
Lesson Plan:  
Celebrating Black History Month Using IXL’s Grades 2 & 3 Social Studies Content 
(4) 45-minute lessons 
Objective: 
Students will write a narrative from the point-of-view of a legendary African-American figure in U.S. history 
following exploration of text sources as well as IXL’s social studies content. 
Standards: 
Grade 2: RI.2.2, RI.2.3, W.2.3, W.2.7, W.2.8 
Grade 3: RI.3.1, RI.3.3, W.3.3, W.3.7, W.3.8 
Suggested Resources: 
1) IXL Grade 2 social studies: Harriet Tubman (B.7), Frederick Douglass (B.5), George Washington Carver (B.9), 
Thurgood Marshall (B.11), Rosa Parks (B.12), Jackie Robinson (B.13), Martin Luther King, Jr. (B.15) 
OR 
2) IXL Grade 3 social studies: Harriet Tubman (D.7), Frederick Douglass (D.5), George Washington Carver (D.9), 
Thurgood Marshall (D.11), Rosa Parks (D.12), Jackie Robinson (D.13), Martin Luther King, Jr. (D.15) 
3) Student-friendly video content (if needed) for all 7 historical figures can be found at: 
  http://www.watchknowlearn.org/ 
  http://www.history.com/videos 
4) Sites and texts for students to explore: 
Picture biographies of Tubman’s life such as: 
My First Biography: Harriet Tubman (Bauer) 
Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman (Kulling) 
http://www.blackhistorystudies.com/resources/resources/facts-about-harriet-
Picture biography of Douglass’s life such as: 
A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass (Adler) 
http://www.brightmoments.com/blackhistory/nfdougla.html 
Picture biographies of Washington Carver’s life such as: 
A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver (Aliki) 
A Picture Book of George Washington Carver (Adler) 
http://www.kidsplayandcreate.com/george-washington-carver-facts-for-kids-
who-invented-peanut-butter/ 
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/gwcarver.htm 
Picture biographies of Marshall’s life such as: 
Thurgood Marshall: The Supreme Court Rules on "Separate but Equal" (A 
Graphic History of the Civil Rights Movement) (Jeffrey) 
A Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall (Adler) 
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/thurgoodmarshall1.htm