Oh Freedom! (grades 3-7)

This secular curriculum is 40 weeks of U.S. History from the pre-colonial era where Native nations flourished through the present, where we’re grappling with the results of a complicated past.

Using A Young People’s History of the United States (Zinn), An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (Dunbar-Ortiz), and Heart & Soul (Nelson), and many other books, students will learn history through the eyes of Native Americans, African Americans, and immigrants.  $49.99 USD

Get Your Copy Today

Uncover history and start your family’s  journey with this instantly downloadable curriculum. $49.99 USD

Make History

the Best Subject of the Day

ACTIVE LEARNING

Companion journal includes active learning prompts and encourages contemplation and creativity

VERSATILE

Variety of resources help you customize the lessons for your child’s academic level

STORY-DRIVEN LESSONS

Enter history through the eyes of real people. Award-winning books and riveting stories make history relevant and relatable

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE​

Transformative conversations develop organically when you engage with rich, nuanced material

LIFE-LONG LEARNING​

Interesting lessons for the whole family. You’ll be learning too!

CHANGE OF PACE

We’ve sprinkled in several weeks of a scheduled time to go deeper or simply rest

Order the Companion Journal

Contains 2-3 pages per week with room to take notes about people, places, and events, jot down new words, keep track of learning, and reflect on the stories and issues discussed. It also includes room for art, poetry, and prayers. Available as a downloadable PDF ($10 USD) or in print from Amazon ($12.95 USD).

Top Questions About This Curriculum

There are 40 weeks of lessons scheduled for 4 days a week. The lessons are easily adaptable to your schedule and your family. Pick and choose what works. In fact, you’ll find that there’s enough material to do two years of US History (just take two weeks to complete each week’s readings and activities).

  • Discover– Readings from the main textbooks (includes options for listening to audio versions)
  • Storytelling – Historical fiction and other riveting stories that coincide with this history lesson
  • Experience – Links to music, poetry, documentaries and other online resources to make the lesson come alive
  • Discuss & Reflect – Discussion questions for journaling or discussing out loud. These are critical thinking prompts to help your children imagine a different future and inspire them to create it.
  • Dig Deeper – Included in the 40 weeks are 6 weeks of planned breaks. Take this time to research more, venture on field trips, watch movies or just take a clean break.

The curriculum is adaptable for children in grades 3 through 7. I successfully used these resources when two of my children were in 3rd grade (age 8).

Because of the variety of resources, it is easy to adapt to your child’s grade level, but don’t be afraid to expose them to more than you think they’re capable of understanding. You’ll be surprised. There are no quizzes or tests. Just expose them to the concepts and ethics and philosophy and help them think through issues. That’s the most important thing.

The books. You’ll have to purchase or borrow your own books and audiobooks from our booklist.

You will also need internet access to take advantage of all of the resources that I point you to.

I recommend purchasing the Oh Freedom! Journal for your children to keep track of their learning, their interests, and their reflections.

If you already have subscriptions to PBS Passport, Netflix and Spotify, you’re all set.

We offer a sample that includes everything you need to know about the curriculum before purchasing. We offer this so you can be sure this is for you before you buy it. There is no way to “return” a digital item without still owning it, therefore, all sales are final.

Absolutely! There is enough to choose from in these lessons to supplement what you’re currently doing. I’ve curated the resources for you and now you get to pick and choose from the booklist, listen to the storybooks on audio, read over the discussion questions, enjoy the playlist, complete the journal and create an abbreviated version that works for your situation.

First, make sure that you are checking the email that you entered when you ordered. Sometimes your PayPal email is different from your main email.

Sometimes things get lost in our inboxes. Double-check by doing a search for “Woke Homeschooling” in your email box. Everyone receives a link to the downloads immediately and automatically after purchase.

If you still can’t find it, email hello AT wokehomeschooling.com and we will have the download links re-sent to you.

The second edition of Oh Freedom! is strictly secular. 
In the introduction of the original edition of Oh Freedom! I wrote about how I had included prayer at the start of our history lessons. I wanted us all to have a healthy way to process hard history. This supplement, which I’ve now expanded, is available as a separate, downloadable document here. The journal with space for prayers is still available in our store (digital) or on Amazon.com (print)

This is a digital item. The reason is that there are embedded links to all the online resources.

Many parents choose to print it for easy access, but Oh Freedom! is only available as a download by design. After purchase, keep the digital file easily accessible so you can quickly get to the booklist, music and video playlists and other online resources.

You are able to get printed versions of the journal (secular and original) on Amazon.com.

The booklist is part of what you purchase when you buy Oh Freedom! curriculum.

So how can you know how much more you will spend? Aside from what you probably already have (like internet access, PBS Passport, Netflix, and Spotify), you will have to purchase books and maybe audiobooks (if you prefer).

I did the math. If you purchase all the required books NEW from Amazon.com, it will cost a little over $300 for about 30 books. Don’t let that scare you. You’ll never regret investing in creating a robust and inclusive homeschool library. Also, consider all the other ways we have to get books for much less/free like used bookstores, libraries, and online libraries. The books in this curriculum are easy to come by.

 

This curriculum was developed with the Themes of Social Studies (from NCSS) in mind. That said, every state has different homeschool regulations. I live in Texas which is one of the most deregulated states in which to homeschool. If you’re looking for your kids to draw pictures of the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria, memorize dates and the names of all the presidents in order, this curriculum is not for you.

This curriculum is an exercise in perspective-taking to understand class issues, race issues, immigration, human rights and social justice.

Please review our Curriculum Overview (included in the sample) to decide if this curriculum meets the requirements of your state and your family.

Though Oh Freedom! can be adapted for younger and older students, we recommend that you wait before you dive in with this material for younger students.  Because of the tough topics covered in Oh Freedom! we recommend that you start when your child is mature enough to handle and process the truth about history.

When your child is in K-2, the best thing you can do is immerse them in diverse stories. Read, read, read until your throat aches and mouth gets dry. Listen to audiobooks together. Not only will you be training their attention spans to be able to sit and learn for longer stretches, as they get older, but reading books will become a part of who they are.