The Culture and Religion of Enslaved People in the United States
Standards
National Council for the Social Studies Standards
1. Culture and Cultural Diversity
· Assist learners to apply an understanding of culture as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns
· Encourage learners to compare and analyze societal patterns for preserving and transmitting culture while adapting to environmental or social change
Common Core Standards
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
National Core Arts Standards
Anchor Standard #1 (Creating): Generate and conceptualize artistic work.
Anchor Standard #8 (Responding): Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Lesson Outline
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
· Have students make a list of as many art forms/examples of art that they interact with on a daily basis. Students will complete this individually. Ask for a few volunteers to share what they listed.
· Ask students why they interact with art/the purpose art serves in their lives. Tell students to think about the question, and not share their answers out loud yet.
· The following prompt will be displayed on the SmartBoard: “What purpose does art serve in people’s lives?”
· Students will have two minutes to respond to the prompt individually. Then, using a think-pair-share strategy, students will share their responses with a partner. The class will then create a “master list” of their ideas.
Developmental Section
Spirituals Activity (25 minutes)
· This should come after a lesson/lecture on the religion of enslaved peoples in the United States.
· The class will be divided into five groups. Each group will receive the lyrics to one of five spirituals: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Soon ‘Ah Will Be Done,” “Amazing Grace,” “Go Down, Moses,” or “Deep River.”
· Each group will select 4-5 words/phrases from their respective song that they think captures the essence of enslaved people’s life/music/religion.
· One student from each group will write their group’s choices on a class “master list” at the front of the room.
· After students review the master list, discuss the following questions as a class:
o What is the meaning of this song?
o Why would an enslaved person write/sing this?
o What does this song reveal about religion and music in enslaved people’s lives?
Slavery and Material Culture Creative Writing Activity (55 minutes)
· Explain to students that historians do not just study texts; they also study objects.
· Ask students: “Why would it be important to study objects?”
o Have students think about the question for 30 seconds before taking volunteers to share their ideas.
· Students will individually read a modified, shortened version of Martha Zierden’s “Object Lessons: The Journey of Miles Brewton’s Bottle,” which demonstrates how blacks and whites used the same consumer goods, but in very different ways.
· Considering David Drake’s pottery, students will work with a partner to create a similar story about his pots.
o Although students will be creating a work of historical fiction, their stories should contain evidence and examples covered in class.
o The story will only be one page long.
· Each pair of students will swap their short story with another pair and will read their peers’ story.
· Students will then write a review of their peers’ story. In the review, students will explain how their peers’ choices in literary elements reflected what they have learned about slavery. Literary elements include:
o Allegory
o Character
o Figurative language
o Point of view
o Structure
· Students will hand in their short stories and reviews for a class participation grade.
Wrap-Up/Culminating Experience (5 minutes)
· As an exit slip, students will answer the following question: “Why was art important in enslaved people’s lives?”