L. DeBardelabenLandmarks of the Underground Railroad Workshop Lesson Plan
INTRODUCTION TO LESSON
August 2006
Dear Colleague:
TheEmancipation of the Mind lesson plan is based on the Understanding by Design (UBD) model, created by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005). According to UBD, designing curriculum starts by first considering what students will understand at the close of the lesson. The essential question and guiding questions are key components of a UBD lesson plan.
Emancipation of the Mind focuses on the quest for education, literacy, learning, and self-improvement among formerly enslaved African Americans before the Civil War, using Henry Bibb as a case study. Carter G. Woodson was one the first historians to interpret the historical experience of African Americans in education. The content for this lesson plan comes from several print and online resources, including Woodson’s Journal of Negro History.
In this lesson you will find:
(1) two fifty (50) minute lessons (p. 2-3);
(2) an identification of Michigan Benchmarks and Standards (p.4);
(3) assignment guidelines (p. 5);
(4) a recommended reading list (p. 6);
(5) an assessment rubric (p.7);
(6) history-based articles (p. 8-14);
(7) history-based speeches (p. 15-25); and
(8) a meaningless letter to be used in the anticipatory set (p. 25).
A PowerPoint presentation has been created to accompany this lesson. Articles found on JSTOR are also attached. It is highly encouraged that you read the graphic and moving account recorded in Henry Bibb’s autobiography ( It is also desirous that you read the sources from the reading list.
I hope you will find this unit relevant and applicable to your classroom instruction.
DAY ONECourse:U.S. History
Unit: Slavery and Emancipation
Lesson Title: Emancipation of the Mind
Objective: Students will gain a greater understanding of the efforts at education, learning, literacy, and self-improvement among black Americans who escaped slavery in the antebellum era.
Time Frame: 50 minutes
Materials: Russian letter, Bibb PowerPoint, Assignment Guidelines
Essential Question: Did the Underground Railroad provide the means and resources to obtain literacy and education for black Americans who escaped slavery?
Guiding Questions:
What role did the desire for self-improvement play in the quest for education and literacy?
By what means did Black Americans obtain education after escaping slavery?
What role did free blacks and/or black institutions (churches, literary societies, mutual aid societies, anti-slavery societies, fraternal organizations) play in the education of freedom-seekers?
Anticipatory Set
(3 minutes) / Give students a sealed envelope. Explain that the students cannot open the envelope until you give instructions. Ask students, once they open the envelope, to read the short article in it. Explain to students that the article contains important directions about how to find a hidden five hundred dollar bill that is stashed somewhere in the school building. Assure the students that this is no joke, there really is a five hundred dollar bill hidden somewhere in the school building. Direct the students to open the envelope and read the article. The article is written in ancient Cyrillic, therefore the students will not understand a single word of it. Introduce the idea of illiteracy among black Americans in antebellum America (and pull out a fake $500 from your pocket).
Guided Instruction
(17 minutes) / Using the PowerPoint, tell the story of Henry Bibb from slide one. Discuss the questions on slide two.
Explain the limited educational opportunities for black Americans in the era; also share the limited educational opportunities for most Americans in antebellum America(women, lower class whites, immigrants, etc).
Discuss the network of individuals who assisted the enslaved on their journey to freedom (Underground Railroad). Finish telling students Henry Bibb’s eventual escape, his time in Detroit learning how to read and write, and his service as a journalist and abolitionist. Read excerpts from his autobiography from slides three through six.
Independent Practice (24 minutes) / Present the “Anti-Slavery Speech” assignment to students. Allow students to read over the guidelines individually. Then, read over the sheet with students. Be sure to clarify terms such as “antislavery”, “abolitionist”, “Vigilant Committee”, and “contemporary”. After all questions have been addressed, allow students to use the remainder of the class period to begin reviewing some of the primary documents.
Closing / None.
On-going Assessment / Allow students to continue independent research for two to four weeks. Occasionally use a few minutes of class time for students to discuss the progress of their research projects.
DAY TWO (two to four weeks later)
Course:U.S. History
Unit: Slavery and Emancipation
Lesson Title: Emancipation of the Mind
Objective: Students will gain a greater understanding of the efforts at education, learning, literacy, and self-improvement among black Americans who escaped slavery in the antebellum era.
Time Frame: 50 minutes
Materials:Tent, chairs, banner, microphone, speakers,
Essential Question: Did the Underground Railroad provide the means and resources to obtain literacy and education for black Americans who escaped slavery?
Guiding Questions:
What role did the desire for self-improvement play in the quest for education and literacy?
By what means did Black Americans obtain education after escaping slavery?
What role did free blacks and/or black institutions (churches, literary societies, mutual aid societies, anti-slavery societies, fraternal organizations) play in the education of freedom-seekers?
