Developing Black History Month Curricula
for Young Students

By Lower School Head Teacher, Alyssa Postman Putzel

Last summer I researched and developed a Black History Month mini-unit for the kindergarten-3rd grade age classes in the lower school. I focused my work on the historical significance of Harlem. I visited the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the National Jazz Museum in Harlem to explore their resources, educate myself, and collect ideas. I also visited the Brooklyn Public Library to do my own research online. Then I created a mini “scope and sequence” for the three different grade levels (K-1, 2, 3), detailing a three-lesson sequence for each, including a read aloud, a hands-on project or activity, and an optional field trip. For each level, I chose the books, identified an age-appropriate program at the Jazz Museum, and began creating a multisensory Powerpoint presentation for the teachers to use in February. This month I am meeting with the teachers of all six classrooms to share the materials I created and answer any questions. I look forward to a more robust and meaningful Black History Month with our youngest students.  My thanks to the Parents Association for this opportunity.