Young scholars examine the experience of the middle passage of slaves. They review slave songs and discuss their common themes. They develop a monologue in which they integrate a fragment of an actual slave song into a poem they have...

Young scholars investigate slavery in America circa the American Revolution. They will examine point- of view and perspective as they research a variety of informational resources. While this is designed to be used with the PBS video...

Students analyze primary and secondary sources to explore slavery and emancipation, and write letter or diary entry from point of view of slave Hannah Harris or plantation owner Robert Carter. Students then dramatize their creative...

Students research colonial Maryland. In this colonial Maryland instructional activity, students participate in a WebQuest to investigate how families led their lives long ago. Students compare family and city life from long ago and...

Social studies learners explore slavery in the American colonies from 1607 to the Revolutionary War. In groups, they explore a PBS website and a virtual museum. Using these websites and other online resources, students create their own...

The book, Samuel's Choice is used to illustrate the decisions that African Americans who were enslaved during the Revolutionary War had to make. The series of four lessons is designed to be implemented after the book is read. The book,...

Eighth graders bring early America to life. In this George Washington lesson, 8th graders listen to a lecture about the first president, explore the relationships he had with his slaves, and research the backgrounds of some of his...

Fourth graders create their classroom rules.  For this Mayflower Compact lesson, 4th graders listen to the Plymouth story and learn about the Mayflower Compact.  Students analyze the Mayflower Compact and create a class compact...

Fifth graders read a book about independence, freedom, and slavery. Students create a story map of the book. They research the causes of the Civil War. Students write a newspaper article from the point of view of an American colonist.

Fifth graders engage in this introductory unit lesson. A bulletin board for the unit be started, Colonial Notebooks be presented to each student, and a pre-test on colonization be administered.

Students, after reading the Transatllantic Slave Trade, create a color coded triple-timeline to help them explain the chronological streams that flow through the essay.