Teacher Worksheets

Black History Worksheets and Reading Comprehension

Black History Reading and Writing - Free Workbook

Kindergarten Reading and Writing Workbook
First Grade Reading and Writing Workbook
Second Grade Reading and Writing Workbook
Third Grade Reading and Writing Workbook
Fourth Grade Reading and Writing Workbook
Fifth Grade Reading and Writing Workbook
Sixth Grade Reading and Writing Workbook


Students of all grades, including high school, can learn the role African-Americans have played in our history, politics, education, culture, and sports. Regardless of your students' interests, this unit has reading recommendations that span history from Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks to George Washington Carver, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King. Jr., Jesse Owens, Duke Ellington, the Tuskegee Airmen, and many more. Dive into history with the help of our reader's theater scripts, short reading comprehensions, and printable activities. Engaging daily activity books are a quick and easy way to prepare for an entire week with just one download. As one of our most comprehensive units, edHelper offers something for every student.



Document Based Activities
     Document Based Activities


Plays:  Reader's Theater Scripts
     Mr. Bear and His Grapes: An African-American Tale (Grades 2-3)
     Mr. Sparrow and His Big Mouth (Grades 2-4)
     How the Dog Came to Live With Man (Grades 3-4)
     K.C.'s Dream (Grades 3-6)
     The Poor Man and the Snake (Grades 4-5)


Short Reading Comprehensions
Very Quick Readers
     Madam C.J. Walker (Very Quick Reader; Grades 3-5 Readability)
     G.W. Carver: Not Just Peanut Butter (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-5 Readability)
     Rosa Parks (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-5 Readability)
     Prize for Peace (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-5 Readability)
     Eatonville (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     Phillis Wheatley (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     Thurgood Marshall (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     UniverSoul Circus (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     Michelle Obama (Very Quick Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     Peace - Martin Luther King, Jr. (Very Quick Reader; Grades 5-7 Readability)
     Buffalo Soldiers (Very Quick Reader; Grades 5-7 Readability)
     Freedom's Journal (Very Quick Reader; Grades 5-7 Readability)

Short Readers
     Harriet Tubman (Short Reader; Grades 3-4 Readability)
     Venture Smith (Short Reader; Grade 3-5 Readability)
     Courage - Ain't I a Woman? (Short Reader; Grades 4-6 Readability)
     Oprah Winfrey, Broadcasting Powerhouse (Short Reader; Grades 5-7 Readability)
     Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Short Reader; Grades 5-8 Readability)
     Colin Powell (Short Reader; Grades 6-8 Readability)
     First Lady and Public Servant (Short Reader; Grades 6-8 Readability)
     Salem Poor (Short Reader; Grades 6-8 Readability)
     Prince Whipple (Short Reader; Grades 7-8 Readability)

Spanish
     La Sra. C. J. Walker (grades 3-5)
     G.W. Carver: no sólo mantequilla de maní (grades 4-5)
     Rosa Parks (grades 4-5)
     Eatonville (grades 4-6)
     Phillis Wheatley (grades 4-6)
     Thurgood Marshall (grades 4-6)
     Soldados Búfalo (grades 5-7)
     Periódico Freedom's Journal (grades 5-7)
     Venture Smith (grades 3-5)
     Coraje. ¿Acaso no soy una mujer? (grades 4-6)
     Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (grades 5-8)
     Colin Powell (grades 6-8)
     Primera dama y empleada del gobierno (grades 6-8)


Make a Daily Black History Activity Lesson Plan Book
        Daily Black History Activity Lesson Plan Book


Reading Comprehensions
Early History
     Did They Land Before Columbus? (Grades 4-5)
     Estevanico the Explorer (Grades 4-5)

Slave Trade
     Early Slave Trade (Grades 4-5)
     Letter from a Slave Ship (Grades 5-6)
     Immigrants Against Their Will (Grades 5-9)
     The Slave Trade (Grades 7-8)

Colonial America (1492-1765)
     Black Literature Leaders (Grades 4-5)
     Benjamin Banneker - Who Was He? (Grades 4-5)
     Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable - Father of Chicago (Grades 4-5)
     Fugitive Slave Laws (Grades 4-5)
     Rebellions (Grades 4-5)
     Crispus Attucks (Grades 4-6)
     Slavery (Grades 5-7)

A New Nation (1780-1830)
     Prosser's Rebellion (Grades 5-7)
     Life Stories - Slave Narratives (Grades 5-7)
     Response to a Slave Rebellion - Nat Turner's Rebellion (Grades 6-8)

Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)
     York: Explorer/Slave

A Nation Divided: Leading up to the Civil War (1840-1861)
     Sengbe and the Amistad - "Give Us Free!" (Grades 2-3)
     Delaware and the Underground Railroad (Grades 2-4)
     William Lloyd Garrison (Grades 4-5)
     Frederick Douglass (Grades 4-5)
     The American Colonization Society (Grades 4-5)
     Amistad (Grades 4-5)
     Harriet Beecher Stowe (Grades 4-5)
     Compromises (Grades 4-5)
     Abolitionists and the Underground Railroad (Grades 5-7)
     Slavery, Compromises and Dred Scott (Grades 5-7)
     Slave Life (Grades 5-7)
     Slave Economy (Grades 7-9)
     Slavery and the Law (Grades 7-9)
     Underground Railroad (Grades 7-9)
     Dred Scott Decision (Grades 7-9)
     Compromises of 1820 and 1850 (Grades 7-9)
     Slave Life (Hi/Lo Grades 3-4)
     Frederick Douglass (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)
     The Abolitionist Movement (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     The Missouri Compromise (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     The Compromise of 1850 (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Fugitive Slave Law (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Slavery in the West (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Advantages and Disadvantages (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Slave Codes (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Uncle Tom's Cabin (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     The Underground Railroad (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Harriet Tubman (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Dred Scott v. Sanford (Hi/Lo Grades 5-6)

The Civil War (1861-1865)
     The Civil War Theme Unit

A Growing Nation (1865 - 1900)
     Steps to Higher Education (Grades 4-5)
     Jim Crow Laws (Grades 4-6)
     Buffalo Soldiers (Grades 4-6)
     Throwing Their Hats into the Ring, Part 1 - John Mercer Langston (Grades 4-6)
     Throwing Their Hats into the Ring, Part 2 - Hiram Revels (Grades 4-6)
     Uncle Remus Comes to Life (Grades 4-6)
     Exodusters (Grades 5-7)
     Spelman College for Black Women (Grades 5-7)

Wild West
     Bass Reeves: First Black U.S. Deputy (Grades 4-6)
     Voices of the West - African American Pioneers (Grades 5-6)
     Voices of the West - Nat Love (Grades 5-6)
     Voices of the West - Bill Pickett (Grades 5-6)
     West to Freedom - African American Pioneers (Grades 6-8)
     West to Freedom - Nat Love and Bill Pickett (Grades 6-8)

World War II
     The Color of Heroes - The Story of the Tuskegee Airmen (Grades 9-12)

Civil Rights (the 1960s)
     Ralph Bunche (Grades 4-5)
     NAACP (Grades 4-6)
     National Urban League (Grades 4-6)
     Civil Rights - An Introduction (Grades 6-8)
     Introduction to Civil Rights - The 50's (Grades 6-8)
     Sit-Ins (Grades 6-8)
     The March on Washington (Grades 6-8)
     James Meredith (Grades 7-9)
     Selma to Montgomery (Grades 7-9)
     Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Grades 7-9)
     Malcolm X (Grades 7-9)
     Martin Luther King Jr. Theme Page

Politics
     Leaders in the Executive Branch (Grades 5-7)
     Leaders in the Legislative Branch (Grades 5-7)
     Leaders in the Judicial Branch (Grades 5-7)

Education, Culture, and Sports
     What Is Segregation? (Grades 3-5)
     Negro Baseball Leagues (Grades 4-6)
     The Harlem Globetrotters (Grades 4-6)
     Ebony Magazine (Grades 4-6)
     Keys to Success (Grades 5-7)
     Pioneer African-American Writers (Grades 5-7)
     Poets of the Harlem Renaissance (Grades 5-7)
     American Music - 1800's (Grades 5-7)
     Jazz - All American Music (Grades 5-7)
     The Negro Leagues (Grades 5-7)
     Famous Names in Sports (Grades 5-7)
     Pioneers in Entertainment (Grades 5-7)
     African-American Artists (Grades 5-7)
     A Rich Musical Heritage (Grades 6-8)
     Segregation in America (Grades 6-8)
     A Time to Shine - The 1936 Olympics (Grades 7-9)
     Hank Aaron (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)
     The Godfather of Soul (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)

Biographies
     Hank Aaron (Grades 5-7)
     Hank Aaron (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)
     Muhammad Ali (Grades 5-7)
     Maya Angelou (Grade 6)
     Evelyn Ashford (Grades 5-6)
     Crispus Attucks (Grades 4-6)
     Pearl Bailey (Grades 5-6)
     Josephine Baker (Grades 6-8)
     Susie Baker (Grades 4-6)
     Benjamin Banneker (Grades 4-5)
     Benjamin Banneker (Grades 5-7)
     Ibn Battuta (Grades 5-7)
     James Pierson Beckwourth (Grades 5-7)
     John Biggers (Grades 5-7)
     Abebe Bikila (Grades 5-7)
     Wentworth Cheswill, Revolutionary Patriot (Grades 7-8)
     Gwendolyn Brooks (Grades 4-6)
     Charlotte Hawkins Brown (Grades 5-7)
     James Brown (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)
     Ralph Bunche (Grades 4-5)
     George Washington Carver (Grades 5-7)
     George Washington Carver (Grades 6-8)
     Wilt Chamberlain (Grades 6-8)
     Eldridge Cleaver (Grades 9-12)
     Nat King Cole (Grades 5-7)
     Bessie Coleman (Grades 4-6)
     John Coltrane (Grades 5-7)
     Anna Julia Haywood Cooper (Grades 5-7)
     Frederick Douglass (Hi/Lo Grades 3-5)
     Charles Drew (Grades 5-7)
     W.E.B. DuBois (Grades 5-7)
     Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable (Grades 4-5)
     Estevanico (Grades 4-5)
     Vonetta Flowers (Grades 7-9)
     Lorraine Hansberry (Grades 9-12)
     Josiah Henson (Grades 5-7)
     Matthew Henson (Grades 4-6)
     Matthew Henson (Grades 5-7)
     Langston Hughes (Grades 4-6)
     Charlayne Hunter-Gault (Grades 5-6)
     Judith Jamison (Grades 9-10)
     Mae Jemison (Grades 10-11)
     Sargent Claude Johnson (Grades 5-7)
     Martin Luther King Jr. (Grades 5-7)
     Etheridge Knight (Grade 5)
     Nat Love (Grades 5-6)
     John Mercer Langston (Grades 4-6)
     Bob Marley (Grades 5-7)
     Jan Ernst Matzeliger (Grades 5-7)
     Oseola McCarty (Grades 5-6)
     Elijah McCoy (Grades 4-5)
     James Meredith (Grades 7-9)
     Garret A. Morgan (Grades 5-6)
     Jesse Owens (Grades 5-7)
     Bill Pickett (Grades 5-6)
     Bill Pickett (Grades 6-8)
     Bass Reeves (Grades 4-6)
     Hiram Revels (Grades 4-6)
     Condoleezza Rice (Grades 9-12)
     Paul Robeson (Grades 5-6)
     Jackie Robinson (Grades 3-4)
     Augusta Savage (Grades 5-7)
     Henry Ossawa Tanner (Grades 5-7)
     Sojourner Truth (Grades 5-7)
     Harriet Tubman (Grades 5-7)
     Harriet Tubman (Grades 6-8)
     Harriet Tubman (Hi/Lo Grades 4-5)
     Charles Henry Turner (Grades 6-8)
     Sarah Vaughn (Grades 5-6)
     Madam C. J. Walker (Grades 4-6)
     Sarah Walker (Grades 5-7)
     Booker T. Washington (Grades 5-7)
     Phyllis Wheatley (Grades 5-7)
     Phillis Wheatley (Grades 5-7)
     Phillis Wheatley (Grades 5-7)
     Venus Williams (Grades 6-7)
     Tiger Woods (Grades 9-12)
     Malcolm X (Grades 7-9)

Spanish
     Los abolicionistas y el "ferrocarril subterráneo" (grades 5-7)
     El Compromiso de Missouri (grades 4-5)
     Harriet Tubman (grades 4-5)
     Entrar al ruedo (primera parte) John Mercer Langston (grades 4-6)
     Los "Exodistas" (grades 5-7)
     Voces del Oeste: Nat Love (grades 5-6)
     Ligas negras de béisbol (grades 4-6)
     Ibn Battuta (grades 8-9)
     EL CUMPLEAÑOS DE ETHERIDGE KNIGHT (grade 5)
     Voces del Oeste: Nat Love (grades 5-6)
     Entrar al ruedo (primera parte) John Mercer Langston (grades 4-6)
     Jan Ernst Matzeliger (grades 5-7)
     Sojourner Truth (grades 6-8)
     Harriet Tubman (grades 4-5)
     Phillis Wheatley (grades 6-7)


Leveled Books
            Sarah E. Goode: Inventor of the Hideaway Bed
             A Slave Girl Named Harriet (PDF file)
             Famous Black Americans (PDF file)