Anticipatory Set
(2 minutes) / This is the day of the speeches; create the feel of an antislavery convention. Rent a tent with chairs, a podium, and banners to be placed either in your field outside or in your gymnasium. Allow a musically inclined student to sing a Negro spiritual, or play a CD of a antebellum spiritual.
Guided Instruction
(2 minutes) / Set the context by reminding students of the status of the majority of African Americans in America at the time—enslaved and unable to access education.
Independent Practice
(30 minutes-one day) / Give each student three to four minutes to present their speech.
Closing
(10 minutes) / After all speeches have been given, debrief with students. Discuss the course that the education of black Americans took after the civil war (establishment of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), formation of public school systems, lock-down of blacks who attended Northern PWC in the North, etc) and the role that segregation played in the limitations of black Americans quest for education. Conclude by discussing the importance of education, especially a college education, in today’s society. Perhaps you can compare the role and value of a college education in the antebellum period to today.
On-going Assessment (6 minutes) / Students will write a brief reflection on 1) the big ideas they learned by listening to others’ speeches and 2) the big ideas they learned through their own research and presentation.
BENCHMARKS AND Standards
Literature
Standard 5: All students will read and analyze a wide variety of classical and contemporary literature and other text to seek information, ideas, enjoyment, and understanding of their individuality, our common heritage, and common humanity, and the rich diversity in our society.
M.4. Investigate and demonstrate understanding of the cultural and historical context of the themes, issues, and our common heritage as depicted in literature and other texts.
History
Strand 2: Comprehending the Past
All students will understand narratives about major eras of American and world history by identifying the people involved, describing the setting, and sequencing the events.
M.2 Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue.
M.4 Use historical biographies to explain how events from the past affected the lives of individuals and how some individuals influenced the course of history.
H.2 Identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue.
Strand 3: Analyzing and interpreting the Past
All students will reconstruct the past by comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating narratives from evidence.
M.4 Compose narratives of events from the history of Michigan and the United States prior to the era of Reconstruction.
Strand 4: Judging Decisions from the Past
All students will evaluate key decisions made at critical turning points in history by assessing their implications and long-term consequences.
M.4 Select historic decisions and evaluate them in light of core democratic values and resulting costs and benefits as viewed from a variety of perspectives.
Detroit[1] Anti-Slavery Movement Speech
Situation
It is December 2, 1853. Detroiters are actively involved in the anti-slavery and abolition movement. As a member of the Detroit Vigilant Committee, you have been invited to give a speech at the annual convention about the importance of the education of the Negro. This convention is bound to be one of the biggest and most important ones. In a unique move, both men and women have been invited to speak, of course on separate sides of the room at the Masonic Hall.
You have been asked to be well-versed on the ideology of your contemporaries, therefore, you must become familiar with their speeches and writings. Your contemporaries include black American abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass, Henry Bibb, Rev. Henry Highland Garnett, Sojourner Truth, George DeBaptiste, William Lambert, Maria Stewart, William Wells Brown, Robert Purvis,and others.
There are many speakers on the roster who will speak on various topics, so you have only been given three to four minutes to make your speech. Your speech should, in some way, mention the resources and activities of the Underground Railroad.
Resources
Use the attached reading list to conduct research using primary documents. You must read onedocument from EACH of the following categories:
An article from an abolitionist newspaper
A speech from a black American contemporary
A slave narrative from a black American contemporary
Guidelines
Your speech should be three to four minutes
Provide information about the importance of the education of black Americans from the perspective of an abolitionist in 1853
Your speech should be well-organized and have a convincing introduction, body, and conclusion
Assessment
You will be assessed on:
Quality of ideas
Speech shows original and creative thinking
Depth of information
Speech shows a depth of knowledge from bibliography resources
Fulfills lesson objectives
Speech convincingly answers the essential question and addresses at least one the guiding questions
emancipation of the mind Reading List
Abolitionist Newspapers Articles (attached)
“Teaching the Negroes to Read.” Frederick Douglass’ Paper,December 23, 1853(Rochester,
New York).
“On the Condition of the Free People of Color.” The Colored American,March 14, 1840
(New York, New York).
“Something New Under the Sun.” Frederick Douglass’ Paper,August 11, 1854, (Rochester, New York).
Unnamed Article. Provincial Freeman,December 23, 1854, (Toronto, Canada West).
“Education in Kentucky.” The North Star,May 4, 1849, (Rochester, New York).
Abolitionists’ Speeches (attached)
"The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" by Frederick Douglass, 1852
"Call to Rebellion" by HenryHighlandGarnett
Untitled Speech by Sojourner Truth, 1843
Slave Narratives (
Harriet Jacobs
Frederick Douglass
Booker T. Washington
Henry Bibb
Articles (Attached)
Birnie, C.W. Education of the Negro in Charleston, South Carolina, Prior to the Civil War. The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 12, No. 1, (Jan., 1927) pp. 13-21.
