Science Teacher Incorporates Black History Into Daily Lessons

Black History Month is celebrated every February to remember and commemorate the achievements and obstacles overcome by the African American community. 

Teachers like Chantaye Toney are using this month to inform her students of history in a way that engages her students and makes meaningful discussion amongst them. Toney found it important as the topic means a great deal to her.

“I think it is a time of reflection for our people to identify how far we’ve come as a country,” Toney said. ”Also to see how one group was ostracized and battered, but to see that’s not who we are, we’re just like everyone else.”

Toney integrates the teaching into her Human Anatomy and Physiology class at the beginning every day for the month of February.

“So I do something called a black awareness moment, and I usually just mainly showcase African American scientists or something that has been involved in sciences,” Toney said. “I usually share something after the bell ringer that can resonate with everyone. For example, my students really enjoyed the man who invented the Super Soaker and they all could remember playing around with it during the hot summer days and relate to it in a way.”

Toney found the black awareness moment to be successful as it has engaged her students further than she hoped.

“There have been times where I have been busy and almost had forgotten to do it and my students ask where it is at,” Toney said. “We laugh about it and get to the black awareness moment like normal, which shows me the attentiveness of my students on a topic like this.”

The positive feedback from students has shown as her second block student, sophomore Emma Headrick is involved in the black history moment every time.

“I think it is really important she teaches this because many do not truly know how much there is to the matter,” Headrick said. “It is especially cool that she is a Human Anatomy and Physiology teacher informing us of this when it is more a historical subject.”

There are other plans in place similar to this that Toney plans on doing in the near future to further connect with her students.

“I do plan to do the same thing for Women’s History Month which is coming up in March, where I will also showcase women who have dedicated their lives to science, technology and invention,” Toney said.  “I’m excited to see how my students take time to see Why they are here. We are all here trying to make each other’s lives better. Not just necessarily mentioning who did what, but something for all of us to be proud of.”