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Classroom · Grades 6–12

Bessie Coleman

Coleman refused the limits placed on her by race and sex, and she used her fame as a flier to challenge segregation and to open aviation to other Black Americans.

Lesson at a Glance

Grades
Grades 6–12
Time
One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards
NCSS Themes 4 (Individual Development and Identity) and 8 (Science, Technology, and Society); C3 D2.His.3, D2.His.10, D2.His.12
Reading
Bessie Coleman (profile)

Big Idea

Coleman refused the limits placed on her by race and sex, and she used her fame as a flier to challenge segregation and to open aviation to other Black Americans.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Bessie Coleman, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

  1. American flight schools turned Coleman away. What choices did she make to get around that barrier, and what did they require of her?
  2. In Waxahachie, Coleman refused to fly unless Black spectators could use the same entrance as whites. Why would a performer who depended on ticket sales take that stand, and what did it achieve?
  3. How did the Black press, especially the Chicago Defender, help make Coleman “Queen Bess”?
  4. Coleman lectured to encourage Black Americans to take up flying. How might her example have mattered to later Black pilots and astronauts?

Activity

Using the Library of Congress guide to Bessie Coleman in Chronicling America, students read two or three newspaper articles about her from the 1920s and note each paper’s name, the date, and the words used to describe her. Groups compare how the coverage presents her achievements and her death, and discuss what the articles reveal about the audiences they served. Finally, students examine the National Air and Space Museum’s record of her 1921 license and write a paragraph explaining why a single document could carry so much meaning.

Primary Sources

Cite this page
MLA
“Classroom lesson: Bessie Coleman.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/bessie-coleman/.
APA
Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Bessie Coleman. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/bessie-coleman/
Chicago
Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Bessie Coleman.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/bessie-coleman/.
Editorial Note

By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.

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