Ms. Smartt
African American History Month Project
Due Tuesday, February 26th
The project will affect 3rd quarter report card grade!
 African-American history is filled with the tales of inspiring
individuals—many of whom overcame great odds to leave their
mark on the United States.
 In this project, we examine the lives of African-Americans who
have made extraordinary achievements in their fields while
inspiring us to work harder to succeed.
 Students may choose the African American that inspires them,
including inventors such as George Washington Carver; activists
like Malcolm X and Tyra Banks; athletes such as Willie Mays and
Michael Jordan; and entertainers like Bessie Smith and Oprah
Winfrey. Their names, and their stories, have become synonymous
with the rich legacy that is African-American culture.
PLEASE SEE ME TO SELECT A NAME IMMEDIATELY!
Criteria: Worth 5 point each and is an “at home only” project
(20pts. Total, with a possible 2 bonus points for the best projects)!
Requirements: Each item below must be labeled as such. You can use a
poster board or make a Diorama!
*Historical Background (Biographical) Information
 Birthplace/date (death date if applicable)
 Education
 Related Illustrations
 Life Timeline
 Significant events• include basic facts like “Why is this person
important?” & at least 2 ways he/she has contributed to the world
and their community (must be at least 5 facts)
Project-Poster Rubric
Category
4
Outstanding
Required
Elements
Title,
Author’s
name,
Timeline,
Quotation,
and any
Picture
Captions
Graphic
Relevance
3
2
1
Proficient
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
The poster
includes all
required
elements as
well as
additional
information
All written
work is neat,
bold (stands
out), and large
enough to be
read from at
least 3 feet
away
All required
elements are
included on
the poster
Most of the required
Several
elements are included on required
the poster
elements were
missing
Most written
work is neat,
bold, and
large enough
to be read from
at least 3 feet
away
Some written work is
neat, bold, and large
enough to be read from
3 feet away
Written work is
too small or
messy to be
read from 3
feet away
All graphics are
related to the
topic and make
it easier to
understand.
All borrowed
graphics have a
source citation
All graphics
are related to
the topic and
most make it
easier to
understand.
Some
borrowed
graphics have a
source citation
The poster is
attractive in
terms of
design, layout
and neatness
All graphics relate to the
topic. Not all borrowed
graphics have a source
citation.
Graphics do
not relate to
the topic OR
several
borrowed
graphics do not
have a source
citation
The poster could be
neater and better
organized
The poster is
Unacceptably
messy.
There are few
gram-matical/
Mecha-nical
mistakes on the
poster
There are several
The
grammatical/mechanical grammatical/
mistakes on the poster.
Mechanical
mistakes make
the poster
difficult to
understand
Attractiveness
The poster is
exceptionally
attractive in
terms of
design, layout
and neatness
Grammar
There are no
grammatical
/mechanical
mistakes on
the poster
List of Famous African Americans
Hank Aaron
Coretta Scott King
Muhammad Ali
Spike Lee
Maya Angelou
Sugar Ray Leonard
Louis Armstrong
Malcolm X
Crispus Attucks
Nelson Mandela
Tyra Banks
Thurgood Marshall
Benjamin Banneker
Shaquille O’Neal
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jesse Owens
Barry Bonds
Colin Powell
Ben Carson
Condoleezza Rice
George Washington Carver
Deion Sanders
Ray Charles
Sojourner Truth
Natalie Cole
Booker T. Washington
Bessie Coleman
Stevie Wonder
Miles Davis
Sammy Davis Jr.
Dominique Dawes
Frederick Douglass
W.E.B. Du Bois
Duke Ellington
Ella Fitzgerald
George Foreman
Langston Hughes
Zora Neale Hurston
Jesse Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Michael Jordan
Cannot Use:
Martin Luther King
Barack Obama
Michelle Obama
Oprah
Rosa Parks
Harriet Tubman