They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston's Emancipation Park
A standards-aligned classroom guide for They Built Me for Freedom by Tonya Duncan Ellis. Explore Juneteenth, Emancipation Park, and the meaning of freedom through discussion, timeline activities, sensory poetry, and symbolism.
Helping Kids Understand Freedom, History, and Community: A Classroom Experience Inspired by They Built Me for Freedom
Have you ever noticed how children understand the idea of freedom?
It’s often simple.
“I get to play.”
“I get to choose.”
“I get to be me.”
But freedom… real freedom… carries history.
It carries struggle.
It carries resilience.
It carries stories that deserve to be remembered.
That’s exactly what They Built Me for Freedom invites young readers to explore.
Book Snapshot
Title:They Built Me for Freedom: The Story of Juneteenth and Houston’s Emancipation Park
Author: Tonya Duncan Ellis
Illustrator: Jenin Mohammed
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
ISBN-13: 978-0063286054
Age Range: Grades 1–4
Genre: Picture Book / Narrative Nonfiction
Themes: Juneteenth, Freedom, Community, Black History, Resilience, Historical Memory, Civic Spaces
A Story That Speaks Through Place
This book does something truly powerful.
It tells history… through the voice of a place.
Emancipation Park becomes the storyteller—sharing what it has seen, what it holds, and what it remembers.
Through this lens, students experience:
The meaning of emancipation
The significance of Juneteenth
The importance of community spaces
The enduring power of memory and resilience
And perhaps most importantly…
They begin to understand that history isn’t just something we read.
It’s something we carry forward.
Bringing the Book Into the Classroom
This guide invites students to engage with history in ways that are active, reflective, and deeply meaningful.
Pre-Reading: Building Context
Students explore:
The meaning of emancipation and commemoration
Visual storytelling through the cover illustration
Personal connections to the idea of freedom
Post-Reading: Thinking Deeper
Through rich discussion, students:
Analyze personification (the park as narrator)
Reflect on why communities preserve history
Explore emotions tied to place and memory
Connect past struggles to present-day freedoms
Activity Highlight: Historical Timeline
Students sequence key events leading to Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday, including:
1863: Emancipation Proclamation
1865: Freedom announced in Texas
2021: Juneteenth becomes a national holiday
This activity builds:
Chronological thinking
Cause-and-effect understanding
Historical awareness
Creative Exploration: Freedom Through the Senses
In one of the most powerful activities, students write a sensory poem about freedom:
What does freedom look like?
Sound like?
Feel like?
Taste like?
This transforms a historical concept into something deeply personal and expressive.
Symbolism in Action: Butterfly Metaphors
Students explore the butterfly as a symbol of:
Transformation
Hope
Freedom
Resilience
They then create their own symbolic artwork and reflections—connecting history to identity and growth.
Standards Alignment
This guide aligns with key Common Core State Standards, including:
Reading:
Close reading and textual evidence
Theme and central idea development
Interpretation of figurative language
Writing:
Informative and explanatory writing
Creative expression through poetry
Structured written responses
Integration of Knowledge:
Analyzing visual and textual information
Connecting historical events across time
The standards chart on page 15 clearly maps each activity to anchor standards across reading and writing domains .
Why This Book Matters
This isn’t just a story about the past.
It’s a story about:
Remembering what matters
Honoring community strength
Understanding the meaning of freedom
And helping students recognize that the places around them…
hold stories worth listening to.
Bring this story to life in your classroom.
This standards-aligned educator guide includes:
Discussion prompts
A historical timeline activity
A sensory poetry writing lesson
Symbolism and art connections
👉 Download the full guide at Guides by Deb
Add this powerful story to your classroom or library collection.
They Built Me for Freedom is a meaningful addition to:
Juneteenth studies
Black history units
Community and civic learning
Purchase a copy of They Built Me for Freedom HERE!
Note: As a member of the Amazon Associate program, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Final Thought
Some stories are told in words.
Others are told in places.
And when we teach children to listen closely…
they begin to hear both.
This guide is part of my Guides by Deb collection—standards-aligned resources designed to help educators turn great books into meaningful learning experiences.
I’m Debbie Gonzales, author, educator, and founder of Pin Lit Marketing, where I help children’s book creators grow their visibility through Pinterest.
Together, this work connects books, educators, and readers in lasting ways.
