If you're looking for a simple, yet relevant way to bring the important historical figures of Black History Month alive, check out this bulletin board created by Brandy Turman and her students. As a class project, each student was invited to research and write a short paper on a famous African American to share with their classmates. A great learning exercise and fantastic way to build research and writing skills, this exercise also offers a unique opportunity for learning - i.e. students preparing and presenting the material instead of you! Did we mention that this design also doubles as a Valentine's Day display? A brilliant way to get more mileage out of the design!

African Americans Close To Our Hearts!

• Background: Black bulletin board paper.
• Title: "African Americans Close To Our Hearts!"
• Border: Valentine's Day trimmer or complimentary solid/patterned border.
• Decoration: Arrange photographs and your students' papers around the board. If you desire, mount the research papers onto colored construction paper to create a border and pop of color. To fill in the empty spaces, add construction paper heart cutouts or other Valentine's Day themed accents.