the group found containing information.

Results and presentation: The students will have a database of famous Black Americans and facts about each person. They will create a slideshow, booklet, and bulletin board celebrating Black History Month.

Assessment: Student partners will be assessed by correct information located in the database, completed slides for the slideshow and a bulletin board celebrating Black History Month.

Supporting Activities: Students will create a webbing folder of famous Black Americans that will be studied during February. In this folder, topics that the student will be reporting on may be given and recorded.

Activities while at the computer: Cooperative partners would research Microsoft Encarta to find needed data about their famous Black American. At a different time, those same partners would enter the required data into a given database. At yet another time, partners would create and save their slides to be part of the class slideshow of famous Black Americans.

Activities Prior to the computer: Create a chart of the data students will be searching for that includes: the decade the person lived, the region of the United States they are from, their major contribution, and the number of resources the group found containing information. Student partners would go to the library media center and search the database to locate books on famous Black Americans. Student partners would take notes on the items to be included in the database from resources located in the library media center. Student partners would prepare a "plan sheet" containing the information they gathered to be included in the class slideshow.

Activities Following the Computer: Student partners would create a bulletin board ("database style") containing the information they gathered about famous Black Americans. Students can also display pictures of these persons.