February is Black History Month and the Dan Mills PTO looking forward to sharing resources, books, and activities with our Dragons to allow families to learn and fully embrace this month long celebration!
Please continue to check back for new information and links - this page will be updated daily!
February 26, 2021
Black History Month does not end on February 28th - we celebrate Black History everyday!
Here are two incredible young women who are changing history right now!
Learn more about:
Mari Copeny - "Little Miss Flint"
Marley Dias - who launched #1000BlackGirlBooks
February 25, 2021
“I am my mother's only child and Memphis is my home. Picture books are my favorite to write! They allow me to "sing" without a music education or singing voice." - Alice Faye Duncan
We are so excited to welcome author Alice Faye Duncan to Dan Mills (virtually) TOMORROW! Ms. Duncan will talk about her book "Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968" and lead our Dragons in a poetry lesson.
We hope your Dragon enjoys Ms. Duncan's visit and we'd love to hear what they learned!
"Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop" is definitely a book you and your Dragon will want to revisit again and again - learning something new every time you read it. To purchase your own copy click over to Fairytales Bookstore and More! Fairy Tales has generously offered the Dan Mills community 15% off the purchase of this title. You can click over to their website here --> https://bit.ly/3tLoSi8 to purchase online (use coupon code "DANMILLS" at checkout) or pop over to their store and mention you're from Dan Mills.
February 24, 2021
Who inspires you?
Who makes you want to make history?
February 23, 3021
Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Today she is one of the most honored women in the world, recognized as a poet, memoirist, novelist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker and civil rights activist. She has won three Grammys for her spoken-word albums, and in 2011, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for inspiring young people with her words.
Maya’s life didn’t have an easy start. After her parents’ divorce, she was moved from home to home for many years, living in turn with her mother, her grandmother and her father. For a while she was homeless.
But she didn’t let the poverty, pain or suffering of her childhood destroy her. In response, she created works of art.
———
Listen to Maya Angelou's life story HERE.
Interested in more information and activities about Maya Angelou's life? HERE is a packet full of information for you to explore.
Maya Angelou is inspiring in so many ways and listening to her is magical. HERE Angelou encourages us to "Be a Rainbows in Someone Else's Cloud".
February 22, 2021
Thurgood Marshall was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States and played a major role in the civil rights movement. He was known for his logic as well as his sense of humor.
Learn more about Thurgood Marshall in the video below along with a punishment he received from his father for bad behavior. Do you think this punishment made him decide to become a lawyer?
February 19, 2021
Fuel your Dragon's curiosity this weekend with these topics and projects from the National Museum of African American History and Culture!
Explore: Hats, Hair, and Headwear; Black Music and Imagination; Black Women Artists; and Activist Art HERE. Also, be sure to check back because the museum continues to add more "Joyful Friday" content!
Interested in watching the recorded Joyful Friday episodes? Check them out HERE.
February 18, 2021
Need a fun game to play during your sledding breaks? Have you ever played Mancala?
Mancala is one of the oldest known board games in the world and is believed to have begun in ancient Africa!
Evidence of the ancient board game has been found dating back to the year 700 AD. These archeological treasures were first found in Aksumite settlements in Matara, Eritrea and Yeha, Ethiopia. It is believed that Arabian traders brought the game with them when traveling to distant lands. The game's modern version, "Mancala," is a derivative of an Arabic word - Naqala, which means "to move." (source)
Mancala arrived in North America with the slave trade, as the forcibly enslaved people brought their culture to the Caribbean and America. (source)
Don't have a Mancala board at home? Not to worry - we've got you covered with this DIY (linked below)! Directions for place can be found here.
February 17, 2021
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, George Washington Carver, Madam C.J. Walker, Garrett A. Morgan, and Mae Jemison - these are just few of the influential Black scientists and inventors in American History!
Learn more about the lives and legacies of these individuals in the linked video below! Were you already familiar with these visionaries? Did you learn something new? Let us know who inspires you!
February 16, 2021
Meet the Father of Hip Hop - DJ Kool Herc!
Little Clive loved music and dreamed of being a DJ. Find out how a kid from Jamaica grew up to put the "hip hip hop, hippity hop into the world's heartbeat".
Listen to the "When the Beat was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop" HERE to learn more!
Want to hear DJ Kool Herc in action? Listen HERE and see if you recognize some of the names DJ Kool Herc "toasts" over the music from the book.
February 15,2021
Happy Presidents Day!
Have you ever wondered why no girls have ever been president of the United States? Grace is shocked by this information and decides she'd like to be president. Learn, with Grace and her classmates, about the American electoral system and that becoming president takes a lot more than making promises.
February 12, 2021
Looking for a great way to beat the cold this weekend? Cozy up with one of these movies to celebrate Black History Month. There are SO many good ones on this list you may have to have a movie marathon! Have a favorite that's not on the list? Be sure to share it with us!
February 11, 2021
11 Surprising Black History Month Facts - click the link below to learn more!
Also, the book mentioned in this article - Timelines from Black History: Leaders, Legends, Legacies - is incredible! Listen to the author speak about her book here --> https://tinyurl.com/1cg0ekn7
February 10, 2021
Ready for a Black History Month Challenge?
Follow the link --> http://bit.ly/3rAyGJK to download this coloring sheet. Enjoy coloring and then take some time to learn about each of these inspiration individuals! Be sure to share with us what you discover - we can't wait to hear what you learn!
February 9, 2021
Celebrate Black History Month by learning more about 10 famous African-Americans through their inspiring words!
Click here to download the crossword and answer key --> https://bit.ly/3rGrKuC
February 8, 2021
This is NOT your typical ABC book!
Explore D for Diaspora, J for Juneteenth, P for Panther and President, and Y for "Young, Gifted and Black".
Enjoy the book by following the link below. After listening, tell us what you learned or hope to learn more about!
February 5, 2021
Looking for some ideas to help your Dragon dive into Black History Month? Check out this fabulous coloring page and list from Here Wee Read!
Follow the link to download and print!
February 4, 2021
Who was Melba Doretta Liston?
Listen to Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown to learn how little Melba became a trailblazer! --> https://bit.ly/2MUR94Y
After you listen to the story take some time to listen to Melba Liston play her big trombone! --> https://bit.ly/2MRYbav How does the music make you feel?
February 3, 2021
Did you know that Beanstack is more than a place to log your Dragon's reading minutes?
This month, if you click on the "Challenges" tab you can learn about Black history, makers, explore cultural traditions, and honor the evolution of Black history in America!
Head over to Beanstack by logging on to your Dragon's account through Clever!
February 2, 2021
"I don't act Black. I was told I talk white, until I got in my first fight. After that, I could see my skin run across their faces. Two black eyes, dark ribs, purple skin. This is the only way I knew how to make my melanin speak."
Did you know Nashville has a Youth Poet Laureate? Today we celebrate, Marie Shields, a junior at Overton High School!
Follow the link below to learn more about Marie Shields and hear her powerful poetry.
February 1st, 2021
February 1st marks the beginning of Black History Month! We are looking forward to sharing resources, books, and activities with our Dragons to allow families to learn and fully embrace this month long celebration!
What is Black History Month and why do we celebrate it?
Follow the link below to find out!