Helloooo and happy Friday from Literacy everyone. I hope that this blog post finds you healthy, happy, and feeling freedom in the air.
You may be thinking, a Literacy Connexus blog – on a Monday? But Juneteenth is right around the corner!
So, what is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.
www.history.com
Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, slavery continued in the Lone Star state for nearly two and a half more years. In fact, many slave owners moved to Texas viewing it as a “safe haven” for slavery during that time. It wasn’t until General Granger arrived in Galveston that the slaves in Texas were truly considered free (although it definitely didn’t happen overnight).
In 1866, the freedmen of Texas declared June 19th “Jubilee Day”, and thus began what we know today as Juneteenth. A celebration of freedom for the African American in Texas. Juneteenth became a state holiday in 1979, and a federal holiday just last year in 2021.Today, Juneteenth is celebrated by people across the nation.
In addition to learning English, our students are also learning about this country’s history, customs, celebrations, and society. As an important part of this country’s history, I think it’s important that we include it in our classrooms. So today, I’m sharing a few resources to help teach your students about Juneteenth and celebrate a piece of American history.
- PBS: My personal favorite Juneteenth resource. PBS offers a full lesson plan over Juneteenth including a video, discussion questions, and several activities. To check out the lesson plan, click the link here.
- Teachers Pay Teachers: Another great resource for activities and lessons about Juneteenth is Teachers Pay Teachers. There are tons of slides, reading activity, word searches, even coloring pages, poems, and more. Some resources on Teachers Pay Teachers are paid, but I’ve linked the section of free activities and worksheets here.
- We Are Teachers: Next up is We Are Teachers, which offers a great variety of activities, videos, books, and discussion questions that could be used to teach students about Juneteenth. Granted, these activities are designed for kids, but with a little modification they can still be a great way to pose a piece of history in an easy to digest way for our ESL students. Check out the site here.
Do you include Juneteenth in your classroom celebrations? How do you do it? Let us know in the comments or on our Facebook page!
Until next time, blessings and happy teaching!
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