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Unit Plan
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Slave Narratives: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and the Columbian Orator

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Young historians practice in-depth, quality analysis of primary source texts in this three-lesson unit, which examines excerpts from the slave narratives of Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs, and Caleb Bingham. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reliving History through Slave Narratives

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Studying the Life of Henry Bibb

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
After reading primary and secondary source materials about the life of Henry Bibb, individuals identify a core democratic value Bibb demonstrated and give examples drawn from their readings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reliving History Through Slave Narratives

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Many Reasons To Leave

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners read a variety of narratives from fugitive slaves, discuss the many reasons slaves had to leave and what dangers they faced when living as a fugitive. They write and present a fictional narrative incorporating their observations.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Coffles

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read several slave narratives that comment on the ways in which slaves were transported from market to market. They write three original pieces expressing the viewpoint of a man, woman and child in captivity.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Unchained Memories

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders consider what life was like for American slaves. In this primary source analysis lesson, 11th graders read slave narratives from Unchained Memories and then participate in a discussion about the conditions in which...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Primary Sources in the Classroom:Slavery Unit: Point of View of Former Slaves

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars read slave narratives. In this Federal Writers' Project lesson, students explore slave narratives to discover details regarding legal status, roles of slaves, religion, family, and treatment of slaves. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MANY REASONS TO LEAVE

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research different economic, cultural, and social characteristics of slavery after 1800, how slavery hindered the emergence of capitalist institutions and values, and slavery both prior to and after the Civil War.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ex-Slave Narratives and WPA Interviews

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students analyze documents related to slave narratives and slave interviews. They complete a document analysis form to analyze the contnet and historiography of the documents. They write a paragraph detailing when and why the document...