Juneteenth Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie

What do you know about the Emancipation Proclamation? (Tap prior knowledge)

Why do you think the news that enslaved people were free took two years to reach Texas? (Predict)

During the Movie (Pause Points)

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 0:51: What does Juneteenth celebrate? (Identify details; Recall)

Timecode 4:48: How did state and local authorities in the South make Black people second-class citizens? What would happen if they tried to challenge their authority? (Identify cause/effect; Recall)

Timecode 7:05: How is Juneteenth like America’s second independence day? How is it different from the Fourth of July? (Compare and contrast)

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Juneteenth topic. (Make connections)

How was celebrating Juneteenth an act of resistance and a show of strength? (Identify problem/solution) 

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Juneteenth Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.