What is Black History Month?
In the UK, Black History Month falls in October each year, and is a great time to learn about and celebrate Black history and heritage. However, Black history can, and should, be recognised and celebrated all year round.
Black History Month free teaching resources
This year for Black History Month we’re celebrating Black literary history and shining the spotlight on some of our favourite Black authors, illustrators and iconic characters from children’s books. The resources have been developed to honour and uplift familiar and inspirational Black authors and illustrators, and are classroom activities that can be delivered anytime in the year.
All resources are free to download on this page.
Activities for pupils aged 5-7 years (KS1): Iconic Black characters and response ideas
- This classroom activity provides the opportunity for pupils to learn about a selection of iconic Black characters within some of our favourite children’s books. Through character response activities, pupils will increase their familiarity with a wide range of books, take part in discussions about what they have read and hone their inferencing skills.
Activities for pupils aged 7-11 years (KS2): 'Did you know?’ Research Project
- In this classroom activity pupils embark on a group research project, to explore inspirational Black authors or illustrators and their contributions towards the world of children’s literature. Pupils are then invited to present their research, in a creative way, to the rest of the class. Pupils will hone their skills of reading and retrieving information from non-fiction, whilst focusing on key speaking and listening skills.
Activities for pupils aged 11-14 years (KS3): 'Did you know?’ Research Project
- In this classroom activity pupils embark on a group research project, following a research brief to discover inspirational Black authors or illustrators and their contributions towards the world of children’s literature. Through the opportunity to share their findings with their peers, pupils will hone their writing skills , focusing particularly on summarising and organising their ideas in a way that inspires their audience.
Additional links
Explore our Black History Month activities for families on Words for Life.
Explore our Literacy Teaching Calendar for literacy teaching resources to help enrich your lessons as you mark significant dates throughout the academic year.