I've been way behind on posting... so this is my Black History Month post, a month late.
I try to rely on the "Dos and Don'ts of Teaching Black History Month" from Teaching Tolerance when planning activities for the month of February. Even though we read literature with diverse characters, discuss authors and historical leaders from a variety of backgrounds, and acknowledge different backgrounds and cultures all year long, I do make a special effort to talk about African American History during the month of February.
Our school asks each class to study one historical African American figure during the month of February and create a visual display of our learning. This year our school's focus was Ruby Bridges, the 6-year-old girl who became the first African American child to attend a white school in New Orleans. In order to learn about Ruby, we read a few stories and also watched this great interview by a child reporter on Scholastic.
My kiddos then drew pictures about Ruby Bridges' Kindergarten in a segregated school and the Kindergarten at our school. They wrote a short caption under their picture. I made copies of the kiddos' pictures and cut up their drawings and words to create a class display of "Then" and "Now." I think it turned out really well and showed how much the kiddos have learned about the history of segregation in schools. 
This year I also decided (after reading The History Behind Black History Month) to discuss the history of this month-long celebration. I created a SMART Board presentation about Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black History Month, and our class discuss why Woodson had to work so hard to find information about the contributions of African Americans. I think it's important for even young students to understand that African American History Month was created as a way to "bring greater regard for the contributions of African Americans to this country, to understand and overcome a legacy of oppression and racism, and, in so doing, to further racial harmony among us all."
:)
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