Students Engage in Black History Month Biography Research

“In celebration of Black History Month, our students engaged in an exciting biography research and writing project focused on inspirational African American figures,” Washington third grade teacher Katie Kalkau said. “Using resources such as Britannica, PebbleGo, and Sora, students gathered information and developed their research skills. They then planned, drafted, and published their biographies using Canva, where they incorporated text features such as headings, photographs, and timelines to create their own informational pieces.”

Students especially enjoyed exploring Canva’s creative tools and were proud to showcase their final published work. “This project allowed them to deepen their understanding of influential individuals while building their writing and digital literacy skills,” Ms. Kalkau said.

Ms. Kalkau holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Adelphi University in psychology and childhood education, respectively. She worked for six years at Isador & Ida Strauss School – PS 198M in New York City prior to coming to Huntington UFSD.

“The story of Black History Month begins in Chicago during the summer of 1915,” according to the Founders of Black History Month website. “An alumnus of the University of Chicago with many friends in the city, Carter G. Woodson traveled from Washington, D.C. to participate in a national celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of emancipation sponsored by the state of Illinois. Thousands of African Americans travelled from across the country to see exhibits highlighting the progress their people had made since the destruction of slavery. Awarded a doctorate in Harvard three years earlier, Woodson joined the other exhibitors with a black history display. Despite being held at the Coliseum, the site of the 1912 Republican convention, an overflow crowd of six to twelve thousand waited outside for their turn to view the exhibits. Inspired by the three-week celebration, Woodson decided to form an organization to promote the scientific study of black life and history before leaving town.”