6 Homeschool Lessons for Juneteenth

Mainstream homeschool curriculum history textbooks often leave out key parts of our past. The beauty of homeschooling is that families can supplement their students' learning with additional studies, like these lesson plans that extend Civil War lesson plans with background information about Juneteenth history.

1. Plan homeschool Juneteenth lessons for the entire family.
Education publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) offers a variety of in-depth Juneteenth lesson plan ideas for all grade levels through high school including the Juneteenth National Freedom Day classroom activity download. HMH offers a variety of Juneteenth writing assignment ideas for elementary and middle grade students as well.

2. Learn about the events in history leading up to Juneteenth.
This relaxed multi-day homeschool Juneteenth lesson plan from my own homeschooling blog, The Simple Homeschool Lifestyle, covers slavery, The Emancipation Proclamation, includes stories about notable enslaved Africans and ultimately answers the question, 'why is Juneteenth important?'

Expressing yourself accurately and effectively is important and something we should be teaching our children. One way to do this is with copywork and dictation.

3. Incorporate copywork into your homeschooling lesson.
Julie Bogart is a homeschooling mom and creator of the Brave Writer curriculum. The Bravewriter resources include ample copywork and dictation as a means to helping students become better writers. "We are experiencing a shift in the need for both power in writing and accuracy in that transcription, Bogart said in a recent YouTube video. Copywork has become increasingly important as society contributes to the publishing world regularly through social media. Here are some passages to start with:

• “What I love about Juneteenth is that even in that extended wait, we still find something to celebrate. Even though the story has never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress.” – Michelle Obama
• “You must never, ever give out. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American house.” – John Lewis

4. Foster a sense of independence and have your child take ownership of the Juneteenth lesson.
There are several Juneteenth books for kids that provide a jumping off point for your child to find their own Juneteenth quotes that resonate. Read these books with your child and have them find their own inspirational copywork quotes.

• Juneteenth by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
• All Different Now by Angela Johnson
• Juneteenth Book for Kids by Green Owl

If you're homeschooling multiple ages, it may be challenging to find activities for younger children to do that are related to learning about Juneteenth. Incorporating hands-on activities like cooking and making Juneteenth decorations are a great way to involve young children while staying on-task with your older students' Juneteenth lesson plan.

5. Keep little hands busy with a DIY Juneteenth craft.
Karima from Crafting a Fun life shares an easy upcycled cardboard flag craft</a>; a perfect activity for little hands and fun contribution to the Juneteenth decorations.

Etha Robinson is a former teacher and baker. "Supposedly, tea cakes were made about 200 years ago. Slaves used the ingredients they had, molasses instead of sugar, lard instead of butter," Robinson said in an interview with National Public Radio. While she wasn't about to share her secret tea cake recipe, Robinson suggests a Google search to find a recipe that works for your family.