During the month of February, with the support of classroom teachers, we created a pop-up exhibit dedicated to Black History Month. Our vision was to transform the open library classroom space into a museum-style experience featuring book displays, a music listening area with records and special projects created by students. Each class was responsible for creating a project that became part of the exhibit. Librarians Mrs. Besson and Mrs. Simonovski conducted lessons and guided students through the research process, supporting their learning and project development.
Some of the exhibit projects:
Ms. Glasser’s Illustration & Design
Students created large, conceptual illustrations based on poetry from the Harlem Renaissance. Classes visited the library to research poetry from the era and find poems that inspired them. The metaphors and similes they discovered were used to create the dreamlike images on display.
Bookmarks and Book Displays: Mr. D’Amico’s Readers/Writers Workshop
Students completed a research project and created bookmarks featuring key biographical information about individuals who contributed to Black history. The book displays highlighted works by African American authors.
Martin Luther King Jr. Project: Mrs. DeSantis Readers/Writers Workshop
Students learned about the life of Martin Luther King Jr., identified important words and phrases, and transformed them into visual collages.
ELA 7th Grade Mini Research Project: Mrs. Bellinger, Mrs. Ciaffone
Students created a collaborative quilt representing significant figures, events and themes in Black history.
Readers/Writers Workshop: Mrs. Chin
Students researched influential Black artists on Biography.com and designed record album covers inspired by their work. In class, students listened to vinyl records on a record player, featuring Louis Armstrong and other musicians.
Picture Book Display: Mrs. Lucano Readers/Writers Workshop
