Library of Congress
Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act
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...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Political Struggle, 1865-1866
Healing versus justice. The central source of tension following the United States Civil War was between the demands for healing and the demands for justice, the battle between President Andrew Johnson and Congress. A video introduces the...
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Make an ABC Book of Slavery And the Underground Railroad
Pupils learn about a topic through research, drawing, and the production of a finished product
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John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry and John Brown's Body
Fourth graders discuss John's Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry. In this John Brown lesson, 4th graders analyze a newspaper article about the raid, and write a descriptive obituary about John Brown. Students view pictures of John Brown...
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Fredrick Douglass...A Digital History
Seventh graders research the life of Fredrick Douglass. In this Fredrick Douglass lesson, 7th graders read about his life and discuss it. They write poetry describing his experience as a slave and create their own monument for Fredrick...
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A New Birth of Freedom: Black Soldiers in the Union Army
Students investigate the history of civil rights by viewing historical photographs. In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss why Black Soldiers fought for their rights by joining the Union Army in the 1800's. Students...
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Henry's Freedom Box
Third graders create a shipping box from a cardboard material. In this measuring instructional activity, 3rd graders read the book Henry's Freedom Box and discuss the main idea. In the story a slave ships himself to freedom and the...
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Making the Connection With Quilts
Fourth graders explore history of Underground Railroad in Indiana and discover how slaves were assisted on their journey using codes displayed in different quilt blocks. Students examine connection quilts have to ancestry and family...
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Underground Railroad
Learners explore the Underground Railroad. In this U.S. history and technology lesson, students research an assigned topic related to the Underground Railroad, such as "abolitionist," "conductor," or "station houses." ...
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Before Brother Fought Brother: People and Places in the North and South
Middle schoolers use census records to research and compare the population and economies in two counties within the same valley (Franklin Country Pennsylvania (North) and Augusta County, Virginia (South) in the pre Civil War era.
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Gullah People of the Sea Islands
Students examine the history and culture of the Gullah people. They study the geography, impact of industrialization and effects of tourism on the people of Gullah. They view films, use a large map of West Africa,. Students will listen...
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Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream" Speech
Invite your class to investigate racism and civil rights by analyzing the great Dr. Martin Luther King's speech. Your learners will read the words from the "I Have a Dream" speech and analyze the political and racial overtones. They will...
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Writing With Punch
Students watch the series "Unforgiveable Blackness". They examine the media's response to Jack Johnson in the film. They role-play the role of reporters to compose poems of headlines.
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Examining Secondary Sources: The American Revolution
Learners who have a grasp on the events of the Revolutionary war view clips from five different films as secondary sources. They take notes on each clip thinking about historic inaccuracies. They then view parts of the film The Patriot...
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How Often Do You Interact with People of Another Race or Ethnicity?
Is interacting with people from different backgrounds part of a well-rounded education? A big question awaits young readers as they explore two New York Times articles that discuss modern-day segregation, population statistics, and...
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The Roots of Prohibition: Examining the Effort to Prohibit Alcohol in America
Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...
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Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: A Compare and Contrast Lesson Plan
Two great men, one time period, and one purpose; it sounds like a movie trailer, but it's not. It's a very good comparative analysis lesson focused on Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Learners will research and read informational...
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Take a Ride on the Underground Railroad
High schoolers explore the issues of American slavery, the abolitionist movements, and the pursuit of freedom that is found in art, literature, and music from that period in American history. Students determine the major personalities...
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The Terrible Transformation: Freedom Denied
Students learn about the legal foundations for slavery and explore autobiographical writings of slaves. Students trace the development of laws that enforced the slave status of Africans and their descendants.
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People, Not Numbers: Bringing 12 Million into Personal Ter
Students forge a compassionate link to the large numbers of people who were the victims of slavery as opposed to thinking of them simply in terms of numbers. They perform a math exercise to put the number of people in slavery into...
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American Quilts
Third graders are introduced to new vocabulary associated with slavery and the Underground Railroad. In groups, they use the vocabulary to identify the various ranges of freedom and create their own vocabulary webs. To end the lesson,...
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Underground Travelers
Young scholars are introduced to new vocabulary associated with the Underground Railroad. Using primary sources, they evaluate the railroad's impact on society in the past and today. They also make a judgment about the morality of the...
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Midnight Train To Freedom
Students research, discuss and study about the Underground Railroad and examine the risks associated with escaping slavery by reading the article "North Toward Home." They create a museum book to accompany a teacher-created exhibit on...
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Knowledge is Power
Students explore the distinct forms of knowledge that enslaved Africans brought with them to America or developed while enslaved. They study how political movements of the 18th century helped develop abolitionist thinking.