", Fellow student Nia says of doing this assignment, as an African-American, "I took it so, so seriously." Engaging Students with History: The Power of Slave Narratives A Lesson in Empathy. For the abolitionist movement, slave The Enslaved and the Civil War It includes background information, the text, close reading questions, and a follow-up activity. I cried out for me!". Fugitive Slave Narratives Students learn about American slavery in the textbook and by doing dialectical journals with two films, Ships of Slaves and Unchained Memories. The lesson incorporates an exploration of storytelling techniques. Fugitive slave Forest Joe was the leader of a group of similar fugitives who lived in the wild forests of the South. With all the inborn faith of a child, I believed it most fondly, and when I heard that she had actually made her escape, three weeks after, my heart gave an exultant throb and cried, ‘God is good!’”. "The slavery unit requires more historical empathy than any other unit, I think," says project creator and history teacher Matt Smith. Lesson plans for Access to this 8-page document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application. One slave chronicle that was read came from a more notable black history figure – Frederick Douglass. Slavery Narratives. They began to order me about, and were told to do so by my master and mistress,” read senior Kiara Ulmer, from the slave account of Lunsford Lane. Tutors, instructors, experts, was herself enslaved, according to research. Key Question: What does Solomon Northup's narrative, as part of a larger genre of antislavery literature, reveal about the institution of slavery? autobiography, captivity narrative, travel book, adventure tale, slavery narrative, economic treatise, apologia, argument against the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, and perhaps in part historical fiction. Collections. ", Students don't shy away from events as brutal as rape and murder in their narratives. “Why am I a slave? by William Craft Frederick Douglass Slave Narratives Lesson plans and teaching resources "Been Here So Long" Seventeen of the approximately 2,300 American Slave Narratives collected by the Federal Writers Project. Reliving History Through Slave Narratives %PDF-1.5 %���� Students do the slave narrative project jointly in both history and English class, and teachers scaffold the assignment. “My mother then turned to him and cried, ‘Oh, master, do not take me from my child!’ Without making any reply, he gave her two or three heavy blows on the shoulders with his raw hide, snatched me from her arms, handed me to my master.”. whipped. evils of slavery. Lee, J.Y. anyone caught teaching a slave to read would be fined, imprisoned, or A letter from freedman Jourdon Anderson to his former master, Colonel P.H. The lesson incorporates an exploration of storytelling techniques. 1. by William Craft Our Education: Reading of slave narratives prompts reflection and discussion. Editor's Note: Be sure to check out the checklist, worksheets, and rubric for this project at the end of this article. *See complete details for Better Score Guarantee. This collection from the Library of Congress includes ideas for 5 different lessons. This 4-page document includes learning activities and printable handouts. Although this short story is fictional, it could easily have been true. �]��jZ���KQ�U��rU�?fKX��Թ3zɇ�W����Y����quo%��pc�t �n�!�X freedom. This collection from the U. S. Library of Congress includes biographies and autobiographies from African-American women, both enslaved and free. However, as with all historical documents, there are important considerations for students to bear in mind when reading these sources. © 2002 Division of Rare & Manuscript freedom, the ability to write would spark the growth of a powerful genre h�bbd``b`���@D�`3_�wHL��H�f�BL�L ���$���� � m� Why are some people slaves and others masters? of literature: the slave narrative. Mother was especially restless, because she was a free woman up to the time of her being kidnapped, so the injustice and weight of slavery bore more heavily upon her than upon me … My mother returned to the house to get her few belongings, and straining me to her breast, begged me to be a good girl, that she was going to run away, and would buy me as soon as she could. This close reading activity uses slave narratives. Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery Lee, J.Y. The Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave Students will research Forest Joe and compare the spread of his legend to that of similar legends from different ethnic groups. Professor Says He Has Solved a Mystery Over a Slave’s Novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl ���ߜ݇�ϷW('�����/���y^�U�E�|yV-go� [#{� It includes the narratives and questions to guide reading. To complement the slave narratives, Claremont history teachers lead a mini-unit on racism featuring excerpts of writings by Howard Zinn and Winthrop Jordan to move conversations "beyond a second-grade understanding of racism," says Smith. It addresses many state standards, and allows for different types of learners to show what they've learned. Names of standardized tests are owned by the trademark holders and are not affiliated with Varsity Tutors LLC. Varsity Tutors connects learners with a variety of experts and professionals. narratives would become tremendously effective weapons in attacking the Equiano’s autobiography is universally accepted as the fundamental text in the genre of the slave narrative. 1. Comparing and Contrasting the Individual Experiences of African Americans in the 19th Century 583 0 obj <> endobj From the U. S. Library of Congress: "The 1860 census was the last time the federal government took a count of the Southern slave population. He explained, "The project made me want to write. Slavery and the Family Life of the Enslaved The legend of Robin Hood, however, has gained much more fame and notoriety than the legend of Forest Joe. "Passages in the Life of a Slave Woman" by Annie Parker Excerpts from the book now appear in every anthology and on any website covering American, African-American, British, and Caribbean history and literature of the eighteenth century. Runaway Journeys Students listen to an oral history interview with Fountain Hughes, who tells what life was like when he was enslaved. Lesson plans for In an Oakland, California, classroom papered with learning goals and student work, history teacher Lacy Lefkowitz relinquishes her podium to eighth graders presenting their latest project. "I usually have trouble reading and writing. Fugitive slave Forest Joe was the leader of a group of similar fugitives who lived in the wild forests of the South. The teacher guide for this children's book includes summary, prereading and comprehension questions, vocabulary, suggestions for use in literature circles, reader response and writing topics, ESL and interdisciplinary strategies. “I was beginning to plan for freedom, and was forever on the alert for a chance to escape and join my sister. The Bondwoman's Narrative Equiano established many of the literary conventions employed in subsequent African-American slave narratives.