Black History Month Essay Contest

The Black History Month Essay Contest is OPEN for applicants.

Black history month essay contest from Shanna Miles

The attached files are what you need!
Rubric
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3

Watson and Holmes: Butt-kicking, Crime-Solving, Black Sherlock Holmes Comic

WATSON & HOLMES Reborn as Black, Modern-Day Harlem Crime-fighters | Newsarama.com via kwout

Graphic Novels and Comics are at the forefront of new media in the 21st Century, and it helps that a whole host of new publications feature characters of color. Check out the new incarnation of the Sherlock Holmes set in Harlem. You can also check out graphic novels in the library. Ask Mrs. Miles for recommendations.

Looking for YA Books with Black Female Protagonists?

Here's a great convo via Twitter that lists great books with Black Female Protagonists. Check them out. Sorry, no urban drama here, just fantasy, romance, sci-fi and more!

Poetry Out Loud

Poetry Out Loud via kwout

Attention Teacher: It's that time again. If you have students who would like to compete for up to $50,000 in scholarship money then send them to the Media Center to sign up for Poetry Out Loud. Rules can be found at the web site where they will need to pick two poems.

Download the Teacher's Guide Here. 

They were Black?

How Stuff Works, just did a fantastic article on lineage where they listed 10 People You Probably Didn't Know Were Black. How about the author of the Count of Monte Cristo? Soledad O'Brien? Check out where history meets the one-drop rule.

HowStuffWorks "10 People You Probably Didn’t Know Were Black" via kwout

Out of Skin

Anime club will resume in the Spring, but for all of you Comic Book buffs, why don't you whet your appetites for all the new graphic novel orders with a few web comics. Out of Skin is fantastic.

OUT OF SKIN Part I via kwout

Poetry Out Loud

Get Ready! This year's Poetry Out Loud competition will be held towards the end of January. The holiday break is a great time to practice. Here are the rules:

Student Eligibility

• Grade Level: Only currently enrolled  students in grades 9-12 are eligible, with an exception made for 8th-grade students participating in a 9th- through 12th-grade class.

• Citizenship: Competitors at the state and national finals must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a valid tax identification or Social Security number. Tax identification or Social Security numbers are required to receive prizes, including cash payments or travel awards. Students are responsible for verifying their eligibility.

• State Finals: A student may not advance to the state finals without competing in a lower-level competition. 

Poem Eligibility

• Poem Anthology: All poems must be selected from the Poetry Out Loud print or online anthology, which is updated every summer. Check the website after September 1, 2013, to view the official POL anthology for the current school year.

• Can’t Find a Poem? Poems may be removed from the online anthology before September 1, 2013. These poems are no longer eligible for competition, unless they are in the print anthology.

• Poem Criteria: At the state and national finals, students must have 3 poems prepared. One must be 25 lines or fewer, and one must be written before the 20th century. The same poem may be used to meet both criteria, and may be the student’s third poem.  More information...

Here is the video of last year's winner: