Names: Katie Blomquist, Alison Briggs, Dawn Davidson, Kelly Frey, Amber Hemann

To Be a Slave

Date: December 11, 2003

Content Area: History/Language Arts Grade Level: 5-8

Objectives: 1. Students will be introduced to the history of slavery, both in ancient times and American History. 2. Students will be introduced to slave experiences. 3. Students will become familiar with Harriet Tubman and justify her importance to the Underground Railroad. 4. Students will learn to analyze a story told by another and find what slavery means to them. 5. Students will use creativity to show what they feel slavery means.

Strategies/Techniques: This lesson is designed to intrigue the students by using real life experiences through literature to teach students the history of slavery. Also, it focuses on the child’s special talents and encourages him/her to express their thoughts through them.

Materials: To Be a Slave by Julius Lester (one copy for each student if possible) Computer Internet Informational books on slavery

Procedures: Anticipatory Set: “To be a slave. To be owned by another person, as a car, a house, or a table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold…” ~quote on back of To be a Slave written by Julius Lester. We have been discussing the Civil War, slavery, and the Underground Railroad. Today we are going to look at some people’s actual account of being a slave, and what it means to them. We will then try to express how we would feel or what we think it means to be a slave.

Development: 1. Read the prologue of To Be a Slave by Julius Lester. a. Discuss what the students think about slavery b. To be owned c. Discuss slaves’ struggle for freedom d. Could they have been strong enough to survive? 2. Have students look at Table of Contents and decide one of the topics (1-7) 3. After selecting a topic, each student will turn to that chapter, skim through the stories of slaves and find one that they find interesting, different, heartfelt, or painful. 4. Students will then read that entry, become familiar with it and think how they would fell to be that person, or how they reacted after they read the passage. 5. Students are then to pick a technique of presentation that they can express their feelings about slavery a. They can show what the person who wrote the passage was feeling. b. They can express their feelings or attitudes behind slavery or the passage. c. The students may use the Internet or other forms of information to help them in their presentation 6. Discuss the students’ views on slavery after the activity. Do they feel differently than before? Was it easy to express or feel what the writers were feeling?

Closure: Have volunteers present their projects. As students turn in their projects have them explain why they did what they did.

Modifications/Adaptations: Place more restriction on project choices. Read different excerpts and explain one interpretation in class for those who do not read well and help others find meaning in the passage.

Extensions: Read Page 3 of To Be a Slave and have students begin a family tree about their own families. Instead of having the students orally tell why they chose their way of showing their feelings, have them write a paragraph, page, or so to tell why.

Technology: Internet

Assessment of Student Learning: 1. The children were able to express their feeling in a creative way. 2. They explained why they chose their way to show their feelings. 3. The students learned what it was like to be a slave.