June 16, 2023 · current events
With Juneteenth coming up, we wanted to share some resources. I have never actually taught about Juneteenth as school is usually out for us by then, but it is definitely worth addressing even as you finish up and get ready for summer. The book pictured above, Juneteenth for Mazie , would be a great place to start with elementary school kids, but more ideas from the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) are linked below. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, but was a public holiday in Washington DC and many other places before that. Originally, it was celebrated in Texas and slowly spread through migration around the country. We are including some reading lists and information for children and adults below. Happy Juneteenth (and summer break or almost summer break! Celebrating Juneteenth | National Museum of African American History and Culture
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May 11, 2023 · curriculum
May is Haitian Heritage Month ! There are many ways to celebrate Haitian Heritage Month , but why not start with asking students what they know about Haiti, finding Haiti on a map, and learning more about Haiti ? After Gabby and I took a social justice educators’ tour to the Dominican Republic , we shared some of our experiences with our students and they were fascinated by the fact that Haiti and the Dominican Republic share an island, but are two completely separate countries that speak different languages. This led to a great discussion about why certain languages are spoken where and how borders are created and are a social construct. Our trip encouraged me to learn more about Haiti as what little I knew came from books (I definitely recommend American Street by Ibi Zoboi ) and a few friends of Haitian origin. I was embarrassed that I knew almost no Haitian history and had no idea
HaitiHaitian Heritage Monthgeohistoryslavery