Understanding Slavery A Pre-Reading Experience
Michelle Sapp and Jamie Wolfe
Bloomington Junior High School
Summer 2006
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University
Contraband of War: Slaves of the Rebel
General, Thomas F. Dryton, Hilton Head,
S.C., May, 1862.
Comprehension begins before students actually read the pages of a book. Pre reading activities activate prior knowledge, arouse curiosity, set purposes for reading, and motivate students to read. The following activities use materials from the American Memory Collection and other online sources in order to gain an understanding about slavery. This background knowledge will serve as a springboard for our novel study of Something Upstairs by Avi.
Overview/ Materials/LOC Resources/Standards/ Procedures/Evaluation/Handouts/Extension
Overview Back to Navigation BarObjectives / Students will:
· differentiate between the factual and embellished information within historical fiction.
· learn to relate historical fiction to their own lives.
· compare how the time period the character lived in is different from theirs.
· read and interpret primary source materials.
· learn to cite sources from the Library of Congress.
Recommended time frame / 1 week
Grade level / 6-8
Curriculum fit / Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies
Materials / Novel: Something Upstairs - Avi
Click for more information on the novel
Day 1: Life in a Box Materials
Analysis Worksheet
Probable Passage Worksheet
Day 2: Historical Pictures
Photo Analysis Worksheet
Day 3: Need to be in computer lab
Resource Table (access on computer)
Day 4: Need to be in computer lab
Thinking About Songs As Historical
Artifacts Worksheet
Illinois State Learning Standards Back to Navigation Bar
Language Arts:
GOAL 1: Read well with understanding.
· 1B Apply reading strategies to improve understanding and fluency.
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
· 2B Respond to literary material from personal, creative, and critical points of view.
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for variety of purpose.
· 3C Read and interpret a variety of literary works.(compare/contrast themes, discuss how characters deal with conflict, solve problems and relate to real life situations)
GOAL 5: Use the language arts acquire, assess and communicate information.
· 5B Analyze and evaluate information from various sources.
Procedures Back to Navigation Bar
Day One:
· Students will analyze the life of Sojourner Truth by evaluating a box of primary sources supplied by the teacher.
Click here to view the primary sources that will be in the bag.
· Students will describe the items contained in the bag using the, “Life in a Bag”bagwkst.doc analysis worksheet.
· Students will make inferences about Sojourner Truth’s life based on the primary sources.
· Students will use the form, “Probable Passages” to record their inferences.
· Students will share their probable passages with the class.
· Students will choose one thing from the box and discuss what type of primary source it is.
Day Two:
· The teacher will provide a set of historical pictures
click here to view pictures
available for student choice. (Individual Activity)
· From a set of historical photographs based on the book, “Something Upstairs” by Avi, students will choose one to analyze.
· Students will use the, “Photo Analysis Worksheet”
photo_analysis_worksheet.pdf
to record their thoughts.(Think/Pair/Share
Activity)
· Students will discuss in small groups what they can infer from the photograph.
· Students will discuss what further questions they have about the photograph.
Day Three:
· The teacher will show students a resource table using various primary sources that correspond to the time period and novel, Something Upstairs by Avi. (ex. maps, photos, prints, sheet music, manuscripts, or sound recordings).
Click here for possible themes to explore.
· Students will go to the computer lab and view the blank, “resource table” created by the teacher.
· The teacher will introduce the Library of Congress website www.loc.gov and show them how to search for primary resources.
· The class will search collectively for a particular item (map) and record it on the table.
· Students will then be required to add a resource from the photo, print, sheet music, and manuscript or sound recording section.
Day Four:
· Students will research music that is reflective of the time period and/or themes the book, Something Upstairs consists of by utilizing the Library of Congress’, “American Memory.”
Click here for song list
· Students will use the “Thinking About Songs as Historical Artifacts” http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/tools/docs/songs.pdf worksheet to record their thoughts.
· Students will look at the song, respond to the song, and think about the historical meaning of the song.
· After filling out the worksheet and sharing in a small group, students will consider what more they want to know and how they may find that out.
Day Five:
· Students will explore diaries of various people who lived in the South during the 19th century by visiting First-Person Narratives of the American South.
· Students will click on the word ‘diaries’ and explore the various entries.
· After selecting a diary entry, students will respond by writing a letter to the person.
Evaluation Back to Navigation Bar
*students will be evaluated using the provided links to resource sheets.
