A Museum of Black Changemakers

The project began during Black History Month with a visit to the Oakland Museum of California and its “Angela Davis – Seize the Time” exhibit. The fifth graders were inspired to wonder how the actions of changemakers of the past have impacted us today, and they embarked on a cross-curricular project where they used their reading, writing, and inquiry skills to explore the lives and work of Black activists. Each student created a poster about a specific historical figure as well as an art piece representing some aspect of their legacy.

“We wanted to ensure that the celebration of Black history and heritage continued beyond February,” said Fifth Grade Humanities Teacher Darryl Owens, who praised the “fantastic biographies, poetry, and artifacts” that the students came up with. These included illustrations telling the life story of Colin Kaepernick, a shoebox diorama depicting a televised speech by Maya Angelou, a microphone labeled with Malcolm X’s quote “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything,” and much more. Our fifth graders were thrilled to dive into history and learn more about people who inspire them to be just and courageous.