Slavery from the Colonial Period until the Civil War

Download PDF

The Basics

 

Subject Area and/or Course Title:

United States History

 

Targeted Grade Level:

8

 

Time Required:

3-4 55 minute class periods

 

Related Standards:

SS.8.A.1.5 Identify within both Primary and Secondary Sources the author, audience, format

SS.8.A.1.7 View historic events through the eyes of those who were there as shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts; SS.8.A.2.3 Differentiate economic systems of New England, Middle and Southern colonies including indentured servants and slaves as labor sources.

SS.8.A.2.7 Describe the contributions of key groups (Africans, Native Americans, women, and children) to the society and culture of colonial America.

SS.8.A.3.15 Examine this time period (1763-1815) from the perspective of historically under-represented groups (children, indentured servants, Native Americans, slaves, women, working -class)

SS.8.A.5.2 Analyze the role of slavery in the development of sectional conflict.

 

Author:

Tammy Ramirez

 

The Lesson

 

Introductory Narrative to Lesson:

Students will have already learned about the capture of slaves in West Africa. It is important for students to understand why Africans participated in the slave trade and continued to be a part of the slavery practice rather than actively resist.

 

Instructional Goals or Objectives:

Students will understand why Africans were willing participants in the slave trade; Students will be able to describe what captured Africans endured during captivity and transport; Students will understand what life was like for a slave during the Colonial period until the Civil War.


Procedures/Lesson Activities:

Day 1:

1.

Complete Graphic Organizer from History Alive! America's past (see full lesson plan for the questions)

2.

pre-teach vocabulary: transported, gentlemen, lash, plight

3. Recommended recording: http://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200196407/ (song)
4. Students will use “the story behind the song” strategy to analyze the song.

Describe:

What do I hear?

What facts do I know?

What else do I want to know? 

Listening:

What strikes you most about this song?

What line is most memorable to you? Why?

What strikes you about the melody? Why?

Write down “images” that the music “paints.” What vivid metaphors, similes; nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs are in the lyrics?

What voice(s) do you hear?

Who is telling the story?

Gathering facts:    

Who wrote the song?

Where and how was the song composed?

Who were the song’s “consumers”: performers, listeners, singers, accompanists?

How was the song performed? ...Listened to? (Where would you have heard it?)

How was it distributed?

Analyze: How did they do it?

Whose voice are the lyrics written in? First, second or third person? Singular or plural? Dialect?

When you reflect on the lyrics what is the beginning of the song about?
Middle? Ending? Do any words or phrases include figurative language?
What is the purpose of the song: to entertain, convince or persuade, express an emotion, encourage, tell a story, commemorate?
Is the singer playing a role or singing as themselves? How does that effect the meaning of the song?

Interpret: What does it mean? What can I assume or infer?

What is the singer trying to make the listener do, think, or feel?
What emotions does the song express?
What questions does this song raise in your mind? Where could you look for answers to those questions?
What opinion, if any, is the songwriter expressing through the song?

Complete the above with a partner with the assistance of an I-pad for additional research
Share responses out with the class


DAY 2

1.

Students will complete part 2 of the graphic organizer (see full lesson plan for the questions)

2. pre-teach vocabulary: wretch, grace, toils, snares, Portion, veil
3. recommended recording of “Amazing Grace”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVcjnNry4do
4.

Students will use the Story behind the song strategy to analyze the song


Listening:

What strikes you most about this song?

What line is most memorable to you? Why?

What strikes you about the melody? Why?

Write down “images” that the music “paints.” What vivid metaphors, similes; nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs are in the lyrics?

What voice(s) do you hear?  Who is telling the story?


Gathering facts:

Who wrote the song? Where and how was the song composed?

Who were the song’s “consumers”: performers, listeners, singers, accompanists?

How was the song performed? ...Listened to? Where would you have heard it?)

How was it distributed?

When was the song popular? On what occasions was it sung?

What cultural, occupational, or gender group does the song represent (or misrepresent)?

Whose point of view is emphasized? Is the composer a member of that group?


Analyze: How did they do it?

Whose voice are the lyrics written in? First, second or third person? Singular or plural? Dialect?
When you reflect on the lyrics what is the beginning of the song about? Middle? Ending?
Do any words or phrases include figurative language? What do these phrases mean?
What is the purpose of the song: to entertain, convince or persuade, express an emotion, encourage, tell a story, commemorate?
Is the singer playing a role or singing as themselves? How does that effect the meaning of the song?

Interpret: What does it mean? What can I assume or infer?

What is the singer trying to make the listener do, think, or feel?
What emotions does the song express?

What questions does this song raise in your mind? Where could you look for answers to those questions?

What opinion, if any, is the songwriter expressing through the song?

Have students work with a partner and use an iPad to answer as many of the questions as they can. We will then share out with the class.


DAY 3

Students will complete the last page of the graphic organizer, focusing on the dilemma of African American slaves (see full lesson plan for the questions)

pre-teach vocabulary: Daniel, Jonah, fiery furnace, Canaan, gourd, Quail, peg foot
recommended recordings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjBZEMkmwYA  “Follow the Drinking Gourd”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHT6XVFtRo  “Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel”

Students will work with a partner to complete the graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the two songs

This will lead to a discussion beginning the lesson on the Underground Railroad.


Assessment and Evaluation:

Students will be able to write a five paragraph essay explaining why Africans participated in and continued to be a part of slavery in the Americas.

 

Closure/Reflection:

I believe that this lesson will help students see the slaves as more of a human  being than the slave owners would have liked them to be seen. The music will bring their feelings to life.

 

Resources/Materials:


"Amazing Grace." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace>.

Clark, George Washington. "The Liberty Minstrel." Preface. The Liberty Minstrel. Boston: Leavitt and Austin, 1844. N. pag. Print.

Epstein, Dena J. "Worksongs." Sinful Tunes and Spirituals: Black Folk Music to the Civil War. Urbana: U of Illinois, 1977. 177. Print.

"Follow the Drinkin' Gourd." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 July 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Follow_the_Drinkin%27_Gourd>.

"Gullah Music Web Site Launch." Gullah Music Web Site Launch. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2015. <http://www.knowitall.org/gullahmusic/popup/amazing.html>.

Phipps, Wintley. "Amazing Grace, by Wintley Phipps.flv." YouTube. YouTube, 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 July 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVcjnNry4do>.

Romalis, Liam. "Eric Bibb Follow The Drinking Gourd." YouTube. YouTube, 19 Mar. 2013. Web. 27 July 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjBZEMkmwYA>.

"Seeger Family Concert." The Library of Congress. N.p., 2007. Web. 23 July 2015. <http://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200196407/>.

Smithsonian Folkways. "Paul Robeson - "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?"" YouTube. YouTube, 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 28 July 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHT6XVFtRo>.

Compare and Contrast two songs graphic organizer
History Alive! America's Past textbook or any textbook that discusses the dilemma of Africans participating in the slave trade

iPad for additional research

 

 

 

 

 
 
Creative Commons License
Voices Across Time is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at voices.pitt.edu/Permissions.html.