OH

FREEDOM!
A Conscious
US History
Curriculum
for Beginners
©Copyright 2023 Woke Homeschooling, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Published by E&P Books.
Illustrations by Nishani Sanjeewani
Crops illustration by Whimsical Designs by CJ

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Until the story of the
hunt is told by the
lion, the tale of
lion
the hunt will
always glorify
the hunter.
hunter
African Proverb
 Welcome to
OH FREEDOM!
There’s a book that we explore in this curriculum,
Before you get started! Dorothea’s Eyes, that says, “life is happy and sad
mixed together.” And that pretty much sums up
our study of US History.
1. Order your books or reserve from the library.
This curriculum is a gentle introduction to the
2. Don’t forget your #homeschoolyourself books! idea that in history, there is happy and sad. If
your children are ready to understand that, they
3. Review the supplies needed for Hands-on
are ready to begin to learn history without white-
Experiences in Unit 1.
washing.

At the risk of sounding like I’m merely restating

the ideas of the famous Whitney Houston song,
I believe in children. I believe that when given all the facts, they come to the conclusions that are right
and just, and compassionate towards others. (“Teach them well and let them lead the way.”) Children
are capable of grasping more than we realize.

If your children are learning about Black History month, Indigenous Peoples Day or asking questions
about what’s going on in the news, or if they are hearing misinformation and misinformed ideas from
others, then it’s not too early to start learning the good, the bad and the ugly of US history. This
curriculum will help you share with your kids the stories that shape our present realities.

So the question for you probably isn’t “Should my child learn this now?” or “When is it a good time to
start?” The question is, “How will I do this?”

Oh Freedom! for Beginners introducing you to picture books that are both well-written and illustrated,
but in gentle and subtle ways help children understand historical events through the people who lived
through them.

You might also be hesitant about approaching hard history because your child still seems so young.
Indeed, your child might wholeheartedly still believe in make-believe. If they’re still expecting the
toothfairy, are they ready to learn about slavery? How will you avoid traumatizing them or exposing
them to information they are not ready to understand?

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My advice here is to trust your gut. You know
what your child can handle. You know their
NOTE: In order for links in this guide to work
personality, their sensitivity and their level of
maturity. You also know how to pivot when properly, make sure you’re using a PDF
things don’t play out like you expected. Establish Reader from Adobe (FREE) on your device.
yourself as someone they can trust for to tell
them the truth and the person they can count on
to walk them through any and everything. Also, be honest with them about how these facts bother you
too.

Remember to point out instances of resistance and resilience without tying a bow on top or offering
false hope about the future. Conversely, it’s also a delicate dance to tell the truth (especially when
you are passionate about it) without breaking their spirits and projecting on to them your feelings of
despair.

Families of color, and Black families, especially, make sure you spend a good amount of time
intentionally pursuing your child’s identity development. Affirm your child’s features (hair texture,
skin color, etc.), anchor them in stories about their family and family traditions, etc. Affirm and
nurture their Blackness so when the white supremacist culture tries to tell them who they are, they will
recognize the lies.

The books you’ll read in this curriculum were chosen with the hope that your child will come away from
each story with greater empathy and care for people, not just understanding the facts about historical
events.

Keep in mind that every child is different and, again, you know your child best. If you have an
extra-sensitive child, pre-read the books (you can preview many of them on YouTube), observe the
illustrations, review the discussion questions, and decide if your particular child is ready for each book.
This curriculum is not intended for the child to do alone. This guide was created with you, the parent, in
mind. It makes it easy to regulary introduce a conscious US History to your school-aged children and
begin important conversations with them.

As in our other curriculum products, the

emphasis here is on African American
I’d love to hear your feedback history, and we also interweave the
and to see how you are using this resource. stories of Native Americans and
• Post on social media with #wokehomeschooling immigrants. You can find the titles from
the booklist easily, from your favorite
• Email me at [email protected]
new and used bookstores and at your
• Find me on Instagram @wokehomeschooling library. I encourage you to make your
• or on Facebook Woke Homeschooling group favorites a part of your home library.

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Making a habit of reading aloud and making reading a part of your daily routine will pay dividends as
your children get older. Eventually you’ll want them to be able to sit for 30 minutes to an hour at a
time to listen to (or read) books. Then they’ll be ready for the readings in Oh Freedom! 2nd Edition.
Think of it as active resistance against our ever-shrinking attention span. Make books and reading a
central part of your learning environment.

IF YOUR OLDER KIDS ARE DOING OH FREEDOM!

Oh Freedom! for Beginners will work well for families who have both, children in grades 3-7 and are
doing Oh Freedom! - 2nd Edition, and younger kids. The themes and historical events track together.
You’ll find that you can easily merge the two by using the picture books as discussion starters for
both your younger and older children. Then you can continue diving deeper with your older student
while the younger ones complete the extension activities (videos, hand-on, quilt project, etc). At the
beginning of each unit, you’ll find a note that tells you the weeks in the 2nd edition that correspond
with the units in the Beginner curriculum.

