Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class

February is Black History Month in the United States! Today I wanted to share Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class you can use, as well as some ideas for different ways you could incorporate them into your lesson plans for Black History Month in Spanish class!

Looking for more than just reading activities? Check out my blog post on Black History Month in Spanish Class here!

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Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class

Gallery walks are one of my favorite things to do with my students. They get students up and moving, and are a great way to get some more input in without requiring a lot of energy on your part! I have a whole post on why I think Gallery Walks are great so make sure to check that out. The reading passages I’m sharing today are something I love to do as a gallery walk – you can grab them below!

Warm Ups for the Start of Class

Instead of using the readings all at once in a gallery walk, you could use one a day as a classroom warm up. Project the reading and give your students some simple comprehension questions in English – or Spanish! (I prefer English because I want them to show me understanding, rather than pulling out chunks of language from the reading). Here are some ideas for comprehension questions:

1. Who is the reading about?
2. When were they born?
3. How would you describe them?
4. What are some of their accomplishments? What are they known for?

Meaningful Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class

February is Black History Month in the United States, and it’s the perfect time to bring new voices and perspectives into your lessons. If you’re looking for engaging and age-appropriate ways to explore culture and identity, this Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class is a great starting point.

Gallery walks are one of my favorite ways to use the reading materials. Not only do they get students moving, but they also encourage authentic conversations and allow students to explore each figure at their own pace. I love printing the short bios and spreading them around the room so students can walk, read, and discuss — it makes the classroom feel alive.

You can also break the reading down into quick warm-ups. Each day, project a short Black History Month Reading for Spanish Class and ask simple comprehension questions. Who is the reading about? Where are they from? Why are they important? It only takes a few minutes but adds rich cultural context to your lessons.

And if you’re up for it, turn the readings into writing inspiration. After students get familiar with a few examples, let them write their own short bio of a person they admire. They can use the mentor texts for structure and even illustrate their piece. You can display the finished work in your room or do a class gallery walk with student-created content.

Mentor Text

After going through all of the readings included, your students might be ready to create a short passage of their own! They can use the short readings as an example for what to include:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Where they are from
• Interests
• What they’re known for
• Add vocabulary support in the form of footnotes – especially if you plan on them sharing these with their classmates, it’s good for them to note any specific terms or phrases that might be outside of their vocabulary!

Give the students someone to research, or have them pick a person or a field interesting to them and find someone who contributed (or is contributing!) to it!

After students have finished you can turn them into your own gallery walk, have the student present their finished project, or post them for a bulletin board!

Classroom Display

The printable readings are also a great option for a classroom display! @Sra.sholl shared this post last year about how after she and her students had used the readings she hung them on a bulletin board for decoration. I love that idea! What an easy way to make a display!

Layering In Student Voice

Once they’ve been exposed to a few short bios, I let students pick someone they found interesting and write their own little blurb. We keep the language simple: name, country, birthday, why they’re important. Sometimes they surprise me with who they choose. We’ve had everyone from Celia Cruz to Yordan Álvarez pop up. These little write-ups make a fun display or can be shared in pairs for a mini-speaking activity.

If you’re short on time, you can just do the daily readings and skip the writing part. But if you’ve got a few extra days, let them create something. It gives them ownership and connects them to the stories in a personal way.

Black History Month in Spanish Class

How do you educate students about Black History Month in your classroom or school? Do you do anything special for the month? Let me know!