What is Black History Month?
Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Black people. It's also the perfect time to explore important moments in history and help children understand the experiences that have shaped our world.
Black History Month is also a chance to introduce pupils to inspiring individuals from the past and present. This includes everyone from civil rights activists and political leaders to campaigners and community figures.
The Black History Month activities below offer age-appropriate ways for pupils to:
- learn about significant Black figures from history and today
- explore themes of equality, fairness and social change
- develop reading, comprehension and writing skills
- discuss what makes someone inspirational
- consider how individuals can use their voices and influence to make a difference
Although these resources are ideal for Black History Month, you can also use them throughout the year to broaden pupils’ knowledge of significant individuals and their contributions to society.
When is Black History Month?
Black History Month is celebrated in the UK every October.
KS1 Black History Month activities
For pupils in Years 1 and 2, Black History Month can provide an accessible introduction to ideas around equality, fairness and standing up for what is right.
Our KS1 Rosa Parks comprehension and writing activities pack introduces pupils to Rosa Parks and her role in the civil rights movement in America.
Through reading, discussion and writing activities, pupils will learn about Parks’ life and her refusal to give up her seat on a bus, which helped spark the Montgomery bus boycott.
They’ll also consider why people are inspirational and how hurtful and unkind behaviour can make others feel.
The pack includes a text and comprehension questions, PowerPoint teaching slides, discussion cards and a writing task, making it a useful way to combine Black History Month learning with English and PSHE.
LKS2 Black History Month ideas
For pupils in Years 3 and 4, exploring the lives of influential Black people can open up discussions about compassion, campaigning and how individuals can use their influence to create change.
Our LKS2 Marcus Rashford comprehension and writing activities pack introduces pupils to the footballer and campaigner, exploring his work on issues including food poverty, free school meals and access to books.
As well as developing reading and comprehension skills, pupils will debate topical issues and consider what compassion looks like in practice. Discussion activities encourage them to respect different points of view and think about how they can show care and concern for others.
The pack includes a non-fiction text and comprehension questions with answers, PowerPoint teaching slides, discussion cards and a writing task.
KS2 Black History Month resources
Older pupils can explore the lives of influential Black figures in greater depth, considering the challenges they faced, the changes they helped bring about and the impact they continue to have.
Our KS2 Nelson Mandela non-fiction reading comprehension pack takes pupils through key events in Mandela’s life, from his early career as a lawyer and the introduction of apartheid to his imprisonment, release and eventual election as president.
The six-page fact sheet and accompanying questions help pupils practise key comprehension skills including retrieval and inference, while learning about a significant figure in the fight against apartheid.
For a literary approach, listen to episode 11 of Author In Your Classroom podcast to hear directly from the late, great celebrated poet, playwright, author, musician and performer, Benjamin Zephaniah.
The episode effectively provides a virtual author visit, making this a particularly engaging way to combine Black History Month with English and creative writing.
Zephaniah discussed how and why he wrote, the historical truth behind his novel Windrush Child and the importance of finding your own voice.
Pupils can use the free accompanying resource pack to develop their own ideas, and there are also illustrations and author quotes that you can use to create a working wall.
UKS2 resources
For a more contemporary and discussion-led approach, our ‘George Floyd and Voices of Protest’ KS2 resource explores the protests that followed George Floyd’s death and the wider issues of equality, justice and peaceful protest.
The resource uses news coverage from The Week Junior alongside activities designed to encourage thoughtful discussion about protest and how people can use their voices to effect change. Pupils can explore persuasive writing, consider what makes a good leader and research the history of Speaker’s Corner.
Also for UKS2 pupils, our Barack Obama inspirational people comprehension and writing activities pack explores the life and career of the 44th President of the United States – the first African American to hold the position.
Pupils will learn about Obama’s journey into politics, his efforts to create a more equal society and the influence he has used to make a difference. The activities also encourage children to think about what inspires people to choose particular careers and what they might consider when making choices about their own futures.
The pack includes a Barack Obama text and comprehension questions, PowerPoint teaching slides, a writing task and planning sheet.