Black History Lesson Plans: Dizzy Gillespie

February is Black History Month. Black History Month is an excellent time to share books, music and other resources that celebrate notable African Americans. While February is a wonderful time to emphasize and celebrate black history, it should not be a time to bottle up black history. Black history should be celebrated all year long!

So as you read these lesson plans, consider where and when they may connect with other lessons you have planned through out the year and use them during a time that they will be a beneficial accompaniment to your other lessons. These plans are written with first through third graders in mind, but can easily be modified for younger or older learners.

Besides timing and consistency, quality of resources is another consideration when planning for black history month. Avoid choosing books that are not appealing or are not age appropriate just because they include black history. I found and fell in love with the book Dizzy by Jonah Winter. When I saw how well children responded to this book, I developed these lesson plans around it. As a teacher, I love to begin my planning around a quality, kid-attractive book.

READING & LANGUAGE ARTS:

Dizzy was written by Jonah Winter and illustrated by Sean Qualls. Winter is the author of nine children's books and has earned an ALA Notable Book award and Americas Award Honor Book award.

Making Connections:

When introducing this book, after the title and authors, point out the publication date. It was 2006. Ask children, how long ago was this? How old were they in 2006? What grade were they in? What was significant in their lives that year? Did anyone move? Become a big sister or brother?

Find where it shows that this book was printed in Singapore. Does anyone know what continent Singapore is in? Can anyone find it on a map or globe?

Reading Time: