Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
Black History Month 2015
Projects/Posters *Counts as a test grade!!
1. Read, review & research online resources (websites) such as:

http://www.infoplease.com/black-history-month/

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-historymonth

http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/black-history-month

http://www.readingrockets.org/calendar/blackhistory
2. Go to “GOOGLE” and type in keywords: “Black History Month” to
view even more websites of your preference!
3. Select an African American man, woman or child who YOU feel
has made an impact on African American history as well as the
history of the United States of America.
4. Take detailed NOTES on this person’s life, specifically: A. His or
her background (biography), B. Awards, Recognitions, Honors,
Achievements, etc. C. His or her legacy; in your own words,
explain the impact the person you chose to research has had on
African American culture, US history and why this person should
be celebrated for Black History month.
5. Save a picture or (multiple) pictures of the person you selected
for your Black History Month project.
*All research, notes & pictures will be used to create a poster in honor of the many African Americans
celebrated throughout Black History Month and all year-round!
Black History Month Pg.1
Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
Civil Rights Leaders~
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
NAACP, National Advancement for the Association of Colored People
Black Panthers, U.S. black militant party
Shirley Chisholm, U.S. Congresswoman
Medgar Evers, civil rights leader
Myrlie Evers-Williams, civil rights leader
Coretta Scott King, American civil rights leader
Martin Luther King, Jr., American clergyman and civil rights leader
Little Rock Nine, first black teenagers to attend all-white Central High School
Malcolm X, militant black leader
Thurgood Marshall, lawyer and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Rosa Parks, American civil rights activist
Actors~
1.
Halle Berry, actor and model
2. Dorothy Dandridge, singer, actor
3. Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer
4. Morgan Freeman, actor
5. Cuba Gooding, Jr., actor
6. Queen Latifah, rap musician, actor
7. Sidney Poitier, actor and director
8. Will Smith, actor and singer
9. Denzel Washington, actor
10. Forest Whitaker, actor, director
11. Oprah Winfrey, talk-show host, actor
Literary Figures~
1.
Maya Angelou, poet, writer, composer, actress
2. Gwendolyn Brooks, American poet
3. Ralph Ellison, American author
4. Nikki Giovanni, poet, teacher, author
5. Langston Hughes, American poet
6. Zora Neale Hurston, American writer
7. Christopher Myers, illustrator, author
8. Walter Dean Myers, author, poet
9. Alice Walker, author
10. Dorothy West, writer
11. Phillis Wheatley, American poet
Black History Month Pg.2
Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
Musicians~
1. Aaliyah, singer and actress
2. Josephine Baker, singer and dancer
3. Mary J. Blige, singer, songwriter
4. Boyz II Men, R&B/hip-hop group
5. Foxy Brown, rapper, producer
6. James Brown, soul singer, entertainer
7. Ray Charles, singer, pianist, and composer
8. Nat "King" Cole, musician and composer
9. Miles Davis, trumpet player and composer
10. Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer
11. Bo Diddley, rock-and-roll singer, guitarist, and songwriter
12. Dr. Dre, rap singer and producer
13. Duke Ellington, jazz musician and composer
14. Missy Elliott, rapper, music producer
15. Ella Fitzgerald, jazz singer
16. Aretha Franklin, soul singer
17. Marvin Gaye, Motown singer and songwriter
18. Berry Gordy, Jr., record company executive
19. Jimi Hendrix, rock musician, guitarist
20. Billie Holiday, jazz singer
