Black History Month Classroom Door Decor Ideas

How many of you opened doors that ignited your curiosity?  We are all that type.  We open doors that catch our attention more than doors that do not.  And since it’s Black History Month, let’s get students excited to open classroom doors and learn about history through Classroom Door Black History Month Door Ideas!

Black History Month: Classroom Door Decor Ideas

What can we put into showcasing Black History Month through Classroom Door Decor Ideas?

First, let’s learn what usually catches students’ attention.

• Color
• Content
• Emotion

Classroom Doors

For classroom doors to be attractive and at the same time able to send the message that you want, they must appeal to a child considering the following factors:

Color

Children are generally attracted to the color wheel's bright block colors, which change to lighter and more conservative tones as they reach adolescence.

Primary colors red, yellow, and blue, and secondary colors green, orange, and purple are more attractive to them than light shades of pink and beige or neutral shades of gray and brown.

TeckWrap has lots of vivid-colored, high-quality craft vinyl that can make your doors extra attractive this Black History Month!

Content

Unlike teenagers, children also tend to go after what used to appeal to them, not  what we want to appeal to them.  If they like a nursery rhyme they’ve been singing for years, they’ll go for it more than the new one you introduce.

The content must be something familiar.  But if in case you’ll introduce something, make sure it stands out.

Emotion

Children cannot control their emotions as much as adults.  Theirs are the highs and lows.  If they find something that makes them happy, they will be genuinely happy and the same thing with something that makes them sad, which will make them distressed.

With this being said, if you want your students to be attentive to whatever you put on your door, indulge them.

Celebrate Black History Month

People celebrate Black History Month to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of historical Black Americans that have given hope to people experiencing discrimination and racial injustices.

It is commemorated in February( for Americans and Canadians)  or October (for Europeans).

What To Put on your Classroom Doors

Martin Luther King, Jr. Door Display

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

Martin Luther King, Jr. changed history when he awakened the need for social reform as he led the movement to end Black Americans’ woes with racial injustices and prejudice.

Putting Martin Luther King, Jr.'s poster on your door to remind students what he had contributed to the present situation of Black Americans is enlightening and informative.  He showed the world that peaceful protests could affect history.

To Move Forward Know Where You Come From

Your door decoration will not only serve as an avenue for learning about black history but will also serve as a guide about what kind of person we must be-inclusive and without prejudice.  For one to be able to move forward, one must know where they came from.  History is a part of each of us.

This classroom door decoration can also be a mini bulletin board that features important figures that have helped change how the world accepts Black Americans.

Inspirational Black Women Bulletin Board

Hang by the door a mini inspirational women bulletin board. You may also call this Black History Month Tribute Door.  Inspirational Black American women like:

• Rosa Parks
• Ruby Bridges
• Daisy Bates
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe
• Harriett Tubman
• Maya Angelou
• Misty Copeland
• Angela Davis
• Barbara Conrad
• Wangari Maathai
• Ameena Matthews
• Vernice Armour

Ruby Bridges Black History Month Door

This tribute door for Ruby Bridges, another one of the many great Black Americans who have helped change the history of their people.  A Ruby Bridges Black History Month Door will not only introduce this great woman to those who still don’t know her but also  will serve as a reminder that hope is never lost.

Who would have known that a six-year-old girl would build the future of elementary school integration in the South in 1960 when she advanced the cause of civil rights?  Ruby Bridges was the first Black student to be integrated into an all-white elementary school.

“Our Third Graders were able to make trails to heal the heart.”

ABCs of Black History Door Decorations

               Image from Amazon

The ABCs of Black History by the best-selling author Rio Cortez.  Letter by letter, the ABCs of Black History is about triumph, heartbreak, creativity, and joy.

A glimpse of this book, posted on the classroom door, is a great way to introduce writing and history this Black History Month.

This is not only for Black History Month, but this book can be one of the effective classroom ideas to reinforce the love for reading to your students ages 2-8.

Great Writers Black History Month Door Decorations

You may also feature great writers to relate English Language Arts (ELA) to your Black History Month Celebration.  Hang posters of these great writers by the door, and add creativity by mixing borders using TeckWrap Craft;s Candy Color Craft Vinyl

Some Great American Black Authors

• Toni Morison
• Zara Neal Hurston
• Maya Angelou
• James Baldwin
• Langston Hughes
• Alice Walker
• Ralph Ellison
• Richard Wright
• Alex Haley

A Portrait of You Black History Month Door Decorations

Let your students showcase creativity by crafting their portraits on your Black History Month door.  

This can even be a portrait collage, where all the students can add their personal touch to the portrait. Showcase the natural you, clipped baby hairs and all!

How do we set up this collage station?

1.  Grab some magazines, old photos, craft vinyl, colored papers, or any material you want to add to the collage.

2.  Pick an image you want to include in your self-portrait.

3.  Outline a face.

4.  Place the cutout images on one sheet of paper.

5.  Get creative and enhance your image!

Student Names Bulletin Boards and Classroom Door Decorations

Each student can also hang their names and the Black Americans they admire beside each one.

Black Inventors for Black History Month Classroom Door Bulletin Board

Young people are amazing in their curiosity and ingenuity. The more they will be interested to find out that just like them, there were many Black Inventors long ago. who paved the way for inventions that students like them need to know and to be proud of.

Examples of Black Inventors Who Made Daily Life Easier

Sarah Boone, 1892, Improved  Ironing Board

Imagine ironing without it.  The ironing board is so useful and common as we see it now, but if anyone hadn’t thought of inventing and improving it, ironing would have taken a different form. Thanks to Sarah Boone, who improved the previously commonly used ironing board into a narrower, more practical version.

Mary Van Brittan Brown, 1966, Home Security System-Co-inventor

Living alone most of the time, with her husband working far from home, nurse Mary felt unsafe with the rising number of crimes in her neighborhood.  She had thought of a home security system that started with a camera that could go through a peephole to first check unwanted guests.

She also improved her designs, and the designs of the present home security systems are inspired by her invention.

Garrett Morgan, 1923, The Three-Light Traffic Signal

Garrett Morgan

Stop, look, and listen!

Yes, the three-light traffic signal was invented by a Black American, Garrett Morgan.  The inspiration for a traffic signal came when he witnessed a severe car accident at an intersection. Wow!  Our experiences, indeed, teach us lessons!

The traffic light is just one of his inventions.  He also had several inventions that are not only useful but became parts of our lives, like, the improved sewing machine, and gas mask.

Quotes for Black History Month Bulletin Board and Classroom Ideas

Posting memorable and impactful quotes is a great way to celebrate Black History Month and for teachers to help students remember the wisdom that made history and moved racial prejudice out of the way for Black Americans.

You will find out that teaching students principles from great people is easier through bulletin boards posted on classroom doors.

Some Examples of Great Quotes

Would students love quotes from the shakers and movers of Black American inspirational leaders?  Yes, they will learn to love them if they don’t yet.

Especially when we explain to them the stories behind the words of wisdom. How children love stories!

Nelson Mandela

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."