Black History 365® (BH365) is a comprehensive K-12 curriculum designed for public schools across America. Our purpose is to provide a tech-savvy educational resource that will invite students to become: · critical thinkers · compassionate listeners · fact-based, respectful communicators · action-oriented solutionists BH365® is an interactive history textbook that may be used independently or as supplemental text and includes instructor resources such as: · Curriculum planning guides · Instructional tools · Family and community engagement and restorative/wellness activities · Audio/visual supplements · Electronic assessments Full of rarely told history lessons and backed by more than 3,000 original artifacts, BH365® takes students and educators on a colorful journey to embracing an inclusive account of American history as is great for: · American History Courses · Elective Courses · Extended Learning Opportunities · Study Groups · Personal Enrichment
Eight Distinctives: No other Black History curriculum – regardless the publisher – comes close to BH365®. Here are at least eight reasons and distinctives that set BH365 apart from all other educational publishers: 1. BH365® has exclusive access to 3,000+ genuine documents and artifacts from the celebrated and comprehensive Freeman Institute® Black History collection (oldest piece dated 1553). Over 4,000 high resolution images have been identified from that collection, many of which are utilized to inform the curriculum and illustrate the text. 2. BH365® includes the proprietary “Elephant Experience” student engagement process – with important subject matter interspersed throughout the curriculum – designed to prepare students to become critical thinkers, compassionate listeners and fact-based, respectful communicators when dealing with significant topics that have vexed our country for centuries. 3. BH365® curriculum project is missional – African American majority-owned/operated (BH365), with all resources published by an African American/women-owned entity (CGW365 Publishing). Other textbook companies owners and operators tend to be less missional, more transactional. 4. BH365® incorporates sidebar materials that are strategically placed throughout each chapter, providing student encounters on an approachable level. 5. BH365® engages the whole student with chapter check-ins – using interdisciplinary components like science, math, language – as a part of the ongoing student experience throughout each unit. 6. BH365® offers extensive supports and resources to both teachers and students through Professional Development (PD). Even though our textbook is not a psychology book, we know that some of the topics will cause certain thoughts, emotions and questions to rise to the surface. That is why we have put together a team of experts, an engaging textbook and an unparalleled PD process that will serve as an instructional tool for the teachers. 7. BH365® integrates technology in each unit and chapter. a. Each unit contains technology integration including embedded QR codes throughout each chapter that can be scanned using an iPhone, the SnapChat application or a free downloadable QR code reading application. This allows students to read about a person or event and then immediately watch a video relevant to that topic. b. The QR codes lead readers to virtual tours to landmarks referenced within the text via Google Earth, online assessments, and supplemental instructional videos or documentaries via YouTube and participating partners. c. Related activities and assessments accompany each integrated technology. 8. BH365® is comprised of a diverse group of writers and historians who start the curriculum in ancient Africa and end in Canada – where they introduce students to the people who followed the North Star to settle in communities that allowed for freedom of movement, thought and enterprise.
BH365® is an independent curriculum that meets and exceeds national requirements for U.S. History and social sciences learning standards and objectives that have traditionally included understanding: · The Civil Rights movements and leaders · Presidential and congressional action · Constitutional amendments · Eugenics and race relations · And much more… This curriculum can be used independently in a student-centered course intentionally-designed around the text or as a supplement to existing US History, Elective/Enrichment or college courses. This curriculum fills an educational gap that exists within many state curricula and will have editions for elementary, middle, and high school learners.BH365 can provide course models for districts interested in adding a Black History course to their course offerings. Our curriculum model utilizes Bowen’s Understanding By Design (Backwards Design) and includes: · Proven, high-impact instructional strategies that result in student engagement · Inquiry-based, student-centered text · Bloom’s Taxonomy · Engages all learning styles inventories The Solutionist Academy is an after-school (or Saturday) educational initiative based upon the BH365® course material. Our professional development team is available to train your staff to provide the educational experience.
The reading level for the 9-12 textbook is at the 10th Grade.
Dr. Milton and Dr. Freeman are both authors of their own bestselling books and historians in their own right. After decades of Black history research, both authors bring their respective bodies of knowledge and wisdom to the curriculum. Along with a number of other editors, proofreaders, historians, and reviewers, Dr. Marvin Dulaney (current President of ASALH), provided relevant critiques, edits, and suggestions along the way.
BH365® is for all learners. We are certain African and Black American learners will be greatly inspired and connected to the text because they will see themselves in a way they have not before. However, BH365® is historical text, and therefore is for any person interested in a more complete American story.
Yes, the LatinX 365 textbook is currently in the development phase.
We will provide a list of schools upon your request. In the interim, the map on our homepage highlights many of those school districts.
Each school has different needs, along with an understanding of what works best for their students. Therefore BH365 provides latitude so that each school can utilize the curriculum in the way that best works for their students. African American Studies/ Infused into social studies classes/ infused into all of their classes.
Yes, upon request, we will provide contact information for school references.
Chapter Check-ins and Side Bar Chats can be utilized for resource students.
Our Advisory Board members have contributed in various ways. Some have provided personal experiences, advice, critiques, and helpful feedback, while others have provided connections to their spheres of influence, along with sharing personal artifacts, pictures, and videos. Ambassador Andrew Young gave exclusive rights to 32 films that represent his life’s work. He could’ve called anyone, but he chose BH365 to provide his films for free to students across America.
With the help of several seasoned IT professionals, BH356 developed a proprietary process for changing the dead link of any QR Code in the book within 45 seconds after the new link has been identified and curated. Every reader is “deputized” to report a bad link that we haven’t discovered yet. And we welcome those reports with joy. When notified of a QR code not working, we commit to having the issue resolved within 24 hours.
We have dedicated team members that are responsible for ensuring that our links are relevant and working. We also have what’s called a crawler, which is a form of technology that goes through all of our QR codes each night and reviews them to identify any broken links. This ensures that our links remain active and available for our readers.
Our eBook is compatible with Google Classroom, Schoology, Blackboard, and Canvas by Instructure. To date, we have not had an LMS that we are not compatible with.
Not at this time. This is something that our team is considering as a possible future update.
The Professional Development will be scheduled following the purchase. At a minimum, you will want to schedule your BH365 Facilitator Training before the textbook is used in the classrooms. This is the one-day training where teachers enhance their understanding of implicit bias and cultivate mental models to address blind spots and culturally responsive practices. It’s very important that teachers have a strong foundation prior to teaching this material in the classroom.
Yes, the training can be scheduled around the school's availability. Our professional development team can break the sessions up into half days. While it is not recommended the Facilitator Summer Institute Training can be reduced to 2-3 days. We typically have this scheduled for 4 days and this is where the teachers take a deep dive into each Unit and Chapter to foster positive implementation.
Yes, we have 1 and 3-year options.
The BH365® curriculum textbooks are printed and manufactured in the United States by LSC Communications. We meet and exceed MSST, NASTA and SIMRA manufacturing standards for the textbooks developed for this curriculum. (https://bomi.memberclicks.net/msst ) & (https://bomi.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/MSST-Webinar-2012.pdf )