Guest Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Has anyone got any wonderful activitiy ideas for black history month? So far we have planned....... x An interest table with african/ carribean artefacts and pictures etc... x Tye dyeing t-shirts with african colours/ patterns x Looking at fruits/ food and animals that are african/ carribean x Making a dream quilt- we will be talking to the children (3-5yrs) about Martin luther king and that he had a dream that everyone was friends no matter of their skin colour. We will then be asking the children to write or draw something they dream about then putting them all together to make a quilt!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 What about the Elmer stories, they would fit with the theme and with the quilt idea? Also how about some music,a bit of African drumming maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Hi When is black history month please !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Black History month is October. (Nigerian Independence day also falls in that month I think) I always think one of the best things to do is invite visitors in to talk to the children and show them photos and artefacts. Get them to talk about their own personal history comparing it with the children's. My husband, who is Xhosa speaking from South Africa, always visited my classroom to talk about his life. Capitalise on the people you have connected to the school or in the local community. Play African and Caribbean music throughout the month - use it for dance, at the start of a day, during snack time etc. Introduce snacks / food from Africa and the Caribbean - lots of good cooking could go on. (Could have an Africa Cafe - could have African designs on the walls etc.) You can find recipes online. Set up a link with a school in Africa or the Caribbean. The Greedy Zebra is a great story (and the BBC did a series for Let's Move using it for dance over several weeks - all authentic South African music) - you could then have pieces of fabric and needles and thread and get the children to sew the pieces of fabric together (randomly). I did this one year and then when it was a large enough I wore it all day. I used it in assembly to demonstrate how we all come together as individuals to make something beautiful - a bit like your quilt idea. Pattern making - Google Ndebele patterns and you will find examples of the beautiful designs on houses. This could be a great starting point for some art work - using shapes, paints etc. You could also do it on a large scale - full size in your room! Also consider bead work. Tell stories from Africa - act them out - tell the children about the Windrush ship coming in to Tilbury. This could connect with discussions about journeys the children have made and also link with any children who have moved towns, cities or countries. And I could go on and on. But I think it is essential to have real people coming in to interact with the children - we have to be careful that we don't let children think Africa is all jungle, bare feet and mud huts. Also that Africa is not a country but a vast diverse continent. And we all know that first hand experience is always the very best (so a trip to the continent of Africa could be fun!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Thanks everyone. Some lovely ideas!!! I have used The Greedy Zebra tape before and it works really well and only lasts 20 minutes a time so not too long for the children to listen. Good Luck all!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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