Celebrate Black History Month with stories that matter, from weather to the American Revolution. These seven fantastic PBS LearningMedia resources are classroom-ready for early childhood and K-12 educators, including a resource from our new PBS KIDS series Weather Hunters. Most are also available in Spanish as well as English.
For more Black History Month resources, click here.
1. Maya Angelou Reader | Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
(Available in Spanish)
Engage students with a historical figure biosketch from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, a PBS KIDS series based on the Ordinary People Change the World books by Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos. The show follows the adventures of Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina, and their friend Brad as they travel back in time to meet real life historical figures when they were kids.
This PBS LearningMedia resource teaches students about the works of writer and activist Maya Angelou.
2. The Cloudy Day (Full Episode) | Weather Hunters
(Available in Spanish)
Weather Hunters is a new animated series from PBS KIDS for children 4-8 created by Emmy-winning weatherman and Today show host Al Roker. Each episode is a 22-minute story featuring 8-year-old weather wiz and force of nature Lily Hunter and her family. The Hunter family explores and reports on everything from rain, snow, dew, thunder, lightning, ice, and fog to more extreme weather, like hurricanes.
Watch the Weather Hunters episode "The Cloudy Day," and use the Viewing Guide to engage students in conversations about clouds and how they are made. Support materials students are included.
3. Gee's Bend | Yellowhammer History Hunt
(Available in Spanish)
Go on a treasure hunt! Yellowhammer History Hunt takes students through Alabama's past, exploring the places and people that define it today. From archaeological sites to airfields, each episode features a real locations with a hidden treasure to discover and shows why it is an important part of Alabama and American history.
This PBS LearningMedia resource explores the connection between the remote area of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, where descendants of enslaved Africans continue to make internationally recognized fine art quilts, and the unique design of First Lady Michelle Obama’s official portrait dress. Support materials for teachers and students are included.
4. NOVA: Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius | Getting an Education
(Available in Spanish)
For over 50 years, NOVA has been educating and entertaining viewers with stories of scientific discovery—from the latest breakthroughs in technology to the deepest mysteries of the natural world.
Using the NOVA documentary Percy Julian: Forgotten Genius, learn about the education of chemist Percy Julian. Julian's early educational years paralleled an educational movement that prepared African Americans for industrial jobs. He'd eventually move north, and finally to Europe to earn his doctorate. Support materials for teachers and students are included.
5. James Forten and the Experiences of Black Patriots During the American Revolution
The American Revolution is a six-part series that examines how America's founding turned the world upside-down.
In this PBS LearningMedia resource, explore the life and legacy of James Forten to better understand why he (and other Black Americans) chose to support the Patriot cause during the American Revolution. Through viewing media clips, discussing compelling questions, and closely reading a primary source, students understand Forten's motivations for joining the Revolution and his larger arguments about what that service should have afforded him. Support materials for teachers and students are included.
6. Citizen Nation: How the Media Shaped the Narrative of Civil Rights and Disobedience | Retro Report
(Available in Spanish)
Citizen Nation, a four-part Retro Report series, is an inspiring coming-of-age story that follows teenagers from across the United States with diverse personal and political backgrounds as they come together to compete in ‘We the People’, the nation’s premier civics competition.
In this PBS LearningMedia resource, Journeylove Taylor argues that the media has had a significant impact on the modern Civil Rights Movement. This clip and activity ask students to evaluate the role of the media. Support materials for teachers and students are included.
7. Representation in Harlem Renaissance Art | Searching for Augusta Savage
NOTE: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students, including written language at [00:30-00:36] that is either representative of the time in which it was expressed or has evolved beyond its original use and is considered by modern standards of taste to be outdated. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.
In this American Masters resource, learn how Harlem Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage made powerful personal, social, and political statements with her art alongside the other artists and intellectuals of the Harlem Renaissance in this clip from Searching for Augusta Savage.
Students examine Gamin (1929), Savage’s best-known work, and consider how art can be used to understand both culture and history. Support materials for teachers and students are included.
Looking for more PBS LearningMedia classroom resources for Black History Month? You can find more resources here.
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