This year, Black History Month marks 100 years of national Black history commemorations, and I wanted to create a project that moved beyond isolated biographies and instead asked students to explore why Black History Month exists, who worked to preserve Black history, and why commemoration still matters today.
This Grades 4–6 project is structured around three guiding concepts inspired by the 2026 ASALH theme:
Commemoration – How and why Black history observances began
Preservation – How Black history has been remembered and passed down through culture, art, storytelling, and community
Impact – Why learning and teaching Black history still matters today
Students choose from a choice board or design their own project, with options that include research, interviews, visual art, music and movement, timelines, reflections, and innovation challenges. The focus is on student voice, authenticity, and meaning, not just content recall.
Apple tools play a supporting role throughout the project. Students use Keynote, Pages, Clips, GarageBand, and Freeform to research, create, reflect, and present their learning in ways that meet them where they are — especially multilingual learners.
To close the experience, classes are invited to participate in a schoolwide Black History Month assembly with a maximum 2-minute showcase per class, or they can submit a 2-minute highlight reel of student work. This has been a powerful way to honor learning while keeping the focus on reflection and celebration rather than performance.
I’m sharing this resource in case it’s helpful for anyone looking to design a theme-aligned, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive Black History Month experience that centers commemoration and student agency.
January 14, 2026 .
English
Wonderful way to learn about and commemorate 100 years of Black History Month! Thanks Sara for the post and idea. I really like the student choices that you outlined in Pages. Such a good way to provide student agency and learning! This would work for high schoolers too.
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