Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Reading Schedule
Preface; letter from Wendell Phillips; Ch. I & II------January 9
Voc. test--words #1-10------January 14
Chapters III, IV, V, VI------January 16
Note: No school on Mon., Jan 19 (in-service)
Voc. test--words #11-20------January 21
Chapters VII, VIII, IX------January 23
Writing days ------January 26, 27, 29
Voc. test—words #21-30------January 28
Essay #1 due Chapters X------January 30
Voc. test—words #31-40------February 4
Chapters XI & Appendix------February 6
Final test------February 10
Voc test #41-50------February 11
Note: No school Feb. 16. (Presidents Day)
Voc. test—words #51-60------February 18
Writing days------February 19, 20
Essay #2 due------February 23
Voc. test—words #61-70------February 25
Note: No school Feb 27 (P/T Conferences)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassAssignments
In addition to reading and classroom participation, completing vocabulary assignments and tests, you will write two short formal essays. Possible topics are listed. Prompts/essay questions may be combined.
The formalessays will fulfill the following requirements:
APA style throughout.
All elements of the papermust be submitted at the same time and as part of the same document. If you forget to submit the References page with the body of the paper, you will receive a zero for plagiarism. If you submit a paper with a References page, but you have neglected to make citations throughout the paper, you will receive a 50% deduction. Plagiarism is serious and has serious consequences.
Organize your writing in five-paragraph essay format.
Essays must be word processed (Times New Roman, 12 pts., double-spaced). You may add clip art if you desire and if it adds to the total message of the paper.Always include captions to explain the pictures and include citations to credit material. Concerning clip art: DO NOT place clip art in the middle of text and expect the teacher to read across a picture. Place the picture to one side or the other, to the top or bottom.
The essay will useThe Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave as a source, though more sources are needed (minimum of one more source). Cite page numbers when you refer to the text. Cite sources which you use for any project (Internet sources should be reliable. Sources MUST have anauthor and/or be produced by an educational or professional institution and sources MUST have copyright dates. This is not negotiable). Take careful note: Sources such as answers.com, Cliff notes, Spark Notes, enotes, wikianswerswill NOT be accepted as scholarly works. When in doubt, ask the teacher.
Include a References page in APA format as the last page of the document.
Creative and insightful writing is expected. Questions listed after topics are merely intended to get you started. It is important to go beyond the questions in order to delve into the topic. A combination of writing prompts may be used to spur your writing. A clear thesis statement needs to be developed which will focus your writing. Note the due date for the thesis statement.
All papers will be submitted anonymously. A physical copy of the paper/project will be submitted anonymously and a digital file should also be sent to the teacher by the due date. The teacher will give directions. Failure to follow directions regarding labeling the papers will result in a 5% penalty.
Expected length for each paper: 400-800 words.
**Remember that while an opinion may be called for, you need to write your paper formally and with specific examples from the text to support your opinions. That means you MUST have citations AND a References page.
1. Why are William Lloyd Garrison's and Wendell Phillips's preface and letter, respectively, included at the beginning of theNarrative?
2. In Chapter II, Douglass expresses his belief that education will set him free. What does he mean by this? Is this essentially an optimistic view? If he were today, would he still hold this view?
3. How does Douglass describe New Bedford, Massachusetts? How does this description undermine economic arguments in favor of slavery?
4. Analyze the various references to American Revolutionaries in Douglass’sNarrative.How does Douglass’s use of these references differ from Garrison’s and Phillips’s? Why is the phrase “An American Slave” included in Douglass’s title?
5. What are the various ways that Douglass expresses the horrors of slavery? Why does he do this?
6. What are Douglass’s perceptions of the north?
7. Several times in hisNarrative,Douglass expresses his view that slavery is bad for both whites and blacks. In what ways is slavery detrimental to the South?
8. What were some important turning points in Douglass's life? To what extent did his "take-charge" attitude create these turning points?
9.Analyze Douglass’s treatment of Christianity in theNarrative. Why does he include his “Appendix”?