In February, teachers in many schools create activities and lesson plans to celebrate Black History that mainly focus on the contributions of past African American social leaders in our society, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. However, much of what we know about Black history comes from the works of talented African American authors.

Generally, most people think that the "classics" were written by dead white males. In the last two hundred years, black writers have contributed some of the most spirited and important works to American literature. These range from early narratives depicting slavery to modern works dealing with the lingering effects of slavery, racism and apartheid.

Many of the earliest published black writers were slaves and abolitionists. First to make a name was Phillis Wheatley, a slave brought from Africa as a child. Wheatley spoke no English but by the time she was sixteen, under the tutelage of her owners, had mastered the language. Her interest in literature led her to write and publish Poems on Various Subjects in 1773. Perhaps the next major work written by a slave was Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, which was published in 1845.

With literacy and educational opportunities increasing for blacks, the audience for black writers had grown by the 1900s. Among the most notable writers was W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the original founders of the NAACP, and Booker T. Washington, an educator and founder of the Tuskegee Institute. The leading two black intellectuals, Du Bois and Washington actually had opposing views on how blacks could better themselves in society.

The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s produced poet Langston Hughes. The Renaissance paved the way for black writers in subsequent decades. Two of the most notable writers would emerge in the 1940s and 1950s: Novelist Richard Wright, who published an unflinching condemnation of racism in Native Son; and his friend Ralph Ellison, who penned the classic, Invisible Man.

The Civil Rights movement made a powerful impression on black voices in the 1960s through the works of James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry. In the 70s and 80s, the legacies begun by Phillis Wheatley and furthered by civil rights writers reached the mainstream. Books by black writers routinely topped the best-seller lists. Nobel Prize winner, Toni Morrison rose to prominence, as did successful black writers such as Alice Walker, Alex Haley, and Maya Angelou.

Assign students to select a famous African American author, either male or female, from the resources found using the Pathfinders below. Student should write a report of at least 100 words or a presentation of at least five slides that cites at least two resources.

Students should address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):

• What was the life experience of this author that prepared him/her to write?
  
  
• What was the most famous work of this author and what was its theme?
  
  
• What obstacles did this author have to overcome to achieve respect?
  
  
• What impact did the authors work have on society?

1: Select the Subject Heading search option > type "African American Authors" in the Search box > click "African American Authors."

2: Select the Subject Heading search option > type "African American Authors" in the Search box > click "African American Women Authors."

Your students can use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Teachers may be interested in a ProQuest flexible rubrics model for evaluating inquiry-based learning activities.

Educators may also wish to employ the Quizinator Web tool (free, but registration required) for creating a variety of printed resources, including short assessments.

February is Black History Month. The annual celebration generally focuses on African American leaders who championed progress on civil rights such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. However, little is publicized about the many African Americans who distinguished themselves in science, medicine, and engineering.

Success in science, medicine and engineering was very difficult to obtain for African Americans because access to education and training were generally limited to them. For the most part, blacks were shut out of professional occupations and confined to working in industries deemed acceptable for them, such as domestic services, some manual trades, and agriculture. Despite these obstacles, a small number of exceptionally talented blacks were able to obtain an education and, through their life's work, make significant contributions to American life.

Look for information about African-American inventors and you'll quickly find that American innovation is rich with the contributions of famous black inventors like Elijah McCoy, Lewis Howard Latimer, George Washington Carver and Madame C.J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove).

In fact, many modern conveniences and necessities are directly related to, or derivative of, the inventions of black inventors: blood banks, the refrigerator, the electric trolley, the dust pan, comb, mop, brush, clothes dryer, refrigerator, lawn mower, traffic signals, the pen and the pencil sharpener.

ProQuest has created a BookCart learning activity to help teachers support Black History Month—"African American Inventors." This BookCart learning activity provides all the editor-selected resources and directions that your students will need to successfully complete inquiry-based activities, and all in one place.

Another significant feature of the BookCart is the inclusion of 21st Century essential questions for critical thinking. You can also include call numbers for relevant print resources to help students navigate the library shelves.

• Logon to the eLibrary Elementary TEACHER EDITION.
• Click the BOOKCART ADMIN link of the Teacher Edition.
• Click the PROQUEST CARTS tab.
• Type "African American Inventors" in the SEARCH box to locate it quickly.
• Click the COPY icon in the ACTIONS column to the right of this title.
• Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.

To edit and customize the BookCart learning activity for your students to use:

• Click your new BookCart TITLE—it will have the prefix "COPY OF".
• Delete "Copy of" and then type your name in the AUTHOR boxes and your initials in the EMAIL box (required filler).
• Option: Edit STUDENT DIRECTIONS and type PRINT call numbers in the DESCRIPTION box.
• Scroll down and click SAVE.
• Click RETURN TO MY LOCAL CARTS.
• Note: Students will be able to open this BookCart by clicking the BookCart tab on the eLibrary Elementary search page.

ProQuest recommends that students use the BookCart learning activity outlined above because editor-selected resources, student directions, and essential questions are already provided for students in one destination. This saves valuable classroom and library research time sometimes lost to searching, vetting, and selecting. The extra time saved can be invested in more reading, writing, and critical thinking.

Students should select at least two inventors from the results list using the Pathfinder below. Students should write a report of at least 100 words or a presentation of at least five slides that addresses the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can create or substitute others):

• What background and education did your selected African American inventors have?
  
  
• What is the most significant invention by your inventors and why did you select this one?
  
  
• What obstacles did your African American inventors have to overcome—give an example(s)?

Type "African American Inventors" in the Search box.

Your students can use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Teachers may be interested in a ProQuest flexible rubrics model for evaluating inquiry-based learning activities.

Educators may also wish to employ the Quizinator Web tool (free, but registration required) for creating a variety of printed resources, including short assessments.