Caterpillar Curriculum exists to make learning meaningful, empowering, and unique, especially by centering on American Black History, the Black experience, and overlooked narratives in ways that are age-appropriate, creative, and human. The goal of Caterpillar Curriculum is to nurture children into thoughtful, confident learners by helping them understand History, culture, and themselves—so they connect deep roots of the past to strong wings for the future.
Our Mission
Why Begin With American Black History?
We have chosen to begin our curriculum offerings with American Black History not because it's the only History that matters, but because it is one of the most foundational, misunderstood, and mis-taught histories in American Education.
American children often begin to learn American History in third grade and American Black History as a sidebar. But as we have found, American Black History is woven into the very fabric of the United States of America. To understand (or to teach) American History, we must understand the lives, contributions, struggles, and humanity of all Americans from the very beginning.
Our curriculum philosophy is:
Deep Roots. Strong Wings.
Roots come first.
FAQ
What sets Caterpillar Curriculum apart?
Caterpillar Curriculum is intentionally created to learn, reflect, and explore History in ways that are developmentally mindful and supportive of children. We center on narratives that honor the History without being overwhelming. We acknowledge that History includes painful and traumatic events. Our approach is to teach clearly and responsibly, without centering on or sensationalizing trauma, and without subjecting children to graphic details or prolonged exposure to dehumanizing facts. Instead we emphasize other facts related to context, resilience, community, and the full humanity of the people within History. This, we believe will speak to young minds with dignity, care, and imagination. The goal is to reflect their history, culture, and everyday experiences, so that they can see themselves, feel valued, and develop a genuine love for learning about the past. We believe "Honest History" builds strong wings.
Where does the information come from?
The work created by Caterpillar Curriculum is done by homeschool parents, not academic historians. The materials and information are carefully researched, thoughtfully curated, and translated for children. All materials are intended to support learning, conversation, and curiosity - not to serve as a sole or final historical authority. Interpretations are offered with humility, care, and a commitment to continued learning.
What does American Black History Mean?
Caterpillar Curriculum defines American Black History as past experiences, achievements, and contributions of enslaved and free Africans and their descendants born in the United States of America.
Why the use of "Black" instead of African American?
Throughout Caterpillar Curriculum we use the term "Black" rather than African American. This choice is intentional and rooted in History. Using the designation "Black" allows us to speak accurately about people across centuries without applying the variety of modern terms retroactively.
Since this curriculum is written for children, "Black" is easier for young learners to identify because it's more commonly used in everyday language, ie. "Black Boy Joy" and "Black Girl Magic". Using clear, consistent language helps children focus on history, humanity, and meaning, rather than terminology confusion.
This is not meant to erase African roots, for in fact, those roots are honored and explored throughout all curriculum.
Authors
We are a homeschooling family of four—including our miniature schnauzer, Jaxy the beloved mascot/comedian.
For us, homeschooling is not just how we learn—it’s how we live. Inspired by the wild + free learning movement, we believe childhood should be curious, creative, and unapologetically human. Our home is a place where questions are welcomed, imagination is nurtured, and learning happens every day in meaningful ways.
As our daughter’s primary educators, we are deeply committed to protecting and cultivating her love of learning. She especially has a passion for sketching and storytelling, and her creativity astounds us daily. Her attention to detail is remarkable—especially her keen eye for artistic choices. Interestingly, she notices, especially in her school curriculum, when artists choose not to illustrate children who look like her.
That noticing changed everything.
We too began to notice we were't only missing people who looked like her, we were missing information of people who looked like her.
This motivated us to begin curating curriculum with her in mind—curriculum where she could see herself, feel valued, and feel inspired.
Curation turned into creation.
What started as an act of love for our daughter became a calling.
Now, we want to share.
It is our hope that your family, especially your young ones will benefit too.
