Last updated: July 2, 2019
Lesson Plan
Slavery in the American South
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- Grade Level:
- Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- State Standards:
- Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks: Social Studies
Grade 5
Topic 1. Early colonization and growth of colonies
Compare and contrast the living and working conditions of enslaved and free Africans in the colonies in the 18th century - Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.
Essential Question
What was life and work like for enslaved people on Southern plantations?
Objective
After completing this lesson students will be able to:
• Describe some conditions of the lives of enslaved people.
• Explain two of the ways in which enslaved people exercised agency.
Background
Students will use primary sources to examine the institution of chattel slavery in the United States to achieve a better understanding of the lives of enslaved people on Southern plantations.
Students do not need significant prior knowledge for this activity, but they must understand the definition of African chattel slavery in America (See attached essay).
Students may think that the experience of all enslaved people was the same.
Preparation
Print primary source documents and images
Other items needed: Poster paper, different color markers
Copy the Essay, Essay Analysis Sheet, Narrative Analysis sheet.
Materials
Essay Analysis Sheet
Download Slavery Essay Analysis Sheet
Set of eight narratives
Narrative Analysis Sheet
Download Narrative Analysis sheet
Slavery Background Essay
Download Slavery Background Essay
Lesson Hook/Preview
We learn about history to understand our past – where we came from, and how we got where we are today. Slavery is part of the history of the world and of the United States.
Procedure
- Copy and distribute the Essay Analysis Sheet. Student will answer the first question: “What do you already know about slavery in the United States.”
- Copy and distribute copies of the background essay to each student. Allow students time to read quietly. As students finish the reading, have them fill out the rest of the Essay Analysis Sheet. The next two questions ask them what they already knew that the reading reinforced, and what information they found that was different from what they knew.
- Lead class in a discussion of the reading. Ask students to share some of their answers from the Essay Analysis Sheet. This is a time for sharing — all thoughts, questions, and opinions must be treated with respect.
- Divide class into eight groups. Give each group the corresponding document 1-8, and a Narrative Analysis Worksheet
- Document 1: Narrative of Sarah Ashley
- Document 2: Narrative of Arnold Gragston
- Document 3: Narrative of Mary Reynolds
- Document 4: Narrative of Hal Hutson
- Document 5: Narrative of Sarah Dudger
- Document 6: Narrative of Adeline Marshal
- Document 7: The Weeping Time
- Document 8: Narrative of Marriah Hines
- Groups will take 5-10 minutes to read the narrative and discuss it, then fill out their worksheets.
Vocabulary
- Slave/enslaved person: Someone who is legally owned by another person and forced to obey that person and to work for that person without pay
- Hand: Another word for an enslaved person who works in fields, planting and harvesting crops
- Speculator: Someone who bought and sold enslaved people
- Victuals: Food
- Lashing: Whipping
- Federal Writer’s Project: In 1937, the Federal Writers Project staff interviewed many former enslaved people to document their lives. Most of the interviewees were very old and the memories of their lives as young men and women were sometimes clouded by time. Please note: The attached narratives are from the Federal Writer’s Project. The interviewers recorded the oral history in the dialect in which the interview subject spoke. The oral histories included here have been re-written so that students will better understand the content. You can find a complete catalogue of FWP narratives at www.loc.gov.
Assessment Materials
Give each group the image that corresponds to their document number. Using the information from their Narrative Analysis Sheet, each group will write a 3-4 sentence caption for their image. The caption can be purely descriptive, or it can be written in narrative form from the point of view of an enslaved person or a Northern anti-slavery writer.
Rubric/Answer Key
Note to teachers: Students will use the Essay Analysis Sheets and Narrative Analysis Sheets to complete the final assessment, writing a caption for one of the images. This rubric is for the caption only.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Caption Length | Captions are written as fragments |
Captions are written as sentences, but have fewer than 3 |
Captions are 3 or 4 sentences in length |
| Caption Focus | Captions are too broad without a focus |
Captions are adequate, but need more detail or information to support the image |
Captions use information from the reading to accurately depict the picture without the need for further details |
| Spelling and grammar | Several spelling or grammar mistakes | 1-3 spelling or grammar mistakes | No spelling or grammar mistakes |
Supports for Struggling Learners
For younger students, students with special needs, or ELL students, written documents can be highlighted so that students can read a few sentences and still have an understanding of what the person was saying.
Choose one image to show to the class as a whole. Each group will write a caption for that image.