This article was updated June 12, 2026
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Texans first learned of their freedom as directed by the Emancipation Proclamation. Known also as America’s second Independence Day, the holiday has periodically been celebrated within African-American communities, but not recognized in the wider culture. That changed in 1980, when Texas established Juneteenth as a state holiday. Since then, many other states have followed suit in acknowledging the importance of this anniversary. Finally on June 17th, 2021, Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday to be celebrated on June 19th every year.
Teaching about Juneteenth offers not only an exploration of American history and civil rights, but also a chance to inspire students’ reflections and creativity.
The following top Juneteenth lessons and activities are all free or modestly priced.
Best Juneteenth Lessons and Activities
Poetry of Defiance: How the Enslaved Resisted
A Juneteenth lesson for grades 6-12 that explores the resistance of enslaved African Americans through the creation of a collective poem. The downloadable full lesson includes extensive background, handouts, questions, activities, examples, and reflections from educators who have used the lesson in their classroom. A free account is required to download the complete lesson.
Teachers Pay Teachers: Juneteenth Lessons
Delve into this robust collection of Juneteenth lessons, searchable by grade, subject, resource type, price, format, standard, and other criteria. Prefer to browse only free resources? No problem, there are nearly 200 Juneteenth lessons that are fully free. All lessons are created and tested in the classroom by your fellow teachers.
ClickView: Fun and educational Juneteenth activities for students
A brief summary of Juneteenth is followed by a fine selection of multimedia classroom activities, from reading and writing poetry to making freedom quilts and flags to diving into the history of slavery in the U.S. Most of the hands-on activities are simple and can be accomplished with basic classroom supplies, while some (“Host a Juneteenth celebration”) require more planning. To view videos, a free account is required.
Wikipedia: Juneteenth
Gone are the days when Wikipedia was viewed with suspicion by educators, as its extensive references, human accountability, and correctability put it far ahead of AI. This highly detailed examination of Juneteenth, its celebration by African-Americans through the decades, and its wider recognition in recent years includes historic images, maps, tables and documents, and is supported by 143 references for deeper exploration.
Edutopia: Four Ways to Celebrate Juneteenth with Students
Want to go beyond the basic facts of Juneteenth? Try one of these open-ended, creative lesson ideas to help your students gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of Juneteenth as a day representing freedom – if imperfect.
Juneteenth Art for Kids and Juneteenth Coloring Page
A free Juneteenth-themed art lesson that includes a step-by-step guide and template for creating a simple but powerful sketch representing the freedom promised by the Emancipation Proclamation. Ideal for kids up to grade five.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Juneteenth and Emancipation
This comprehensive, four-unit lesson on Juneteenth is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and includes primary source documents, essential questions, background, discussion, and pre- and post-activities. An excellent investigation of the history behind the holiday, it’s fully free, with no account setup required.
Minecraft Lesson: Juneteenth: Freedom Day
A complete Juneteenth lesson plan that incorporates Minecraft design and building skills, this instruction is ideal for students in grades 6-12. Included are lesson ideas and questions, historical context, and a downloadable Word document with detailed guidance for educators. Free.
The African Americans: What Is Juneteenth?
An in-depth exploration of Juneteenth from Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this article probes the importance of Juneteenth in relation to other Civil War-era anniversaries, and its continued relevance today. A great starting point for high school discussions or assignments.
Google for Education: Create a Flyer for a Juneteenth Celebration
A guide for students to create a Juneteenth celebration flyer using Google docs. Sample rubric, lesson plan, and printable Certificate of Completion are all included.
HMH: Juneteenth Activities for the Classroom
Students’ reading, writing, research, collaboration and graphics arts skills are all put to good use in this collection of Juneteenth class activities for elementary, middle and high school students.
PBS: Juneteenth Video
This brief and lively animated video is perfect to get young kids (K-5) up to speed on the basic facts of Juneteenth.
