Carter G. Woodson: Classroom Lesson

Lesson at a Glance

Grades: Grades 6–12
Time: One class period (20–40 minutes)
Standards: NCSS Themes 2 (Time, Continuity, and Change) and 5 (Individuals, Groups, and Institutions); C3 D2.His.2, D2.His.3, D2.His.12
Reading: Carter G. Woodson (profile)

Big Idea

History is not simply handed down; people choose what to research, teach, and celebrate, and Woodson built the institutions that made Black history a subject every student could learn.

Before Class

Students read the profile of Carter G. Woodson, including the Key Dates and Sources.

Discussion Questions

Why did Woodson believe Black history needed its own scholarly association, journal, and publishing house, rather than waiting for existing institutions to include it?
Woodson placed Negro History Week in the second week of February, which held the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Why might tying it to celebrations Black communities already held have helped it spread?
What is the difference between a week or month of observance and history that is taught all year? What do you think Woodson would say about Black History Month today?
Woodson worked as a coal miner before he earned a Harvard doctorate. How might that experience have shaped his belief in education?

Activity

Students skim the preface and table of contents of Woodson’s The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861 on Project Gutenberg and list the kinds of evidence he promised to use. In small groups, they then design a plan for Negro History Week at a school in 1926, drawing on the profile’s description of the lesson plans, pictures, and pamphlets Woodson supplied to schools, churches, and clubs. Groups share their plans and discuss which of Woodson’s goals remain unmet.

Primary Sources

Cite this page

MLA: “Classroom lesson: Carter G. Woodson.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/classroom/carter-g-woodson/.
APA: Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Classroom lesson: Carter G. Woodson. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/classroom/carter-g-woodson/
Chicago: Black-History.com Editors. “Classroom lesson: Carter G. Woodson.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/classroom/carter-g-woodson/.

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.