The Legacy of Slavery

1. The Legacy of Slavery Grades 4-5 A PowerPoint Presentation By Amanda E. Baird Dr. Helms Spring 2001 ED 417-01

2. Rationale The goal of this project is to inform the students of the complexities of the issues of slavery. Students will leave this unit with an appreciation of the horrors the United States has endured and overcome.

3. Strand 1: American Heritage**This includes aspects of the past that help to make American People unique among the peoples of the world while at the same time recognizing what we have in common with others Websites • Library of Congress “American Memory” http://lcweb2.loc.gov/amhome.html • American Social History Project Center http://www.ashp.cuny.edu/ • Civil War http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/history/marshall/military/civil_war_usa/ • Martin Luther King Project http://www.stanford.edu/group/king/ • Social Studies Online http://www.ncss.org/

4. American Heritage (cont’d) Activities • Research the life of Harriet Tubman • Read Frederick Douglass and the Fight for Freedom and keep a reading response journal • Examine how geography influenced slave labor • Create a timeline covering the existence of slave labor in the U.S. • Watch and discuss A&E’s video biography of Frederick Douglass

5. Strand 2: People in Societies**Recognizes that the United States and the world encompass many different racial, ethnic, and religious groups Websites • African Studies Association http://www.sas.upenn.edu/African_Studies/AS.html • American Studies Crossroad http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/index.html • Antiviolence Education http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/projects/HalBurbach • Community Festivals http://festivals.com/cgi-shl/dbml.exe?Template=/festivals/homepage • Museum Computer Network http://www.mcn.edu/sitesonline.htm

6. People in Societies (cont’d) Activities • Explore the first forms of slavery in America (indentured servants, etc.) • Study the motivations of the slave traders • Locate the Middle Passage(s) across the Atlantic Ocean • Examine how slave songs influenced musical styles such as jazz, blues, and hip hop • Write a report about Kwanzaa and its importance to African-American culture

7. Strand 3: World Interactions**Explores the links people make around the world as they attempt to address common problems Websites • Geo Web http://www.ggrweb.com/ • The Global Schoolhouse http://www.gsn.org/ • Electronic Resources for Geography http://www.faculty.acu.edu/~armstrongl/geography/geog.htm • World Atlas http://gheos.com/atlas/ • Map Viewer http://pubweb.parc.xerox.com/map

8. World Interactions (cont’d) Activities • On a map, locate other countries and societies that used slavery at one point in time • Using a map of the United States, identify former slave states and free states • Discuss or consider what climatic conditions of the South make it an ideal environment for growing various plantation crops; create a chart representing this

9. World Interactions (cont’d) Activities cont’d • Study the Underground Railroad’s influences on the slave movement • Pretending to be a slave, create an escape route from a slave state to a free state using cities, natural landmarks, etc. on a map

10. Strand 4: Decision Making & Resources**Focuses on decisions individuals and societies make in addressing wants Websites • Econ Ed Web http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/ • Stock Market Simulation http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/edu/RSE/RSEyellow/gnb.html • Landmarks for Schools http://www.landmark-project.com/eco-market/ • Theodore Tugboat http://www.cochran.com/corporate/ • Federal Reserve Board http://www.federalreserve.gov/

11. Decision Making & Resources (cont’d) Activities • Identify commercial goods that advertise using slave stereotypes (ex. Uncle Ben) • Analyze how slaves and slaveholding affected the Southern economy • Uncover the reasons and results of the boycott of the Mobile, Alabama bus system

12. Decision Making & Resources (cont’d) Activities cont’d • Predict what would happen today if there were a boycott of a major means of transportation (ex. Air travel) • Discuss how slaves and animals were treated financially by slaveholders and slave traders

13. Strand 5: Democratic Processes**Examines the principles of democracy and explores the extent to which governments reflect those principles. Websites • Supreme Court Collection http://www.supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/index.html • Congress.Org http://congress.org/ • U.S. Department of Justice http://www.usdoj.gov/ • Department of Labor http://www.dol.gov/ • Welcome to the State of Ohio http://www.ohio.gov/

14. Democratic Processes (cont’d) Activities • Discuss the rights of African-Americans before the Civil Rights Movement • Research court decisions affecting Black America • Make a list of the rights of the typical slave in the South and compare it to the rights of their slaveholders • Create a simulation of a segregated society by arbitrarily dividing the class into two groups • Learn about the Emancipation Proclamation: what it said as well as what it meant to the slaves

15. Strand 6: Citizenship Rights & Responsibilities **Context for examining those activities that are part of an adult’s public life Websites • Government http://www.npac.sur.edu/textbook/kidsweb/government.html • International Information Programs http://usinfo.state.goveducation/cybex.htm • Public Citizen http://www.citizen.org/ • Civic Practices Network http://www.cpn.org/ • Idea Central http://www.epn.org/ideacentral/

16. Citizenship Rights & Responsibilities (cont’d) Activities • Piece together an understanding of slavery by surveying various accounts given by both slaves and slaveholders • Hold a mock debate between the “North” and “South” concerning slavery • Make a list of the contributing factors of the Civil War

17. Citizenship Rights & Responsibilities (cont’d) Activities cont’d • Make a bulletin board display for the school emphasizing the history and origins of slavery • Create an abolitionist newspaper that includes class-written articles defending the rights of the slaves

18. Strand 7: Science, Technology, and Society**Covers the contributions of the scientific world and addresses the ever-changing world in which we live Websites • Ask ERIC http://ericir.syr.edu/ • Classroom Connect http://www1.classroom.com/ • Teacher Network http://www.teachnet.org/ • National Public Radio http://www.npr.org/ • The History Net http://www.thehistorynet.com/

19. Science, Technology, and Society (cont’d) Activities • Discuss how the cotton gin changed farming techniques in the South • Select a plantation crop (ex. Rice, tobacco, etc.) and learn about its life cycle, growth patterns, etc. • Use the world wide web to create a biography of Sojourner Truth

20. Science, Technology, and Society (cont’d) Activities cont’d • Listen to music that incorporates the slave song tradition • Examine how religion played a role in the life of the slave

21. Conclusion These unit ideas are designed for a fourth or fifth grade classroom. Before engaging in any of these lessons, it is wise to consider the beliefs and practices of your local school district. It is through units such as these that we may be able to heal as a nation from the traumas we have experienced in the past.