Extension Back to Navigation Bar
/ Possible extension activities:
· Reader’s theatre
- create scripts
- use photographs as backdrops
- research people who were slaves and develop characters based on their lives
· Read slave narratives
- write letters
· Research
- well known slaves
- constitution
- laws
- Emancipation Proclamation
- write a newspaper for and against slavery
· Other ideas
- create a power point presentation
· - write a song or poem
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
Back to Navigation Bar
Primary Resource / Description / Citation / URL
/ Caption: I sell the shadow to support the substance. Sojourner Truth. / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-119343 DLC] / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/suffrg:@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3c19343))
/ Photograph of a painting. / Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-16225 DLC] / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/presp:@field(NUMBER+@band(cph+3a18453))
/ Letter concerning the emancipation of her children and her son's Civil War service. / Library of Congress Manuscript Division Washington, D.C. 20540 / http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/archive/04/0413001r.jpg
/
Map showing the distribution of the slave population of the southern states of the United States. Compiled from the census of 1860 Drawn by E. Hergesheimer. Engr. by Th. Leonhardt.
/ Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g3861e+cw0013200))/ Thirty-first anniversary of the American Anti-Slavery Society, at the Church of the Puritans, Tuesday, May 10th. 1864. Anti-Slavery Printing Office, 21 Spruce St., 2d. floor. [n. d.]
/ Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, America Singing: Nineteenth-Century Song Sheets / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/amss:@field(DOCID+@lit(as113680))
/ Anti-slavery fair! The Abington anti-slavery fair will commence on Monday evening, Nov. 9th, at Union Hall, North Abington ... Abington, Nov. 6, 1857. Abington. Standard Press, Vaughan's Building, Centre Avenue. / Library of Congress, Rare Book and Special Collections Division / http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/rbpebib:@field(NUMBER+@band(rbpe+06203500))
Handouts
Back to Navigation Bar
ConfirmExplain how the artifact confirmed what you already knew about this person.
1.
2.
3. / Surprise
Explain why you were surprised to see this artifact in a box about the person.
1.
2.
3.
Question
Write questions you have about the person’s life and/or the artifacts.
1.
2.
3. / Add
Identify artifacts that could be added to the box to improve the description of this person’s life. Explain why the item should be added on another piece of paper.
1.
2.
3.
Probable Passage
Key Items:
Map
Photograph of Sojourner Truth
Photograph of Sojourner Truth with Abraham Lincoln
Letter
Song Lyrics
Anti-Slavery Fair Advertisement
After viewing the primary resources above, write a paragraph describing what you think Sojourner Truth’s life was like.
Be prepared to share these with the class.
Something Upstairs – Avi
Here is a list of possible topics for you to explore.
Have fun!
· Providence, Rhode Island
· Slavery
· Ghosts
· U.S. Constitution
· Early 19th century
· Attics
· Genealogy
Song List
The spirit of 1861. C. S. A. [n. p.] [n. d.] / America Singing2. / The spirit of 1861. C. S. A.[n. p.] [n. d.] / America Singing
3. / The spirit of 1861. [n. p.] [n. d.] / America Singing
4. / Poor old slave. 1851 / Historic American Sheet Music
5. / Slaves consolation; I'll neber hoe de cotton any more. 1862 / Historic American Sheet Music
6. / The old Union wagon / by John Hogarth Lozier. / Lincoln Sheet Music
7. / The slaves' dream. Andrews', Printer, 38 Chatham St., N.Y. [n. d.] / America Singing
8. / Darky Sam song & chorus / / African-American Sheet Music
9. / The savior of our country / [lyrics] by O. Wheelock ; [music by James W. Porter]. / Lincoln Sheet Music
10. / Contraband schottische. 1861 / Historic American Sheet Music
11. / The female slaves lament / / Sheet Music
12. / August 1st, 185. Tune-"Scot's wa'hae." Printed for and sold by R. Allen, No. 533 Lombard Street., Philadelphia. [n. d.] / America Singing
13. / Beneath the weeping willow, or, The slaves lament / / Sheet Music
14. / Beneath the weeping willow, or, The slaves lament / / Sheet Music
15. / Farewell to the star spangled banner. 186- / Historic American Sheet Music
16. / Down at Jasper Johnson's jamboree. 1914 / Historic American Sheet Music
17. / Poor Charlie; Old slave who ran away & was carried back to his master. 1855 / Historic American Sheet Music
18. / The female slaves lament / / Sheet Music
19. / Spirit rappings. 1853 / Historic American Sheet Music
20. / Make my grave in the lowlands low; Negro slaves lament. 1867 / Historic American Sheet
An Adventure of the American Mind
Illinois State University