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February 01
Take part in the African American Read-In!
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| Grades | K – 12 |
| Calendar Activity Type | Literacy-Related Event |
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Celebrate Black History Month by taking part in the National African American Read-In. Sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and NCTE, and endorsed by the International Literacy Association, the goal is to document readers making the celebration of African American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month activities.
The African American Read-In will again be celebrated for the entire month of February, beginning on Thursday, February 1, 2018 and ending on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Schools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professional organizations, and interested citizens can make literacy a significant part of Black History Month by hosting and coordinating community Read-Ins.
Hosting a Read-In can be as simple as bringing together family and friends to share a book or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature professional African American writers.
To be counted as a participant, simply:
- Select books authored by African Americans;
- Conduct your Read-In(s) on the days designated; and
- Report your results by submitting the African American Read-In Host Report Card.
- 2018 National African American Read-In
This webpage from the National Council of Teachers of English is the official homepage for the African American Read-In. Included are details on the role of a host, how to submit the report card, background materials, and booklists for all ages.
- African American Read-In: Suggested Activities
This University of Minnesota resource provides a list of activities for the Read-In.
- African American Odyssey: A Quest for Full Citizenship
This Library of Congress exhibit features documents that tell the story of the African American experience, from slavery to civil rights.
- African American World
This PBS website offers an extensive collection of articles, classroom resources, and reference materials related to African American history and culture.
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Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Discovering a Passion for Poetry With Langston Hughes
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Narrative Structure and Perspectives in Toni Morrison's Beloved
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Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
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Through a series of picture book read-alouds, students engage in critical discussion of complex issues of race, class, and gender.
Grades 11 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
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Grades 6 – 10 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Blending the Past with Today's Technology: Using Prezi to Prepare for Historical Fiction
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Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Many Years Later: Responding to Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool"
Students analyze the Gwendolyn Brooks' poem "We Real Cool" and then write about how the character's pool hall days might influence who the character becomes fifty years in the future.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Entering History: Nikki Giovanni and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nikki Giovanni's poem "The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr." is paired with Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, taking students on a quest through time to the Civil Rights movement.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
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Grades K – 2 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
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Grades 5 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Analyzing First-Person Narration in Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind
Students explore the different facets of complexity in the compelling first-person narrator in Sharon Draper's Out of My Mind.
Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Thundering Tall Tales: Using Read-Aloud as a Springboard to Writing
Imagination and application are key to this tall tale lesson in which students take what they know about tall tales to spin a yarn of their own.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Press Conference for Bud, Not Buddy
Students read Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, demonstrate comprehension of the story by involving themselves in discussions, and analyze the characters in preparation for a class "press conference."
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
On a Musical Note: Exploring Reading Strategies by Creating a Soundtrack
Students create a soundtrack for a novel that they have read, as they engage in such traditional reading strategies as predicting, visualizing, and questioning.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Style: Defining and Exploring an Author's Stylistic Choices
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Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Graphing Plot and Character in a Novel
In this graphical mapping project, students assign a value to the events, characters, and themes in a novel and think about how the elements of the story are all interconnected.
Grades 9 – 12 | Lesson Plan | Unit
Having My Say: A Multigenre Autobiography Project
Students compose a multigenre paper, modeled after the Delany sister's autobiography, Having Our Say, that includes the autobiographical narrative essay as well as an informational nonfiction piece.
Grades 6 – 8 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Childhood Remembrances: Life and Art Intersect in Nikki Giovanni's "Nikki-Rosa"
Students explore what Carol Jago calls the place "where life and art intersect" by reading Nikki Giovanni's poem, "Nikki-Rosa," and then writing about childhood memories of their own.
Grades 3 – 5 | Lesson Plan | Standard Lesson
Inferring How and Why Characters Change
Students will really get into character when they read short stories and analyze the how's and why's of characters' behaviors.
