Black History Month research project

Well, Friday, my team and I were discussing what the heck we were going to do for plans next month.  You know--that moment when you're looking through your state standards, your report card standards, and your district's scope and sequence...and you all realize that none of them aligns with the others?  Good times, folks.  Good times.

We used to do a small Famous Black Americans unit when I taught 3rd grade, but we haven't done too much on the subject beyond basics since I moved to 2nd.  BINGO, I thought.  So this weekend I made a unit for a research project.  LOL.  Um...I may have spent a biiiiiiit too much time on it.  But then again, I'm pretty new to creating my own lessons, at least to the point of making them like, cute. 

So anyway, I wanted to share in case anyone else is interested! 

A bit of a backtrack...my team had our kiddos do a research project on different Native American tribes earlier in the year...and it was awful.  Well.  OK.  It would have been better if they had EVER done research before.  Haha.  Well, we did spend some time before-hand teaching them about note-taking, but I think the biggest mistake we made was not providing structure for them to let them know exactly what we expected of them.  Hence, my unit using the Super 3 (Big 6?  Anyone?).  So yeah, apparently Primary teachers have adapted the Big 6 for their younger kiddos (praise glory be to the heavens), and it's called the Super 3.  You're welcome!  (That is, if this is new to you.  If you already knew all about this, then who do you think you are?  Do you want a cupcake or something?  Geez.)  But seriously.

Here's everything that's included in the unit:

 Our librarian media specialist looked over the unit and was excited to tell me that all of the historical figures except two (Zora Neale Hurston & Sidney Poitier) are included on the PebbleGo database.  Just in case any of your schools have a subscription!  We'll probably just not have them research those two so that all the students can use PebbleGo.  Just simpler that way.  :)  I'm also planning to have a few other websites for them to search, if I can find some good ones (ie., ones that don't talk about Sojourner Truth's sexual abuse...)  OY biography.com!

Here are some peeks:

OK, I've tried over and over again to upload another pic right here, but it just isn't happening.  It's the other page for Step 1: Plan It.  It's included in my free preview on TpT, though (see link below).

 I plan to use Martin Luther King, Jr. as an example of what good research notes should look like since we're spending all this week learning about him already.  Get this MLK, Jr. page in my free preview at TpT.  (Link below.)

Get this Step 3 page in my free preview file, as well.

If you think you may be interested, feel free to check out the free preview over at my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

YAY Research!  :D