Plan to spend roughly six weeks completing each unit. That is roughly one book per week. This gives you
time to leisurely read the books, admiring the illustrations and go wherever the discussions take you.
This also provides time enjoy the extension activities, including the Hands-on Experiences provided for
each book. Use our planning page found in the back of this guide to plan each unit.

Spending part of your school day learning history can be a time where you and your children look
forward to learning together. Pick your favorite reading spot and sit close so everyone can appreciate
the illustrations and even follow along with the reading. Snacks and blankets can set the mood that
allow your child the space and safety to learn and grow and be comfortable being uncomfortable.
Remember, not all of this history is going to be pleasant to learn.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND

Each unit includes specific learning objectives, vocabulary words, unit-specific activities to “warm up”
and introduce your student to the concepts that will help them get more from the picture books. For
example, before reading about colonization and the Transatlantic slave trade, you will first need to show
the Americas, West Africa, Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, etc. on a map.
Included in the unit’s introductory pages, you will find a QR Code for easy access to the links if you
choose to print this document. The supplies for all of the Hands-on Experiences are listed at the
beginning of the unit as well..
#homeschoolyourself

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There is always room to learn and grow. The purpose of the #homeschoolyourself section is to help you
learn, and most likely, un-learn history, so that you can fill in the blanks for your student.

No one children’s picture book that has been created to capture the breath of conscious US history in
one volume. The plan here was to do this with a carefully curated list of picture books and extension
activities. But this is where you come in. You will have to spend time homeschooling yourself about
history to help connect the dots and provide additional context. Don’t worry, the reading sections
won’t be long. They come from young readers’ versions of books so you can get the main ideas without
getting buried in the details. Each #homeschoolyourself section includes a journaling page so that you
can reflect on your own learning. My advice is to do these reading and journaling before starting each
unit.

ASSIGNED BOOKS WITH CONVERSATION STARTERS

Each Storytelling section includes the book, author, discussion questions and extension activities, and
original illustrations inspired by the objects and people in the picture books. You can color them, cut
them out to add to a timeline, double-print them to play a memory game (see appendix), etc. or simply
have fun spotting the objects in the book. We also have created a Story Quilt Project using these same
illustrations. (See the Oh Freedom! For Beginners Activities book sold separetely.)

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES
My kids are nearing high school age, so I solicited the help of moms with littles to create and test out
these Hands-on Experiences. Even if crafting is not your thing, your kids will enjoy these easy-to-
follow projects.

MORE
Use the resources listed after each unit to extend your learning or find alternate books and Hands-on
Experiences. A coloring page is included at the end of each unit.

LET’S GET STARTED!

Ever since the first Oh Freedom! debuted in 2019, I have been asked for suggestions on what to do
with younger kids. My standard answer has been, “read from diverse sources, establish a daily habit of
reading, and build your library.” It is my joy that I can now point you more specifically to the books that
can guide you through an overview of US History from beginnings to the 21st century.

Cheering you on!

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TOPICAL OVERVIEW
In addition to the objectives listed in every unit, you can expect to cover these historical themes and
events.

Life Before Colonization Tulsa Race Massacre

Colonization The Great Depression

Unit 4
Unit 1

The Idea of Race The Great Migration

Holocaust/World War II

The Transatlantic Slave Trade World War II/Hiroshima

American Revolution Jim Crow

Unit 5
Unit 2

Indian Removal Civil Rights Movement

The Civil War Immigration/Dreamers

Life after Slavery Black Lives Matter Movement

Unit 6
Unit 3

Environmental Justice

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 FREEDOM
Unit Aligns with Weeks 7-14
in Oh Freedom! 2nd Edition

Storytelling Objectives
The People Shall Continue • Understand what European colonizers came
by Simon J Ortiz to do and how they did it
ISBN: 978-0892391257 • Understand how Native nations responded
to colonization
The People Could Fly • Understand what slavery was and how the
by Virginia Hamilton enslaved always sought freedom
ISBN: 978-0375824050 • Understand the freedom that each group
was seeking at the time the United States
Mumbet’s Declaration of Independence was founded
by Gretchen Woelfle
ISBN: 978-0761365891
Vocabulary
Slave vs. Enslaved
Treaties
Freedom in Congo Square
Reservation
by Carole Boston Weatherfod
ISBN: 978-1499801033

The Trail of Tears

by Joseph Bruchac
ISBN: 978-0679890522

Unit Activities • Open to pages 22-23 in Timelines from

• WATCH: The Declaration of Independence for
Black History. You will want to return to
Kids this timeline as you go through the rest of
• WATCH: What you might not know about the
the units. For now, just point out that we
Declaration of Independence - Kenneth C. are studying the very beginning of the road
Davis called “Slavery in the US.”
• WATCH: Horse

