Yesterday was an early Summer Solstice however our Internet was out for practically the entire day and into the next so this posting is a tad bit late. The wonderful folks from America kept our spirits going throughout the day as we were able to tune into two of the live stream yoga sessions on YouTube before the Internet troubled us, thank you for that!
Today is Juneteenth, to commemorate this day we found a wonderful lesson
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring “that all persons held as slaves” in the Confederacy “shall be free.” While this may have freed some enslaved people on paper, the reality was much more complicated.
For instance, the Emancipation Proclamation only freed those slaves held under the Confederacy, not in border states loyal to the Union, including Kentucky, West Virginia and Delaware, where slavery was still legal after the Emancipation Proclamation. In fact, slavery was still legal in Kentucky until Dec. 1865, when the 13th Amendment was passed, though Kentucky voted against ratifying the amendment.
Confederate states and slaveholders also resisted emancipation, and many people remained enslaved in Confederate states after the proclamation, even as many enslaved people fought for their freedom or escaped behind Union lines. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union issued an order in Galveston, Texas, alerting all enslaved persons that they were legally free.
At this point in 1865, Texas was the westernmost state in America and one of the last Confederate states to be occupied by the Union. Many slaveholders had fled Union advances in other parts of the South to Texas, along with the people they had enslaved.
While it took time for the logistics of “freeing” enslaved people to come into effect, the importance of June 19, or “Juneteenth” lived on. Considering how complicated emancipation was, many dates were considered for holding celebrations of emancipation, but over 150 years later, June 19 remains.
What originally was a holiday mainly observed by Texans has grown to be recognized all over the country. Each year on “Juneteenth,” (or more formally Juneteenth National Freedom Day), communities all around the United States gather and celebrate and reflect on the history of slavery and struggle for civil rights and equality, including the work that still remains after conditional advances such as the Emancipation Proclamation. " Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/classroom/lesson-plans/2024/06/lesson-plan-history-of-juneteenth-and-why-its-set-to-become-a-national-holiday
In the Lesson we were encourgaed to answer these discussion questions feom :
What is “Juneteenth”? What does it celebrate?
Why did it take so long for enslaved peoples in Texas to finally be free?
What obstacles existed?
What were some of the forms of discrimination against newly freed people mentioned in the video?
What is the Great Migration?
How did Juneteenth become a national, not just regional, celebration?
We also listens to three of Busy Kids Do Piano Podcasts learning about Sergi Prokofiev's and his Peter and the Wolf and Cinderella. Carly always does the most talented divine job.
We discovered a nifty blog, called What Do We Do All Day, where it is recommended to enjoy wordless picture books. The ones that we were able to find at our great local library were Journey, Return, and The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker.
On the blog it shares a picture of the book Journey by Aaron Becker with this charming paragraph, "This trilogy of wordless picture books is amazingly gorgeous and is an absolute must read. Using a red crayon, a girl draws a red door on the wall of her room and enters into a parallel world where adventures with flying carpets, evil rulers, airships, and daring escapes await." Source: https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/wordless-picture-books/
https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/reading-bingo-for-kids/
https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/tips-for-reading-wordless-picture-books/
Today, June 14, is the American Flag Day celebration. Ut has been shared that, "Flag Day celebrates the symbolism and history of the American flag on June 14. The U.S. has celebrated the adoption of the Stars and Stripes in a variety of ways when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing the June 14 as Flag Day in May 1916. These celebrations include flying the flag in front of residences, participating in parades, and holding other patriotic events. Several states and numerous cities had begun commemorating the day before to 1916. In 1877 the first Flag Day was celebrated, 100 years after the Continental Congress adopted the flag. In 1949, President Harry Truman officially made Flag Day a day of national observance. While its look has changed more than a few times over the years, the American flag has remained a symbol of freedom and justice. A look back at some of its milestones and reasons for its evolution." Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2023/06/10/flag-day-2023-celebration-explained/70273035007/
We have used the most informative four kits, thanks to our local Michaels store.
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2024 will occur on Monday, May 27. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season. "
Source: https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history
Also, "Despite being synonymous with lighthearted fun like cookouts, Memorial Day is also a lot more than just that. Above all else, the federal holiday is about commemorating the millions of brave Americans who gave their lives defending the values our country was founded on. As John F. Kennedy said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." Over the past century, red poppies became a symbol to represent that ultimate sacrifice. As the holiday approaches, you'll notice these bright flowers everywhere: pinned onto clothing, tied onto rearview mirrors, or hanging in windows. Whether actual flowers are plucked for the occasion or a fabric or crepe paper version is used, the meaning of the red poppy is clear: It symbolizes the memory of fallen soldiers. " Source: https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/a39540754/memorial-day-red-poppy-flower/
In Canada we have this opportunity: https://lnfcanada.ca/digital-poppy/
We found a freebie from: https://crazyspeechworld.com/2014/06/roll-a-story-freebie.html and decided to make our second (perhaps yearly) story dice game.
Barron rolled the dice and got these results:
Character: Principal
Setting: Playground
Problem: Water Pipe Bursts
Mine are:
Character: Principal
Setting: classroom
Problem: A Book is Lost
Yesterday was an early Summer Solstice however our Internet was out for practically the entire day and into the next so this posting is a t...
