Jazz -- the musical genre born in America and largely pioneered by blacks -- offers a rich collection of musicians worthy of study. Listen to the music of great jazz artists, such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Wynton Marsalis. Have the students -- either individually or in groups -- make presentations on their favorite performers and explain the contributions they made to music. Students as young as those in kindergarten can learn to clap in time to the music.
From politicians, such as Barack Obama and Corrine Brown, to Civil Rights activists, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, to writers, for instance, Richard Wright and Toni Morrison, to legendary sports figures, such as Willie Mays and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, many black Americans have made substantial contribution in their particular fields. Focus on the backgrounds of some of the black Americans who came from poor backgrounds and measure the distance from where they started to where they ended up to better appreciate their lives and circumstances.
In conjunction with the biographies, have the younger students color pictures of famous black people. Check educational supply stores for coloring books of blacks and make a copy for each of the students in your class. Older children can draw their own illustrations to go with their work.
Invite a local black person to speak to the class about her life. The speaker doesn't have to be famous. The accounts of someone who has led an ordinary life and overcome challenges and hardships can be moving and help students better understand what life is like for a black American. Invite someone who has an insightful perspective on life and can share their experience with your class or group.
Find a local black attraction -- such as a cultural center or the birthplace or grave site of a well-known local black person -- to visit for a class trip. Getting out of the classroom and into the community provides an opportunity for students to interact with black people and black history.