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#homeschoolyourself
• Read Chapter 2 of An Indigenous People’s
Journal
History of the United States
Divide your page into 2 columns. Set a timer
• Read Section 2 of Stamped, reading
Chapter 10 closely
for 40 seconds. List as many new facts and
ideas that you learned by homeschooling
• Teach yourself and your kids to use correct
yourself in this unit. After the 40 seconds,
terminology with this resource from the
read through your list. In the second column,
National Museum of the American Indian
write what you previously believed/understood
• WATCH: Annette Gordon-Reed | Teaching about the topic.
Hard History: American Slavery, Key
Concept 3
• Browse the Teaching Hard History Essential
Knowledge Framework for K-2.
• Reflect in your Journal.

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Storytelling
Mumbet’s Declaration of
Independence
by Gretchen Woelfle

This story shows how one woman’s tenacity and

courage led to her freedom. Be sure to read the
notes in the back of the book that explain the
historical context and how Mumbet went on with
her life after she gained her freedom.

• Point out how mountains and rivers are used

throughout the story to describe strength,
resilience and freedom. Play your own game of
similes, “fast as a ”,
“big as a ,” “determined as
a .”
• Talk about what Mumbet wanted freedom
from and what the “Americans” (as they are
referred to in the book) wanted freedom from.
• The couple who enslaved Mumbet were mean
(especially Mrs. Ashley). Discuss with your
child how and why slavery is wrong, even when
the enslaver is not mean like Mrs. Ashley.

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Family Parchment
Hands
Three years after the Sheffield Declaration was published,
On
the Declaration of Independence was written and the United
Colonies changed their name to the United States of America.
These legal documents started a new chapter for Elizabeth
Freeman and the rest of America. If you could write a declaration
about your family’s beliefs, what would it say?

Materials Instructions
• 1 sheet of white printing paper (per child) 1. Brainstorm ideas to write your family
• ½ cup of brewed Lipton tea (hot or cold declaration
coffee works just as well) 2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
• Parchment paper 3. Line one tray with parchment paper
• 2 baking trays 4. Crumple up white paper into a ball
• Wall oven 5. Uncrumple it and place wrinkled paper in
• Twine or string second tray
6. Pour tea (or coffee) over wrinkled paper
into unlined tray. Fully saturate the paper.
7. Gently flip paper onto other side, making
sure it’s fully saturated.
8. Allow paper to soak for 5 minutes
9. Gently remove wet paper and lay flat into
the parchment lined tray
10. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Set timer. (You
can also use a hair blow dryer to speed up
the drying process by 10 minutes. Be sure
to keep paper flat in tray.)
11. Remove tray from oven and allow paper to
cool for 15 minutes.
12. Write your declaration on your parchment
paper
13. Roll declaration up and tie with a string or
frame for display

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 MORE
Here are more ideas for the child(ren) who want to
read more, learn more and do more.

IF YOU WANT TO READ MORE, READ THIS:

Born on the Water (Read “Stolen” through “Resist”)
Crossing Bok Chitto
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Your Legacy – This book was written to Black children. It’s so good! Even if your child is not Black,
you can make some slight adjustments in the text while you read so that they too can acknowledge
and appreciate “the enduring spirit of the enslaved.”
This Land is My Land - Read page 6, 8 ad 9 an admire the art.

• Visit the Declaration Project to learn

BONUS ACTIVITIES about declarations others have written
• The farmers at Dream of Wild Health would
and submitted publicly under the My
agree that if we take care of the earth today,
Declarations tab. Read a Declaration for a
the earth will take care of us tomorrow. Take
Caring Space for Students. If you want, you
a deeper look into native plant gardening
can submit a declaration too.
and the mission of Dream of Wild Health.
• Point out the instruments mentioned in
• Dress up like your favorite super hero for
Freedom in Congo Square and listen to their
a day. If you don’t have one, dress up like
sounds online.
the superhero you believe your community
needs. Check out Marvel’s Create Your Own • Make your own musical instruments
Super Hero at marvelhq.com for more fun inspired by the sounds of Congo Square.
ideas. I hope you saved your beans! Fill a couple
empty plastic drinking bottles or containers
with your beans and shake to the beat! Feel
free to decorate them with some paint or
colored tape. Have fun!

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82
 Unit 2 Planner
Prework
(unit activities,
#homeschool-
yourself, etc.)

Book Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Notes
(field trip to
plan, supplies
to buy, library
books to
reserve)

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Woke Homeschooling Resources
What’s next for you?

For grades 3-7

For grades 8-12

Find out more at wokeschoolonline.com

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