Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Between The Lines: Inferences In The Narrative Life Of Frederick Douglass Excerpt

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Good literature can be much like an iceberg requiring readers to presume that the bulk of the meaning may be inferred to be found below the surface. Here's a activity that asks scholars to conduct a close reading of passages from The...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing Historical Context: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

For Teachers 7th Standards
Is it possible to judge a book by its cover? Scholars analyze and make predictions using various cover images of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. They then discuss the difference between autobiographies and biographies....
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing the Process for Close Reading: Meeting Frederick Douglass

For Teachers 7th Standards
To learn more about Frederick Douglass, class members complete close reads of excerpts from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. They complete a close reading guide and questions for each excerpt. Pupils then add to the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Dou

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders explore the concept that education is related to freedom. In this human rights activity, 9th graders read The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. Students dialogue about their readings and education as it relates to human...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Why Did Douglass Write the Narrative?

For Teachers 7th Standards
Readers take another look at  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to determine the purpose of the text. They use Frederick Douglass’s Purpose: Text and Questions handout and a close reading guide to direct their thinking. To...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Poetic Tools in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

For Teachers 7th Standards
Scholars listen to a reading and answer probing questions about If We Must Die by Claude McKay. Readers annotate their personal copies of the poem as they discuss its figurative language, vocabulary, and meaning. They then transfer...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Introducing the Performance Task: The Children’s Book

For Teachers 7th Standards
Using a Venn diagram, class members generate similarities and differences between narratives and summaries. Next, pupils co-create an anchor chart to capture their thinking about how an author zooms in on a particular part of a story. 
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Reflecting on Douglass’s Narrative

For Teachers 7th Standards
The conclusion of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass comes to life in a reader's theater. The class discusses the use of quotation marks in the text and then divides parts among the groups. After the performances,...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Discussing and Identifying Themes: What Makes a Good Children’s Book?

For Teachers 7th Standards
Working in small groups, scholars look closely at a children's book to evaluate narrative techniques. Next, they complete a Children's Book Scavenger Hunt worksheet to analyze the literary elements of their selected stories. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dedication to Douglass

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study the controversy surrounding the proposed Frederick Douglass Circle monument in Central Park. They review the notion of historical inaccuracy by reading and discussing the article, "In Douglass Tribute, Slave Folklore and...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Douglass’s Purpose: An Escape Attempt

For Teachers 7th Standards
Time for more team work! Class members work in a team once again to complete Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Excerpt 5 Analysis note catcher. Before beginning, teams review the Group Work anchor chart and roles....
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Douglass’s Purpose: Learning to Read

For Teachers 7th Standards
Three for three. Groups of three complete Analysis note catchers that cover excerpt three of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Before beginning, learners discuss group work by looking at the excerpt analysis role document...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing the Children’s Book: Day Three

For Teachers 7th Standards
Illustrations are a key feature of children's books. Using the resource, pupils learn about adding illustrations to their children's books. Next, as they complete their storyboards and work on their second drafts, they consider their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Writing an Analysis Essay: Planning the Essay

For Teachers 7th Standards
Writers work on creating a plan for their end-of-unit essay of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass using a Frederick Douglass Essay Planner to help guide their thought process. They then regroup as a class to...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

End of Unit 2 Assessment: Writing the Analysis Essay, Part 2

For Teachers 7th Standards
Writers have 30 minutes to add the final touches to their end-of-unit assessments for Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Those finishing early review their work. After the 30 minutes, learners use the time to review their...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Analyzing Powerful Language: Learning to Read

For Teachers 7th Standards
The power of a word. Readers learn the importance of word choice in shaping a text by using a Powerful Language T-chart to separate strong words and phrases from those that are more bland. They then complete a third read and question set...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Bringing Douglass’s Words to Life: The Fight with Covey

For Teachers 7th Standards
Readers have the opportunity to bring the words from an excerpt of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass to life. They use strategies from the Storyteller’s Toolbox anchor chart as a guide and then work in pairs to prepare...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Understanding Douglass’s Words: An Escape Attempt

For Teachers 7th Standards
Make a match! Scholars play a matching game after looking at excerpt five from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Learners match types of figurative language with example sentences, and add to their powerful language word wall...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Civil War Experience

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study the Civil War. In this Civil War lesson, 8th graders read and analyze primary sources. Students complete handouts in relation to the primary sources.  
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Seneca Falls and Suffrage: Teaching Women's History with Comics

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
As part of the study of women's history, young scholars examine Chester Comix's strips about the Seneca Falls Convention and four 19th century leaders in the struggle for equal rights. After researching other elements of the Suffrage...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hawthorne: Author and Narrator

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read various pieces of literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne to recognize the difference between a narrator and author. Students in small groups report on the narrative point of view represented in a story they have read.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Am What I Think I Am!

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners study conative and cognitive strengths through characters in literature. In this conative and cognitive strength lesson, students read about a favorite character or historical person. They make a chart of the difficulties the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Literature of Democracy

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders analyze how American literature shows a lot of different genres. In groups, 11th graders create a short report about the passage they have chosen.
Lesson Plan
Other

Freedom on the Move: The Lion's Side: Creating a Resistance Newspaper

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will use the Freedom on the Move database of runaway slave ads to re-envision runaway ads to reflect the bravery of the enslaved who liberated themselves. They will construct narratives from the perspective of formerly enslaved...