The Joyful Generations Heritage Pack tells stories of generations of iconic and lesser-known people from the past and present. The age-appropriate books and videos share the fullness of various Black people’s life experiences as they dealt with hardship and difficult circumstances. But make no mistake, the focus of this study is triumph, achievement, and joy. The idea is to introduce our children to heroes who overcame, and all of the age-appropriate stories will leave them knowing that Black folks can do remarkable things.

Alongside the biographical nonfiction books, the lessons include imaginative stories that help children explore essential ideas like the power of family, friendship, and community. All of the books give a head nod to African American culture through words and images, and some are included just for good old-fashioned FUN because that’s also a part of our story. The theme of this study highlights the sweet to balance the bitter, but it doesn’t ignore any facet of the lives well-lived. The people covered were/are resilient, resourceful, and determined, and their stories are ones for our children to know and love.

Target grades: 1st – 3rd grade. Younger siblings who are ready for the material can certainly participate in these lessons, and older students will likely enjoy these phenomenal picture books as well!

Lessons scheduled: 37 weeks of lessons (36 lessons plus one bonus week). Though designed for a single school year, these robust lessons could easily be stretched out to cover multiple years. General suggestions for spreading the books across multiple years are provided. And because each lesson is independent, you can skip books or eliminate weeks if you prefer to work through the plans more quickly.

What’s included:

• A list of 180+ recommended titles with core book summaries and integrated at-a-glance lesson plans
• Lesson-by-lesson suggested reading plans that combine books for a cohesive program
• Five recommended bonus books and over 35 free video suggestions related to each lesson.
• Art instruction (creating and learning about Black artists) and poetry are included!
• Access to a digital page with pictures and direct links to purchase all of the books along with future updates to broken links, book updates/replacements, and other notes to enhance your experience, as needed.

The Joyful Generations Heritage Pack includes these great titles along with many more nonfiction and fiction books to offer an engaging survey of inspiring Black people from history and current times. There’s a book for every day of the school year or more than enough to spread over several years. The images below contain affiliate links, so I may receive a small payment if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

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Download and Printing Options:

1. Digital download only (immediate access) – $17.95
2. Hard copy print & ship (spiral-bound OR 3-hole punched) – Includes immediate digital download. – $29.95 ($20.95 + $9.00 USPS priority shipping at checkout)