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Lesson Plans for Black History Month

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To celebrate Black History Month in February—and the rich tradition of African American poetry all year long—browse this selection of teaching resources featuring poems by Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, Marilyn Nelson, and Claudia Rankine, among others.

more black history month resources

On Marilyn Nelson's My Seneca Village

On Marilyn Nelson's Poem “1905”

Teach This Poem: "Cento Between the Ending and the End" by Cameron Awkward-Rich

Teach This Poem: "Haircut" by Elizabeth Alexander

Teach This Poem: "The Bean-Eaters" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Teach This Poem: “the sonnet-ballad” by Gwendolyn Brooks

Teach This Poem: "The Tradition" by Jericho Brown

Teach This Poem: “Country of Water” by Mahogany L. Browne

Teach This Poem: "When Fannie Lou Hamer Said" by Mahogany L. Browne

Teach This Poem: “Miss Mary Mack Introduces Her Wings" by Tyree Daye

Teach This Poem: "A Place in the Country" by Toi Derricotte

Teach This Poem: "A Small Needful Fact" by Ross Gay

Teach This Poem: "Knoxville, Tennessee" by Nikki Giovanni

Teach This Poem: “Resignation” by Nikki Giovanni

A Reading Guide to Langston Hughes

Teach This Poem: "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes

Teach This Poem: “As I grew older” by Langston Hughes

Teach This Poem: "Roman Poem Number Thirteen" by June Jordan

Teach This Poem: "Imagine" by Kamilah Aisha Moon

Teach This Poem: “Making History” by Marilyn Nelson

Incredible Bridges: “from Citizen, VI [On the train the woman standing]” by Claudia Rankine

Teach This Poem: "Old South Meeting House" by January Gill O'Neil

Teach This Poem: "Black Laws" by Roger Reeves

Teach This Poem: “little prayer" by Danez Smith

Teach This Poem: “Declaration” by Tracy K. Smith

Teach This Poem: "Violin" by Nikki Wallschlaeger

Teach This Poem: “This Body II” by Renée Watson

Teach This Poem: "On Being Brought from Africa to America" by Phillis Wheatley

Incredible Bridges: “Praise Song for the Day” by Elizabeth Alexander

The African American Experience

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