BLACK and AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

February is both Black History Month and American History Month.
The fact is, Black history is inextricably interwoven with American history.
Explore the Black aspects of American history with Annenberg Media resources.

> Our brand new series "America's History in the Making"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/ahm1.html> provides information about African enslavement, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.
In the coming weeks, look for links to Video on Demand and the series Web site.

> "Primary Sources: Workshops in American History" asks the question, "Who freed the slaves?" and uncovers the complex answer through primary source documents.
Go to the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/prim2.html> for Video on Demand, lecture transcripts, relevant documents, and classroom applications.

> Programs 9 through 12 of "A Biography of America"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa3.html> cover the era of American slavery and its aftermath, and Program 24 covers the Civil Rights era.

Find coordinated resources on the series Web site, such as this interactive activity
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/boa4.html> counterposing the very different programs of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois for improving the situation of African Americans.

> "Social Studies in Action: A Teaching Practices Library, K-12" Program 18, "The Amistad Case," shows an effective 8th-grade history lesson employing a mock trial.
Find a summary of events, Video on Demand, and more on the series Web site
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/sslib5.html>.

> "The Africans" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/afr6.html>
reveals the African side of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in Program 4, "Tools of Exploitation."
Other programs in the series discuss various aspects of African history and culture. Click on "Buy Videos and Materials" for purchasing options.

For Literature and Art:

> Read about many authors of different eras, such as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, and Frederick Douglass
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/apass7.html> on the Web site for "American Passages: A Literary Survey."
The site also offers links to Video on Demand, lesson activities, and more.

> The searchable American Passages artifact archive contains thousands of historical images, such as this one of a 1943 Harlem street scene alongside verses of a
poem from Countee Cullen's "From the Dark Tower."
The archive contains photos of Malcolm X <http://learner.org/redirect/february/x9.html>
and other figures, fugitive slaves
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/slave10.html>, and much more.

And don't leave the site without creating your own slideshow!

> For ideas on presenting African American literature, watch "The Expanding Canon: Teaching Multicultural Literature in High School"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon11.html>. On the series Web site, discover the historical significance of the works of Keith Gilyard
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/canon12.html> and other authors.

> Middle school teachers will benefit from "Teaching Multicultural Literature: A Workshop for the Middle Grades"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml13.html>.

On the series Web site, find the poem "Africa Rising"
, a 6th-grade literature lesson using the documentary "Eyes on the Prize" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/tml15.html>, and other material exploring African American historical themes.

> For elementary grades, see "Engaging with Literature: A Video
Library, Grades 3-5" <http://learner.org/redirect/february/engl16.html>,
particularly Program 6, "Building Community."
The program shows lessons built around historical fiction, including "I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr." and "Walking the Road to Freedom: A Story About Sojourner Truth."

> A companion of "American Passages," our series "Artifacts & Fiction: Workshop in American Literature"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artfic17.html> delves deep into hands-on teaching.

Watch Workshop 3, "Social History"
, which considers the rhetorical dimensions of actual slavery documents as context for understanding literature of the era.

> Learn about the life, works, and historical significance of poet Langston Hughes with our hour-long documentary in "Voices & Visions"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/vv11.html>. The program features discussion of Hughes by author James Baldwin.

> The series "A World of Art: Works in Progress"
<http://learner.org/redirect/february/artwk20.html> includes a documentary on artist Beverly Buchanan, whose innovative art focuses on the shack as an important symbol of the rural South.