Autism Learning, Life Skills & Fitness

Black History Made Simple (and Autism-Friendly)

Want Black history activities that work for autistic learners (and busy adults), without the chaos?

This page is a grab-and-go toolkit: visual, clear, and low-prep. It’s made for classrooms, therapy, or home… especially for kids who learn best with pictures, routines, and short steps.

Why Black history can be easier with visuals

A lot of Black history topics are big, emotional, and full of new names. Visual supports help by making learning:

  • More predictable (less anxiety)
  • More concrete (less “abstract talk”)
  • More inclusive (everyone can join in)

A simple “3-step lesson” you can reuse all year

  1. Look: show 1 picture (person, invention, or event)
  2. Say: 2–3 short facts (keep it calm and clear)
  3. Do: one small activity (match, colour, craft, or choice board)

1) Black inventors (your old “A–Z inventors” worksheets)

Autism-friendly tip: print 6–10 inventors only, not 26. Put them in a ring binder and repeat them weekly.

2) “Black celebrities” / famous people worksheets

Instead of “celebrity” focus, go with “people who helped others” (it lands better for most kids):

  • Black Celebrities – four pages of easy bubble-in worksheets, a very simple plus one worksheet. The pictures are taken from Knox News Black History Month. This site has many full-size pictures for younger students to colour.
  • Freedom Song – A lovely piggyback song for Martin Luther King, Jr. I don’t know who wrote the lyrics.
  • Learn About Black History Song – Piggyback lyrics by Jaen Mayberry to Rudolf, the Red-nosed Reindeer. Two pages with lyrics and illustrations.
  • Black-Eyed Peas and Cornbread – Picture recipes and a page of what you need to make these treats to celebrate ethnic cuisine.
  • Library of Congress teacher resources (primary sources + classroom ideas) 
  • Enchanted Learning: printable biography pages (simple + colourable) 
  • National Geographic Kids: African American heroes (short, kid-readable bios) 

Autism-friendly tip: make a “Who is it?” match-up: photo + name + “known for” card.

3) MLK worksheets (word search, colouring, reading)

Martin Luther King, Jr. – A colouring worksheet, a tracing worksheet and an MLK word search.

National Archives (DocsTeach): MLK primary source item 

MLK word search printable (PDF) 

Crayola MLK colouring page 

Autism-friendly tip: do “feelings + fairness” with 3 choices:

  • “That’s fair ✅”
  • “That’s not fair ❌”
  • “I need help 🤝”

4) Rosa Parks “stand-up bus craft”

Pick one:

Autism-friendly tip: pre-cut the parts, then offer a choice board:

  • glue / tape
  • colour / sticker
  • window faces / no faces

5) Kente cloth activity (“shapes” idea)

Autism-friendly tip: limit to 2 colours + 2 shapes for success (then extend if they want more).

6) “Good Luck Hand (Khamsa/Hamsa)” craft

Note: This is not Black history (it’s a cultural symbol from Judaism/Islam). If you keep it, label it as world cultures art.

Here are extras

A. A tiny “Fairness Script” for kids who get stuck

Keep it short and repeatable:

  • “Stop.”
  • “That’s not fair.”
  • “I need help.”
  • “My turn next.”
  • “Can we try again?”

B. Visual supports you can make in 10 minutes

  • First / Then card (First: read, Then: colour)
  • Choice board (2–4 choices only)
  • Break card (1–2 minute reset)
  • Yes/No card for quick answering

C. “Talk starters” that don’t overwhelm

Use one per session:

  • “What did this person change?”
  • “Who did they help?”
  • “What would you say to them?”
  • “What’s one kind thing we can do today?”

D. A quick “be respectful” checklist (Australia-friendly)

If you’re teaching culture and identity in Australia too, these are excellent: