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Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Can Words Lead to War?

For Teachers 7th Standards
"Words, words, words." Despite Hamlet's opinion, words can be significant. In this inquiry lesson, middle schoolers learn how the words in Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, in the view of many, lead to the American Civil War. To...
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Unit Plan
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Livaudais-Baker English Classroom

Kindred

For Teachers 11th Standards
This first in a series of four resources is designed for instructors to use Octavia E. Butler's Kindred in their classes. The packet includes an overview of the unit, a day-to-day calendar, links to background articles, and reading...
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Lesson Plan
Heritage Foundation

Slavery and the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's hard to believe the abolition movement was once seen as scandalous. Help learners understand how the US Constitution changed everything. A variety of activities such as corresponding reading activities, group work ideas, and...
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Activity
University of Virginia

Student Page: Uncle Tom's Cabin and American Culture

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
History sleuths read articles for and against Uncle Tom's Cabin, examine visual images, print responses, and multi-media tomitudes to better understand the impact of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel on American culture prior to the Civil...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While many have heard of Harriet Tubman, few are aware of the many ways this remarkable woman was involved in the United States Civil War, the abolitionist movement, and the Underground Railroad. Young historians examine primary source...
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Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Slavery in the Constitution

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Young historians may be surprised to learn that the Constitution of the United States includes provisions that protect the institution of slavery. Groups examine four clauses of the Constitution, as well as other primary sources, and...
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Activity
1
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Livaudais-Baker English Classroom

Kindred Unit Project

For Students 11th Standards
To conclude a unit study of Octavia E. Butler's Kindred, groups use MovieMaker or the class website to publish an original story about slavery in America. The detailed project assignment sheet includes a list of possible topics,...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Slavery and Civil Disobedience: Christiana Riot of 1851

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
When is it a moral obligation to disobey the law or to fight back? Using primary sources that document the "Christiana Riot" of 1851, learners consider these questions. The firsthand accounts tell the story of the riot, which happened...
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Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Untold Story: The Black Struggle for Freedom during the Revolutionary War in Maryland

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
The American Revolution brought freedom to select groups and ignored others. An enlightening resource highlights the struggle of African Americans during the American Revolution and their efforts to escape slavery. Scholars analyze...
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Lesson Plan
2
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Smithsonian Institution

Fighting For Freedom: The Stono Rebellion and Free Frank McWhorter

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Travel back in time to the Stono Rebellion. Young historians research historical figures who played a role in African Americans' fight to escape slavery. Scholars research material, complete handouts, participate in group discussion, and...
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Activity
Digital Public Library of America

The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
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Activity
Digital Public Library of America

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin has generated controversy since its publication in 1852. Here is a set of 12 primary sources that capture the controversies of the times while adding dimension and depth to any study of the novel.
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Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Discover the Mary Ann Shadd Cary House

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Mary Ann Shadd Cary was an extraordinary woman, no matter the time period. Academics research the life and achievements of Mrs. Cary, who was born a free African American in 1823. The lesson uses primary sources, worksheets, written...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Oh Freedom! Sought Under the Fugitive Slave Act

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Using the harrowing story of the Crafts, a couple enslaved in the South who escaped to freedom, young historians trace the story of the Fugitive Slave Act. After examining documents, including affidavits and arrest warrants for the...
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Interactive
DocsTeach

Twelve Years a Slave

For Teachers 8th - 12th
It's difficult to truly grasp the effects of slavery. Young historians use historical analysis to understand the struggle of slavery on African Americans. The resource provides text from the autobiography Twelve Years a Slave to help...
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Worksheet
Reading Through History

The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
Why was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 so important? The reading in the resource discusses how the act affected Southerners, Northerners, and the slaves themselves. Scholars complete the reading as a form of direct instruction while...
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Unit Plan
Southern Poverty Law Center

Teaching Hard History: A Framework for Teaching American Slavery

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Pupils investigate American slavery from colonial times through the Civil War. They incorporate primary sources, video clips, and firsthand accounts to understand how the slavery issue gripped the nation. Essays, presentations, and...
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Activity
Library of Congress

Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the novel...
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Activity
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Harriet Beecher Stowe Sends Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Victoria and Albert, 1852

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Harriet Beecher Stowe's plea for abolition is not only laid plain in her acclaimed novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, but in her written correspondence as well. High schoolers read a letter written by Stowe to Prince Albert and Queen Victoria to...
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Worksheet
Scholastic

Harriet Tubman: Moses of Her People

For Students 4th - 6th Standards
Who was Harriet Tubman, and what was her place on the Underground Railroad? Recall the bravery and achievements of this extraordinary figure with a short, engaging informational text and crossword puzzle.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Running for Freedom: The FUgitive Slave law and the Coming of the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 10th
In order to understand the complicated nature of slave laws during the Civil War, learners compare and contrast an abolitionist poster and a runaway slave ad. They use an attached worksheet to consider each primary source document, then...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmarks of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, 9th graders read about the Shadrach Minkins case and discuss the details of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Students consider how the Underground...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad Newspaper

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders write an Underground Railroad Newspaper. In this writing lesson students collaborate with their classmates to create an Underground Newspaper. Students each write a different portion of the paper: ads, feature articles,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Underground Railroad (Fugitive Slave Act of 1850)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read and discuss the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. They listen to the story of Reverend John Rankin, a reverend who openly broke the law to help free escape. They evaluate and debate the morality or immorality of breaking the...