Comminey, Shawn. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and Black
Education in South Carolina, 1702-1764. The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 84, No. 4 (Autumn 1999) 360-369.
Landon, Fred. Henry Bibb, A Colonizer. The Journal of Negro History, Vol. 5, No. 4,
(Oct., 1920) p. 437-447
Martin, Tony. The Banneker Literary Institute of Philadelphia: African American Intellectual
Activism before the War of the Slaveholder’s Rebellion. The Journal of African American History. Vol. 87 (Summer 2002) 302-322.
Williams, Heather Andrea. Self-Taught: African American Education in Slavery and Freedom.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006.
Woodson, C.G. Early Negro History in West Virginia. The Journal of Negro Education. Vol. 7.
No. 1 (Jan 1922) 23-63.
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC
6 Points
The speech is exceptionally clear and focused. Ideas and content are thoroughly developed with relevant details and examples where appropriate. The speaker’s control over organization and the connections between ideas moves the audience smoothly and naturally through the speech. The speaker shows a mature command of language including precise word choice that results in a compelling speech.
5 Points
The speech is clear and focused. Ideas and content are well developed with relevant details and examples where appropriate. The speaker’s control over organization and the connections between ideas effectively moves the audience through the speech. The speaker shows a mature command of language including precise word choice that results in a compelling speech.
4 Points
The speech is generally clear and focused. Ideas and content are developed with relevant details and examples where appropriate, although there may be some unevenness. The speech is generally coherent, and its organization is functional. The speaker’s command of language, including word choice, supports meaning.
3 Points
The speech is somewhat clear and focused. Ideas and content are developed with limited or partially successful use of examples and details. There may be evidence of an organizational structure, but it may be artificial or ineffective.
2 Points
The speech is only occasionally clear and focused. Ideas and content are underdeveloped. There may be little evidence of organizational structure. Vocabulary may be limited.
1 Point
The speech is generally unclear and unfocused. Ideas and content are not developed or connected. There may be no noticeable organizational structure.
Condition codes for unratable speeches (zeroes):
A Off topic
BSpoken in a language other than English or illegible
CRefused to respond
Taken from:
ITEM #47600
December 23, 1853
FREDERICK DOUGLASS PAPER
Rochester, New York
TEACHING NEGROES TO READ.
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The NorfolkNews, reports a trial before the Circuit Court of Virginia, Judge Baker presiding, in which the state prosecuted a Mrs. Margaret Douglas on a charge of teaching Negro children to read and write, “contrary to the statute in such cases made and provided, and against the peace and dignity of the commonwealth.” By the testimony of the witnesses called for the prosecution, said the News, it appeared that some months ago information reached the Mayor, Simon S. Stubbs, Esq., of a school for the education of blacks, being in successful operation in the city of Norfolk, under the superintendence f Mrs. Douglas. A warrant was immediately issued, with directions to bring all parties concerned before him, in order that the matter might be investigated. Upon repairing to the residence of Mrs. Douglas, the officers found some eighteen or twenty youthful descendants of Ham engaged in literary pursuits, all of whom, with their teachers, Mrs. Douglas and her daughter, were taken into custody and carried to the Mayor's office.
After a full investigation of the matter, the Mayor decided to discuss the complaint, in order that a Grand Jury a true bill was found against Mrs. Douglas and her daughter, but the latter having previously gone to New York, process could not be served upon her. On the part of the defense, the lady examined several prominent and respectable gentlemen, members of the Church for the purpose of showing that the practice of teaching blacks had been sanctified by the customs of the members of the different churches in the city, in having Sunday schools exclusively for that purpose. It did not appear from the evidence of any of the gentlemen called upon by Mrs. Douglas, that they had actually seen Negroes taught from books in any of the Sunday schools of the city, but the fact, as stated by them, that nearly all Negroes attending Sunday schools could read, gave rise to a violent suspicion that many of the ladies and gentlemen of the city, moving in the higher circles of society, had been guilty of as flagrant a violation of the laws as could be imputed to Mrs. Douglas and her daughter.
The testimony having concluded, Mrs. Douglas, who appeared in person, rose, and without denying the charge preferred against her, proceeded to justify it. She disdained to deny the charge preferred against her, or to shrink the responsibility on any way whatever, but gloried in the philanthropic duties of which she had been engaged. She denied, however, any knowledge of the existing laws upon the subject and confidently expected that the jury would, not pronounce her guilty for having committed no other offense than that of being betrayed into error, of such it was, by what she deemed distinguished precedents. Having concluded her address, she retired from the court, and the case was briefly concluded by the attorney for the commonwealth.