21. Whitney Houston, singer, actress
22. Ice Cube, rap artist, actor
23. Ice T, rap artist, actor
24. Janet Jackson, singer, dancer, actress
25. Michael Jackson, musician, entertainer
26. Jay-Z, rapper, music producer, business personality
27. B. B. King, guitarist
28. Queen Latifah, rap musician, actress
29. Mos Def, rapper, actor
30. Nas, musician, actor
31. The Notorious B.I.G., rap artist
32. Leontyne Price, opera singer
33. Prince, singer and producer
34. Otis Redding, singer
35. Smokey Robinson, singer and songwriter
36. Tupac Shakur, rap artist, actor, poet
37. Tina Turner, R&B singer
38. Luther Vandross, R&B singer
39. Stevie Wonder, singer, composer, producer
Black History Month Pg.3
Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
Scientists & Inventors~
1. Archibald Alphonso Alexander, design and construction engineer
2. Benjamin Banneker, American intellectual and scientist
3. Patricia Bath, American inventor
4. Edward Bouchet, physicist, chemist
5. Benjamin Bradley, inventor
6. Herman Russell Branson, physicist
7. George Washington Carver, American agricultural chemist
8. Emmett W. Chappelle, biochemist
9. Jewel Plummer Cobb, biologist, physiologist
10. Rebecca Cole, physician
11. David Crosthwait, Jr., engineer, inventor
12. Mark Dean, American inventor
13. Martin Robinson Delany, American black leader, physician
14. Charles Richard Drew, physician
15. Clarence L. Elder, engineer and inventor
16. Philip Emeagwali, computer scientist, mathematician
17. Evan Forde, oceanographer
18. Lloyd Hall, chemist
19. Samuel Elmer Imes, chemist, physicist
20. Mae Jemison, astronaut, physician
21. Thomas L. Jennings, inventor
22. Frederick McKinley Jones, inventor
23. Percy Lavon Julian, chemist
24. Ernest Everest Just, biologist, educator
25. Lewis Howard Latimer, inventor
26. Henry Cecil Ransom McBay, chemist
27. Elijah McCoy, inventor
28. Garrett Augustus Morgan, inventor
29. Maurice F. Rabb, Jr., ophthalmologist
30. Norbert Rillieux, inventor
31. Virgil Garnett Trice, Jr., chemical engineer
32. Charles Henry Turner, entomologist
33. Sarah Breedlove "Madame C.J." Walker, inventor, entrepreneur, philanthropist
34. Daniel Hale Williams, physician
35. Granville Woods, inventor
Black History Month Pg.4
Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
Athletes~
(Baseball players)
1. Hank Aaron
2. Ernie Banks
3. James "Cool Papa" Bell
4. Barry Bonds
5. Lou Brock
6. Roy Campanella
7. Larry Doby
8. Cecil Fielder
9. Ken Griffey Jr.
10. Tony Gwynn
11. Bo Jackson
12. Reggie Jackson
13. Derek Jeter
14. Buck Leonard
15. Willie Mays
16. Willie McCovey
17. Satchel Paige
18. Kirby Puckett
19. Jackie Robinson
20. Mo Vaughn
(Basketball players)
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Carmelo Anthony
3. Charles Barkley
4. Kobe Bryant
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Cynthia Cooper
7. Kevin Durant
8. Julius "Dr. J" Erving
9. LeBron James
10. Ervin "Magic" Johnson
11. Michael Jordan
12. Jason Kidd
13. Karl Malone
14. Shaquille O'Neal
15. Scottie Pippen
Black History Month Pg.5
Ms. Walker
Language Arts
Grade 8
16. Dennis Rodman
17. Latrell Sprewell
18. Sheryl Swoopes
19. Dwyane Wade
20. Dominique Wilkins
(Football players)
1. Jim Brown
2. Buck Buchanan
3. Earl Campbell
4. Cris Carter
5. Ernie Davis
6. Tony Dorsett
7. Alonzo "Jake" Gaither
8. Joe Greene
9. Archie Griffin
10. Walter Payton
11. Jerry Rice
12. Paul Robeson
13. Deion Sanders
14. O.J. Simpson
15. Emmitt Smith
16. Thurman Thomas
17. Gene Upshaw
18. Herschel Walker
19. Charlie Ward
20. Reggie White
(Boxers)
1. Muhammad Ali
2. George Foreman
3. Joe Frazier
4. Evander Holyfield
5. Jack Johnson
6. Roy Jones Jr.
7. Don King
8. Sugar Ray Leonard
9. Sugar Ray Robinson
10. Mike Tyson
**ALL references provided by http://www.infoplease.com/black-history-month/
Black History Month Pg.6