There's more to music than a memorable tune. The songs of those who were enslaved reveal the harsh realities of their lives. Using both songs and slave narratives, historians uncover this hidden history. The lesson plan incorporates a variety of activities, including listening exercises and writing prompts. 

Concepts

slavery, african american history, american music, primary source analysis, primary sources, slave narratives

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use as an introductory activity to talk about the lives of enslaved people in America

Classroom Considerations

• First in a six-part Freedom is Coming series
• Lesson requires use of a mentioned CD set or other recordings of the songs in the activity

Pros

• Lesson integrates a number of skills
• Primary sources focus on the words of enslaved people

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.9-10.3.a W.9-10.3.b W.9-10.3.c W.9-10.3.d W.9-10.3.e RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.9-10.4 RH.9-10.10