Perspectives During the Anti Slavery Movement 8th grade Social Studies Class Mary Daly and Maggie Dalton-Hoffman

Topic A unit focusing on the abolitionist movement from multiple perspectives in history.

Context 8th grade social studies class Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy 50 minutes/day for one week o Except for an all-day field trip on Tuesday Includes all levels of student learning

Connecticut Framework for 8th Grade Social Studies "The study of the principles of the U.S. Constitution, with emphasis on events, arguments and movements of the 19th century and their impact today, connections to local history, and extensive use of primary source materials." We focus on the abolitionist movement in the 19th century and connect it to a local abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe and use primary source material from both Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass

Standards for 8th Grade Social Studies Standard 1: Content Knowledge o Knowledge of concepts, themes, and information from history and social studies Standard 2: History/Social Studies Literacy o Competence in literacy, inquiry and research skills Standard 3: Civic Engagement o Civic competence in analyzing historical issues and current problems

Objectives Students will gain an understanding of the catalysts that lead up to the Civil War from the perspectives of both white and black abolitionists Students will learn about the historical content of Hartford through a field trip to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Students will be challenged to analyze key issues from multiple perspectives through discussion Students will be able to take what they learned in the lesson and apply it to how they have experienced inequality in their lives

Monday Class discussion to refresh the topic of slavery in the United States o Students will be asked to recall what they have learned o The answers will be written on the board to prompt other students memories. Present background information on Abolition and Harriet Beecher Stowe Preparation for field trip

Tuesday Field trip to the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center o "Liberty and Justice For All" Program o Students will explore connections between Harriet Beecher Stowe, her antislavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, and the Civil War Activity: Group writing assignment o Students will write a letter to the publisher of Uncle Tom's Cabin, arguing either for or against the publication of this controversial novel

Wednesday Warm up activity o Reflect on field trip o Discuss as a class what students wrote Read excerpt from another abolitionist: Frederick Douglass o Emphasizes the importance of literacy for slaves Homework: list 5 reasons why literacy was important in the quest for freedom

Thursday Discuss homework from the night before Watch PBS clip about Frederick Douglass o Reiterate throughout video how Frederick Douglass used his education to break out of slavery and become an influential abolitionist Connect to Harriet Beecher Stowe and her attempt to humanize slaves in her novel Connect to modern day o How are we still taking a stand against racism Homework: Prepare for letter to Abolitionists

Friday Students randomly assigned to write a letter to either Frederick Douglass or Harriet Beecher Stowe o Answer: How did they make a difference in the anti slavery movement and how is society different today because of them? After, students will split into groups, discuss what they wrote and add to their letters in a different color pen

Evaluation Criteria Field trip writing assignment Warm-up writing reflection on field trip List of five reasons why literacy was important for slaves in their quest for freedom In class letters to Frederick Douglass or Harriet Beecher Stowe

Resources Needed Busing to Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Reading from Frederick Douglass' autobiography PBS video on Frederick Douglass Loose leaf paper for in class writing activities Different color pens for students

Sources "SDE: Social Studies." Connecticut State Department of Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 April “Watch Now: The Abolitionists, Part 2, Chapter 1 | American Experience | PBS Video.” PBS.org. Accessed May 2, Douglass, Frederick, and Deborah E. McDowell. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999.

Questions?