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CERCA SLIDES

Juneteenth

In 2016, teacher and activist Opal Lee, then 89 years old, walked from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. in an effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday. After five years of petitioning, Opal, now called the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” stood beside President Joe Biden as he signed the bill to formally name Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.

Her incredible story is just one of many students will explore in this week’s CERCA Slides set framed around the question, “How did Juneteenth become a national holiday?”

Paired with the direct instruction lesson, “Analyzing Connections within Informational Texts,” this set is sure to spark courageous thinking and conversations, and action.

CERCA Slides by Grade

grade3-5

Grade 3–5: Let’s Celebrate Emancipation Day & Juneteenth

What ideas does Juneteenth celebrate?(CCSS.RI.3.1–5.6; CCSS.W.3.2–5.2)

grade6-8

Grade 9–10: One Woman's Decades-Long Fight To Make Juneteenth A U.S. Holiday

What obstacles did organizers like Opal Lee face in their quest for national recognition of the Juneteenth holiday? (CCSS.RI.6–8.8)

grade9-12

Grade 11–12: Emancipation Park

How have Black Texans worked for official recognition of Juneteenth as a day of celebration and commemoration? (CCSS.RI.9–12.2; CCSS.W.9–12.9)

Ready to spark courageous thinking?

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