Lesson 8: Slave Experience and Slave Culture
Rationale:
This lesson will foster student understanding of the slave experience in America. Students will learn about first hand accounts of slaves to understand their experience, culture, and life more fully. Students will be able to broaden their understanding of slavery by listening directly to various untold histories and herstories. This lesson will allow students to gain a more diverse perspective on both American history and the history of African-Americans and the overall effects on American society.
Curriculum Frameworks:
· Massachusetts Frameworks: USI.29 Describe the rapid growth of slavery in the South after 1800 and analyze slave life and resistance on plantations and farms across the South, as well as the impact of the cotton gin on the economics of slavery and Southern agriculture. (H)
· NCSS Theme: Culture- “Learners will understand how human beings create, learn, shape, and adapt to culture. They will appreciate the role of culture in shaping their lives and the society in which they live. By recognizing various cultural perspectives, learners become capable of understanding diverse perspectives, thereby acquiring the potential to foster more positive relations and interactions with diverse people within our own nation and other nations. Cultural understanding will help learners make informed decisions in an increasingly interdependent society and interconnected world.”
Learning Objectives:
Students will learn about various stories and accounts of slaves in America. Students will hear about ‘everyday, regular people’ thus advancing their understanding of multicultural histories and herstories. Students will be able to understand how slavery truly affected African-Americans both during and after the legalization of slavery.
Teaching Methods: Multicultural Histories & Herstories
Procedure:
1. Distribute writing prompt, which will be completed after the lesson and instruct students to take notes during the film to help them with their writing process.
“Select one individual from the documentary whose story you heard. Compose a two page letter back to that individual describing and explaining your reaction to the film and their story. If they were still alive, what would you want to say to them? How did their story challenge or change some of your views or what you previously knew of slavery? What was something new you learned? How did their story make you feel? Why is it important to know about these people’s stories?”
2. Play the HBO series “Unchained Memories”
3. Instruct students to complete their letters for homework due the following day.
Assessment:
Formative assessment will be based upon their letters to the individuals depicted in the documentary. The prompt will act as a guide for their letters.
Materials:
Prompt on individual pieces of paper for each student, Smartboard, Unchained Memories HBO documentary available on Youtube
This lesson will foster student understanding of the slave experience in America. Students will learn about first hand accounts of slaves to understand their experience, culture, and life more fully. Students will be able to broaden their understanding of slavery by listening directly to various untold histories and herstories. This lesson will allow students to gain a more diverse perspective on both American history and the history of African-Americans and the overall effects on American society.
Curriculum Frameworks:
· Massachusetts Frameworks: USI.29 Describe the rapid growth of slavery in the South after 1800 and analyze slave life and resistance on plantations and farms across the South, as well as the impact of the cotton gin on the economics of slavery and Southern agriculture. (H)
· NCSS Theme: Culture- “Learners will understand how human beings create, learn, shape, and adapt to culture. They will appreciate the role of culture in shaping their lives and the society in which they live. By recognizing various cultural perspectives, learners become capable of understanding diverse perspectives, thereby acquiring the potential to foster more positive relations and interactions with diverse people within our own nation and other nations. Cultural understanding will help learners make informed decisions in an increasingly interdependent society and interconnected world.”
Learning Objectives:
Students will learn about various stories and accounts of slaves in America. Students will hear about ‘everyday, regular people’ thus advancing their understanding of multicultural histories and herstories. Students will be able to understand how slavery truly affected African-Americans both during and after the legalization of slavery.
Teaching Methods: Multicultural Histories & Herstories
Procedure:
1. Distribute writing prompt, which will be completed after the lesson and instruct students to take notes during the film to help them with their writing process.
“Select one individual from the documentary whose story you heard. Compose a two page letter back to that individual describing and explaining your reaction to the film and their story. If they were still alive, what would you want to say to them? How did their story challenge or change some of your views or what you previously knew of slavery? What was something new you learned? How did their story make you feel? Why is it important to know about these people’s stories?”
2. Play the HBO series “Unchained Memories”
3. Instruct students to complete their letters for homework due the following day.
Assessment:
Formative assessment will be based upon their letters to the individuals depicted in the documentary. The prompt will act as a guide for their letters.
Materials:
Prompt on individual pieces of paper for each student, Smartboard, Unchained Memories HBO documentary available on Youtube