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For Teachers:
Activities and Lesson Plans:
Language Arts 7-12:
Lesson 1: Weighing the Risks: Would You Have Been an Abolitionist?
Language Arts:
Grades 9-10
Viewing and Interpreting Media, Writing, Discussing
Context and
Content Knowledge
The
activities involved with this lesson could be effectively taught
over a three-day period for 45-minute classes, or one to two days of
90-minute block scheduling.
Long before the
Civil War, attitudes about slavery divided the North and South.
Even in the North, being an abolitionist was not popular. The
students will view a segment of Safe Harbor, which will
provide a media-oriented introduction to the concept of the
anti-slavery movement in Northwestern Pennsylvania during the
1800’s. Viewing the documentary and online transcripts will allow
the students to begin thinking about the benefits and consequences
of becoming an abolitionist; further, it will provide a foundation
for the information that can be accessed in this interactive teacher
guide. Students will be able to read biographical information about
people such as John Brown, Hamilton Waters, Cynthia Catlin Miller,
The Vosburghs and William Himrod. They will be able to compare and
contrast newspaper articles that carry opposing views. The teacher
will provide questions for the students to consider as they prepare
a two-part writing assignment (as outlined in Activities/Procedures
below).
Rationale
In viewing the
documentary and examining the resources available on the
Safe Harbor
web site and other linked resources, students will gain valuable
information so that they may understand the various perspectives of
the abolitionist movement. The implications for such a learning
experience are multi-faceted and far-reaching; students can explore
the historical facts and gather knowledge about the context of
slavery, and, at the same time, they will be utilizing higher-order
thinking skills to interpret the underlying meanings and roots of
many racial prejudices. The writing assignment will both sharpen
the students’ verbal skills and allow the students to examine their
own opinions. This activity will touch upon the importance of
empathetic thinking, as well as inform the students of important
historical information.
Standards
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Learning to Read Independently |
1.1.8.A, B, D, E, G, H |
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Reading Critically in All Content Areas |
1.2.8.A, B |
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Types of Writing |
1.4.8.B, C |
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Quality of Writing |
1.5.8.A, B, C, D |
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Speaking and Listening |
1.6.8.A, C, D, E, F |
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Research |
1.8.8.B, C |
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*taken from the Academic Standards for
Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening, as established by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education |
Educational
Goals
(what/how will students learn?)
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Students will view a segment of
Safe Harbor
and recognize the diverse perspectives of Northerners living
during the 1800’s.
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Students will access biographical
and historical information from a variety of web sites and further develop their
understanding of the abolitionist movement.
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Students will write a reflective response to the documentary (specific
subject and writing prompt can be developed by the individual
teacher).
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Students will write an opinion piece detailing their own observations
of racial prejudice and discussing whether or not they would have been
willing to assume the risks of harboring and helping fugitive slaves.
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Students will engage in a group discussion in which they can share
their writing assignments and evaluate the information on the
documentary and on the website.
Activities/Procedures
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Prefatory discussion by instructor explaining the content and purpose
of the documentary
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Students will view a short segment from the documentary, followed by a
brief period for discussion
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Students will have the opportunity to access the
Safe Harbor
web site and linked resources in order to gain more information about
the people involved with the abolitionist movement in Northwestern
Pennsylvania
- Students will be given time to compose their thoughts on the
documentary and to write an opinion piece about their perspective on
the abolitionist movement
-
Students will be given time to discuss the issues of racial prejudice,
especially as it pertains to history and its extensions into the
present
Materials/References Needed
Safe
Harbor
documentary and DVD
Online transcripts
of Safe Harbor interviews
Computers with
internet access
http://www.wqln.org/safeharbor
Online Resources
Lesson
plans developed by Emily Johnson, a 10th grade language
arts teacher in Dubois, Pennsylvania.
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