Rosa Parks
             Rosa Parks


Harriet Tubman
             Harriet Tubman


Analogies
             Black History Analogies


Book Units
    Henry's Freedom Box (Grades 1-3)
    Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride (Grades 1-3)
    The Black Snowman (Grades 1-3)
    Uncle Jed's Barbershop (Grades 2-4)
    When Harriet Met Sojourner (Grades 2-4)
    A Good Night for Ghosts #42 (Grades 2-5)
    A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver (Grades 2-5)
    Benjamin Banneker: Pioneering Scientist (Grades 2-5)
    Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Grades 2-5)
    The Story of Ruby Bridges (Grades 2-5)
    When Marian Sang (Grades 2-5)
    Leon's Story (Grades 3-5)
    Teammates (Grades 3-5)
    The Friendship (Grades 3-5)
    Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It (Grades 4-6)
    Freedom Crossing (Grades 4-6)
    Martin Luther King, Jr. (Grades 4-6)
    Mystery of the Dark Tower (American Girl) (Grades 4-6)
    Timothy of the Cay (Grades 4-6)
    Bud, Not Buddy (Grades 4-7)
    Lincoln: A Photobiography (Grades 4-7)
    The Aurora County All-Stars (Grades 4-7)
    Chains (Grades 4-8)
    Letters from a Slave Boy: The Story of Joseph Jacobs (Grades 4-8)
    Stealing Home (Grades 4-8)
    The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 (Grades 4-8)
    Something Upstairs (Grades 5-7)
    Sounder (Grades 5-7)
    Keeping the Night Watch (Grades 5-8)
    The Door of No Return (Grades 5-8)
    The Slave Dancer (Grades 5-8)
    We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball (Grades 5-8)
    Witness (Grades 5-8)
    The River Between Us (Grades 5-9)
    The Skin I'm In (Grades 5-9)
    The Cay (Grades 6-7)
    Amos Fortune Free Man (Grades 6-8)
    My Name Is Not Angelica (Grades 6-8)
    Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Grades 6-8)
    Flygirl (Grades 6-10)
    Uncle Tom's Cabin (Grades 6-12)
    Becoming Billie Holiday (Grades 7-12)
    Letters from a Slave Girl: The Story of Harriet Jacobs (Grades 7-12)
    Their Eyes Were Watching God (Grades 9-12)
    To Kill A Mockingbird (Grades 9-12)
    Copper Sun (Grades 10-12)
    Fences (Grades 11-12)
    Invisible Man (Grades 11-12)


Finish the Story
     The Bus Ride (Grades 3-6)
     Breaking the Barrier (Grade 4)
     Helping Others Obtain Freedom (Grade 5)
     Right to Be Free (Grades 5-8)
     Oral History Project (Grades 6-8)
     Pioneers (Grades 6-8)


Writing
Replying to Letters


What would YOU do?
     Stereotype or Prejudice? (Grades 5-8)


Books
            Let's Meet Harriet Tubman (Grades 2-4)
            George Washington Carver: "The Peanut Man" (Grades 3-5)
            George Washington Carver, Black Scientist and Inventor (Grade 3)
            Meet Madam C.J. Walker (Grades 3-4)
            Meet Martin Luther King, Jr. (Grades 3-4)
            Queen Bess: Aviator Bessie Coleman (Grades 3-4)
            Harriet Tubman (Grades 4-5)
            Plessy v. Ferguson (Grades 5-6)
            The Beginning of the End of Segregation in America (Grades 5-6)
            Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King! (Grades 5-6)
            Frederick Douglass (Grades 5-6)
            Madam C.J. Walker (Grades 5-7)
            Satchel Paige (Grades 5-7)
            Jesse Owens (Grade 6)
            Matthew Henson (Grade 6)
            Duke Ellington (Grade 6)
            Sojourner Truth (Grades 6-8)
            Rosa Parks (Grades 6-8)
            Malcolm X (Grades 6-8)
            Garrett Morgan (Grades 6-8)
            The Tuskegee Airmen (Grades 6-8)


Compare and Contrast
        Leader Traits: Compares two great civil rights leaders (Grades 5-7)

Cowboy Traits: Compares two great African-American cowboys (Grades 5-7)

Explorer Traits: Compares two great Arctic explorers (Grades 5-7)

Instrument Traits: Compares two types of native instruments (Grades 5-7)

Protest Traits: Compares the attributes of two protest forms utilized in the 1960s (Grades 5-6)

Abolitionist Traits: Compares two great abolitionists (Grades 5-6)

Civil War Organizer Traits: Compares two great early Black politicians (Grades 5-6)

Baseball Greats Traits: Compares two baseball greats (Grades 5-6)

Traits: This compares and contrasts the lives of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth. (Grades 5-7)

Traits: This compares the inventors Benjamin Banneker and George Washington Carver. (Grades 6-8)

Female Activist Traits: Compares two famous female black activists (Grades 5-6)

Compromise Traits: Compares the two Missouri Compromises (Grades 5-6)

African-American Writer Traits: Compares two great African-American writers (Grades 3-5)



Writing
Black History Draw and Write
Black History Draw and Write

Black History Story Starters
Black History borders with Black History story starters