Free Printable Black History Month Word Search

This free printable Black History Month word search is a great way to teach social studies and English language arts with one fun activity. I hope you enjoy!

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This easy pre-made template includes an answer key. It is an excellent resource for your homeschool curriculum or classroom. 

Black History Month is observed annually in February in the United States. It came from the work of Carter G. Woodson beginning in 1915 to highlight the the achievements of African Americans. It officially started with "Negro History Week" in February 1926 and grew into a month-long celebration.

Woodson chose February because both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were born in February. The holiday grew quickly as Black history clubs emerged and asked for educational materials to celebrate the event. The month of February was officially designated as Black History Month by Congress in 1986.

There are too many notable Black Americans to include in any one word search. For this puzzle, I've selected a list of words that includes the names of several prominent Civil Rights leaders and artists as well as a few key words related to Black American history.

The puzzle mostly uses surnames, with the exception of Sojourner Truth. Full names are included in the word list below so you can easily tell which influential figures are included:

• Sojourner Truth
• George Washington Carver
• Grandma Moses
• Martin Luther King Jr
• Maya Angelou
• Abolition
• Civil Rights
• Emancipation
• Harriet Tubman
• WEB Dubois
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Mohammed Ali
• Segregation
• Integration
• Mae Jemison
• Rosa Parks
• Frederick Douglass

These are only a few of the noteworthy people and terms you could study during African American History Month. I hope this puzzle can serve as a jumping off point for your Black History Month activities!

The benefits of word search puzzles

Word search puzzles are developmentally appropriate for kids of all ages and adults, too. There's no age limit on who can enjoy this fun free word search!

​Although this particular word search is a little bit more difficult than puzzles designed for younger children, even kids who are still working on learning how to read can use a word search with adult help. This word search was designed with elementary school and middle school students in mind. 

Word searches are a fun way to teach or reinforce vocabulary and encourage attention to detail. They can help older adults stay mentally active, too.

Some benefits of word search games include:

• Improved letter and pattern recognition
• Improved spelling
• Improved working memory
• Improved attention to detail
• Improved focus and concentration skill
• Increased vocabulary
• Improved cognitive abilities

How to use word search printables

First you'll need to access your free download. Look lower down in the post for the row of purple arrows pointing at the image with the text "click here to download your free printables."

Learning Center members can log in here for easy access to this word search and 400+ additional printable activities. Not a Learning Center member yet? Discover more here and join for as little as 7 cents a day!

Next you'll need to print off as many copies of the word puzzle as you need. Make sure to only print the first page so you don't accidentally print an answer key for everyone, too!

Like most of the printable worksheets I create, this printable is in black and white so you can use cheap copy paper and the copy machine instead of using all your color ink budget.

Finally, pass the word searches out to your students, clients, or family.

Making word searches reusable is a great way to stock your ELA activity center or allow your child to work towards mastery. You can laminate the page, but it's faster and easier to slide the sheet into a dry erase pocket. You'd be surprised how often kids will want to do the same word puzzle multiple times.

This printable worksheet is fun for early finishers, morning work, bell ringers, independent work, or as part of your February themed lesson plans. 

Black History Month word search download area

Like other free printable word searches here on The Artisan Life, this printable is licensed for perusal and single classroom use.

You are not licensed to sell or redistribute the files or print outs to other adults for use with their children/students. Instead, please refer friends and colleagues to this post so they can download their own copy.

I hope you enjoy using this word search! Be sure to check out the posts below for more free printable word search puzzles.