Special Collection: Celebrating Black Stories

We delved into the Storyworks archives to bring you some of our most beloved stories for Black History Month, from a powerful play about a kid who led a series of sit-down strikes to a gripping nonfiction article about the co-discoverer of the North Pole. We hope you enjoy sharing these stories with your students.

 

 

 

 

Dr. King Is My Grandpa

Like her famous grandfather, Yolanda Renee King is making a difference — and she thinks you can too.

Read the Articles
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching these articles
Download
Dr. King: A Leader and a Hero
Watch a video to learn more about Martin Luther King Jr.
A Color for Everyone
Watch a video interview with Bellen Woodard.

Frozen Dreams

Matthew Henson helped discover the North Pole. It would
take many years for the world to discover him.

Read the Story
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
Download
Research Kit
This activity prepares students to create a research project
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Beyond the Story: History's Forgotten Heroes
Introduce fascinating lesser-known heroes

The Rule Breaker

The amazing story of Althea Gibson, a star tennis player
who fought an unfair world to make her dream come true

Read the Play
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this play
Download
Competing for Equality
A video about Althea Gibson and other iconic Black athletes.
Background Builder Slideshow
Learn key information about tennis before reading the play.
View the Slideshow

Lift Every Voice and Sing

An uplifting poem about freedom and hope,
sometimes called the Black National Anthem

Read the Poem
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
Download
Poetry Kit
This activity helps students unpack the poem
Download

The Fire-Breather

The incredible story of a man who changed the way America fights fires

Read the Paired Texts
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching the paired texts
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5 Inventions that Changed the World
Learn about five important inventions
Synthesizing
Putting the two texts together
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El Magnífico

How a teen from Puerto Rico changed baseball—and America—forever

Read the Story
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
Download
Beyond the Story: Roberto Clemente
Meet baseball legend Roberto Clemente
Research Kit
Research other athletes who have made a difference in the world.
Download

Your World

An inspiring poem from a popular Harlem Renaissance writer.

Read the Poem
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
Download
Close Reading & Critical Thinking
Answer close reading questions about the poem
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Understanding Poetry
Students think about the meaning of the words in the poem
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Go!

The amazing story of Wilma Rudolph, the fastest woman
in the world.

Read the Play
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this play
Download
Character Traits
A guide to understanding Wilma
Download
Choice Board
Students can choose an activity
Download

Ayanna the Brave

Across the South in the 1950s, Black people weren’t allowed to go to the same places as White people. But 7-year-old Ayanna Najuma knew that was wrong. Here’s how she and a fearless group of kids fought for their rights—and won.

Read the Play
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this play
Download
How Kids Changed the World
Ayanna Najuma narrates the story of how she fought back against segregation as a child.
Research Kit
Go on a research journey inspired by the story.
Download

This Is What Courage Looks Like

During a troubled time in U.S. history, one 15-year-old girl stood up to injustice—and  helped change America

Read the Play
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this play
Download
Time Machine: The 1950s
The sights and sounds of 1950s
Cause and Effect
A cause-and-effect chain shows how one event led to another
Download

Art Credits: Dr. King is My Grandpa: Phil Skinner/AP Images for Scholastic Inc.; Frozen Dreams: Art by Randy Pollak; Marcel Jancovic/Shutterstock.com (dogs); Lift Every Voice and SIng: Art by Loveis Wise; Courtesy of GoogleDoodles google.com/doodles; GO!: Artwork by Greg Ruhl from The Superkids Reading Program Wilma Rudolph © Zaner-Bloser, Inc. Used with permission from Zaner-Bloser, Inc. All rights reserved.; The FIre-Breather: Art by Kingsley Nebechi