Thursday, February 18, 2021
BadgerLink is made up of over 60 online resources from multiple vendors. Some vendors have highlighted a resource below for librarians and educators to share when celebrating African American History in February. Please take a look and consider adding these resources to your library programming or classroom today and all year long.
Britannica
The sacrifices and tribulations of African Americans are often shared during Black History Month. Stories of enslaved Black Americans, and the ongoing pain of systemic racism usually dominate the narrative.
The under-told stories of Black History and the uplifting humanity and diversity of the African American community are key elements missing from the narrative, and they need to be shared.
Britannica fully supports diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental in education. As the world-wide leader at the forefront of the information revolution, Britannica serves as champions of truth and believes that more stories celebrating the triumphs and successes of the African American community should be shared.
To better support teachers and students during Black History Month, Britannica’s Team of Curriculum Experts have created FREE resources. Find resources to support at https://britannicalearn.com/black-history-month/.
TeachingBooks
Celebrate Black History Month with your favorite books in TeachingBooks' African American Collection. Learn more about these stories from the authors themselves in Meet-the-Author Recordings, Complete Book Readings, and Read-Along Performances. For librarians and teachers, take a look at the book guides, activities, and lessons available on titles in this collection-- including Story Time Activity Kits, Reader's Theater Scripts, and Nonfiction Read and Respond Multi-Leveled Lessons.
Book Guides, Activities, and Lessons
EBSCO
For libraries looking to add new books by and about African Americans to their shelves, Core Collections™ has great recommendations. Core Collections Complete is an interface search for Children's, Middle & Junior High, and Senior High Core Collections that includes reliable guides for collection development and maintenance, curriculum support, readers' advisory and general reference.
Here are just a few recommendations:
- “Althea Gibson” by Megan Reid; illustrated by Laura Freeman
This picture book biography introduces children to Althea Gibson, the first African American tennis player to win a Grand Slam title.
- “Twins” by Varian Johnson; art by Shannon Wright
Identical twins Maureen and Francine navigate changes in their relationship as they enter the sixth grade in this middle-grade graphic novel.
- “Memorial Drive” by Natasha Trethewey
Trethewey, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, examines the 1985 murder of her mother and its impact on her life in this lyrical memoir.
- “Remote Control” by Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor’s newest science fiction novella follows protagonist Sankofa, given dangerous powers by an alien artifact, as she journeys through near-future Ghana.
ProQuest
Now more than ever, students and researchers need access to insights and information from a wide variety of perspectives to better understand the role of the past in the present, and to prepare for challenges of tomorrow.
ProQuest invites you to explore the new Black Freedom Struggle website, featuring expertly selected open primary source documents. Visitors will find historical newspaper articles, pamphlets, diaries, correspondence and more from specific time periods in U.S. history marked by the opposition African Americans have faced on the road to freedom.
This resource supports a wide range of students, from middle and high school to college, as well independent researchers and anyone interested in learning more about the ongoing Black Freedom Struggle. These reliable, easily discoverable materials may be used for homework assignments, personal inquiry, research papers and National History Day type-projects focused on African American history in the U.S.
Educators may use this material to teach a specific topic or person, such as Frederick Douglass or the Abolitionist Movement, to introduce students to using primary sources and to help novice researchers develop essential critical thinking and information literacy skills.
Available at no cost, the content is curated around six time periods:
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Resistance to Slavery and the Abolitionist Movement (1790-1860)
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The Civil War and the Reconstruction Era (1861-1877)
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Jim Crow Era from 1878 to the Great Depression (1878-1932)
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The New Deal and World War II (1933-1945)
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The Civil Rights and Black Power Movements (1946-1975)
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The Contemporary Era (1976-2000)
Add blackfreedom.proquest.com to your library’s website today and share with patrons.
BadgerLink partner, PBS Wisconsin Education
Dear educators,
As we continue the journey to create a more equitable world, PBS Wisconsin Education is here to support you in using Black History Month as a spark to continue this learning all year with the children in your life!
Research shows us that kids start noticing racial differences from as early as three months. It’s important to celebrate those differences with them and begin conversations about racism from an early age.
Celebrate Black History beyond the month of February with the resources featured below, tailored to meet the needs of young learners in virtual and in-person learning environments!
PBS KIDS: Talk about Race and Racism
Hosted by National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, this PBS KIDS special features real families talking about racial identity, anti-Black racism, and how it is incumbent on all of us — children and caregivers alike — to actively build a more equitable society.
Hear from real life icons in Black history like Maya Angelou, Frederick Douglass, and Rosa Parks with Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina, and their friend Brad in this PBS KIDS series as they travel back in time to meet real life historical figures when they were kids! Deepen learning using the teaching guide available from PBS LearningMedia.
Help families continue learning beyond the classroom with PBS KIDS! Share these weekly, printable activity packets connected to beloved PBS KIDS programming, available in English and Spanish for both PreK-K and grades 1-2. Or, explore anew PBS KIDS digital activity each day with the PBS KIDS Daily Activity Calendar.
Join a virtual session at the Wisconsin Head Start Association Conference, PBS KIDS Playful Learning for Educators. Participants will discover the tools, skills, and confidence to bring media-rich, play-based, and learner-centered experiences to their own communities. Sign up to join at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday Feb. 24!