Juneteenth is an annual holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This holiday has been celebrated by African-Americans since the late 1800s. This year, this holiday resonates in a new way, given the changes and protests across the U.S.

A few facts about Juneteenth:
1.Did you know the June 19 announcement came more than two years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which occurred January 1st in 1863. 250,000 enslaved people in Texas were already free, but they were not aware of this.
2.Some say the federal government delayed the announcement to Texas to get more cotton production out of the enslaved. Another reason is that Lincoln's proclamation was not demanded in the rebel states.
3.It was challenging to celebrate freedom when your life was surrounded by oppression. Still, Juneteenth celebrations took place during the era of Jim Crow laws.
4. The Poor People's March planned by Martin Luther King Jr. was purposely planned to coincide with Juneteenth. In fact, the march brought attention back to Juneteenth. Those involved took the celebration back to their states.
5.Although states recognize Juneteenth, it's still not a national holiday. Senators are currently working on legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
Happy Juneteenth!

                 Becoming a Culturally Responsive Educator

Cultural biases can be overcome with a little hard work and reflection.  The most needed component for eliminating biases is a willingness to go through a process of self-reflection.  Yes, a deep dive into your beliefs. By doing so, you will learn what needs to be changed to teach in a culturally responsive manner.  A great way to begin this approach is by writing.  Write down your reflections.  Reflections you have about your family as well as your upbringing, and your relationships. Then examine how those experiences may appear for a person raised in a different culture. Eventually the focus of this reflection will turn towards your ideas about race and bias.  A culturally responsive educator should reflect on their fears, beliefs, and biases.  One may have these about individuals that are different from their culture and when an educator  recognizes that their own  interests are not  better than other people who are different from them, they can begin to learn and respect the customs and values of other cultures.

These activities teach children about people and cultures around the world.

The first thing to consider is...

Which country will be the focus for the next two to three weeks.

Allow your students a few weeks to learn and grow their knowledge of another country. Use the following activities to expand their knowledge.

1.  Reading Activities

Everyday, select something to read about the focus country.  Find books, stories and articles. Find books at the local library, bookstore or online. Gather interesting facts.  Students should be learning about the country's language, traditions and customs. Make the reading materials available in your class library or Google Classroom.

2.  Art Activity

Art is a fun tool to use to let students express their creativity. Children could select something they notice about the country or the people.  They could select clothing, food or homes and design something with a wide range of materials (i.e. glue, clay, markers, crayons, yarn, boxes or construction paper).

3.  Maps

Show children where the country is located on a globe or a printed map.  Focus on the distance between your location and the country.  Also, determine how many hours it would it take to fly to the country.

4.  Cooking

Children would enjoy trying food from another country.  It would also be fun and exciting to cook together.  Consider baking or cooking something from a country or visiting a restaurant that has authentic food. Share a menu with the class or watch a cooking demonstration on YouTube.

5.  Music

Children enjoy listening to music.  Try songs from another country. They could hear another language and they would be able to  learn the chorus and sing along.  

Remember...

Understanding, accepting and valuing our different backgrounds can help the future of tomorrow thrive and grow in our ever changing world.