Bryan ISD’S Periodic Table of Black History uses technology to enhance Black history lessons
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - In celebration of Black History Month Bryan ISD teachers and students created a unique attention-grabbing display called the Periodic Table of Black History.
The inspiration for the design is the periodic table of elements many are accustomed to seeing in a science, biology or chemistry classroom.
Ashley Pittman and Lauren Valentino are the two proud teachers at Jane Long Elementary that created the display outside their classroom. They say when it came time to educate their students about Black history they knew they had to be creative.
“The kids learn better when they’re interacting with different things so I just felt like this will be a better way for them to be involved,” said Pittman.
“It’s really important for kids to understand people’s history and background and just the impact that they’ve had on our world,” said Valentino.
The Periodic Table of Black History features 90 prominent African Americans. From activists like Frederick Douglas and Rosa Parks to actors and actresses like Chadwick Boseman and Josephine Baker. Artists like Alvin Ailey and Amy Sherald to authors like Toni Morrison and Langston Hughes were also included. There were athletes like Simone Biles and Kobe Bryant to musicians like Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Prince Roger Nelson. Even politicians like Shirley Chisholm and John Lewis, the Periodic Table of Black History embraces the past and present history of noteworthy African Americans.
What makes this display even more unique is it uses QR codes, so students can scan them with their cell phones and read the biography of the individual.
“Bringing the cell phone aspect into this learning aspect just helps make it better for them,” said Pittman.
Fifth grader Alyssa Malcolm stops by the display often. She even helped assist teachers with putting up some of the elements. She says it feels nice that her teachers cared to do something so unique, creative, and different.
“It means a lot cause past schools really haven’t cared that much, as much as they do and I just love that,” said Malcolm.
Teachers say it’s a great feeling seeing the students so engaged not just in Black history but history in general.
“We’ve seen teachers encouraging students to get their phones out and to look at the QR codes and so I’ll just run out of my room real quick and see all these different kids on their phones looking and pointing at the periodic table,” said Valentino.
“It’s important to me so I feel like it should be important to them,” said Pittman. “I will push this narrative as far I can with our kids so that they learn as much as they can. They need to know, they need to know these types of things.”
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