Objective: Through discussion students will compare and contrast the relationships between slaveholder and slave before and after the Civil War.

Subject: Social Studies

Materials: Notebook paper, pencil, (optional) video camera

Procedure:

1. Divide a piece of notebook paper in half long ways.
2. Label one column slaveholder and one column slave. Do this on the front of the paper.
3. On the back of the paper, label one column former slaveholder and the other former slave.
4. Label the front of the paper "Before the Civil War." Label the back of the paper "After the Civil War."
5. Have students think about what it meant to be a slaveholder or a slave. On the front of their paper have them list the responsibilities of each. List the problems of each. What did it mean to be a slaveholder or slave? Think about how political events of the time could have affected both.
6. Now have students think about what it meant to be a former slaveholder or former slave after the Civil War. List the responsibilities and problems of each. Think about how political events of the time could have affected both.
7. Have a class discussion about these relationships. How did each try to overcome these problems?
8. Optional: Have a panel discussion with both sides giving their points of view. You could even video tape it to show back to the class.