February Cognitive Kit: Black History Month
Welcome to our February Cognitive Kit! This month’s theme is Black History Month and we are excited to share a book recommendation, crossword puzzle, writing prompt, coloring page, and some additional resources and further reading that highlight the accomplishments of African Americans as well as the need for representation in research.
Click on the files below to download and print any of the exercises and if you’d like to, please tag us on social media when you’re finished. We’d love to see your completed activities!
Book Recommendation:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (2010)
“Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.” (Summary from Rebecca Skloot’s website)
You can find The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks at your local library, or on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more. To learn more about the book, its accolades, and more buying options, please visit the author’s website.
Crossword Puzzle:
The clues for this month’s puzzle highlight how critical it is to have representation in scientific research. Stay tuned for next month’s kit and follow us on social media to see the answers.
You can download this month’s crossword puzzle here: February 2024 Cognitive Kit Crossword Puzzle. (Hint! The answers can be found in the featured studies and resources below.)
Update: You can now view the answers to the crossword puzzle here!
Writing Prompt:
“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” —Muhammad Ali
Think about a time in your life when something felt impossible. What did you do to overcome it? What can you do today to overcome something difficult in your life?
You can download this month’s writing prompt and journal page here: February 2024 Cognitive Kit Writing Prompt
Coloring Page:
You can download this month’s coloring page here: February 2024 Cognitive Kit Coloring Page
Featured Research Studies:
Take a look at the studies below to learn more about the importance of representation in research.
First Author: Michael Alosco, PhD
Senior Author: Robert Stern, PhD
First Author: Melissa Armstrong, MD, MSc
Senior Author: Lisa Barnes, PhD
Resources:
Take a look at this month’s highlighted resources:
- Black Men’s Brain Health Conference
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Trials
- Recognizing African‐American contributions to neurology: The role of Solomon Carter Fuller (1872–1953) in Alzheimer’s disease research – Mohammed – 2021 – Alzheimer’s & Dementia – Wiley Online Library
- Why the Story of Solomon Carter Fuller Matters to BU—and for Black History Month | BU Today | Boston University
- Racism, Sexism, and the Crisis of Black Women’s Health | The Brink | Boston University
- Integrating Special Populations Core Engaging Special Populations Best Practice Brief Black, African American Population | NYU Langone Health Office of Science and Research Clinical and Translational Science Institute
- Advancing the inclusion of underrepresented women in clinical research – PubMed (nih.gov)
Thank you for completing February’s Cognitive Kit activities! If you’d like to see kits from other months, please click here.