After reading excerpts from Frederick Douglass' autobiography, pupils will draw on what they've learned about the cruelty of slavery to write and present an anti-slavery speech or editorial.

A unit covers many aspects of the Civil War. Over six weeks, fifth graders delve deep into the history of slavery, the Civil War—before, during, and after—Abraham Lincoln, women's contributions, the Emancipation Proclamation, and...

Over three weeks, second graders listen to stories about the United States Civil War. Informational texts explore the war, slavery, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Clara Barton, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Ulysses...

In this language skills worksheet, students read an article about Abolition of Slavery Day. Students respond to 6 matching questions, 29 fill in the blank questions, 30 multiple choice questions, 12 word scramble questions, 30 short...

Eleventh graders as a class create and write a constitution for an anti-slavery society. They investigate demographics of slavery, treatment of slaves, the colonization movement, and women in the abolition movement, and present their...

Eleventh graders explore Connecticut slavery. In this American slavery lesson plan, 11th graders analyze primary sources relating to slavery in the state as they research in collaborative groups. Students determine whether...

Fourth graders explore the issue of slavery. In this African American history instructional activity, 4th graders visit a website to take a virtual journey on the Underground Railroad. Additionally, students read various suggested slave...

Students read slave narratives. In this Federal Writers' Project lesson plan, students explore slave narratives to discover details regarding legal status, roles of slaves, religion, family, and treatment of slaves. 

Students explore how and why various historical resources present information about slavery differently. They work in pairs to examine written texts to interpret the objectives, points of view, and depictions of slavery in these resources.

Fourth graders investigate differences between the ideology of the Northern and Southern states in 1856. In this states' history lesson, 4th graders examine the needs for slaves in the Southern agricultural economy, and compare it to the...

Students explore the modern day slave trade through reading and discussing the article "What It Takes To Stop Slavery." They research one of the campaigns of the International Labor Organization and present their findings to the rest of...

Students research slavery in ancient Rome and compare and contrast it to slavery in the United States.  In this slavery instructional activity, students investigate the differences of slavery in different parts of the country, write...

Learners research, write, and draw about Roman versus American slavery. In this slavery lesson plan, students look at the Roman portraits of slaves, its influence on Western European art, and compare Roman slavery to American slavery.

Learners examine African life during slavery on the Internet. In this slavery instructional activity, students use the Internet to research slavery and create a scrapbook. Learners review pictures of slavery and label them as primary or...

Students explore farming, slavery and cacoa farming. In this agricultural science lesson plan, students fill out KWL charts, create PowerPoints and do internet research. Students write letters to chocolate companies requesting them...

Students analyze how slavery shaped social and economic life in the South. They study methods of passive and active resistance to slavery, and the similarities and differences between African-American and white abolitionists.

Students read The Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa. They view video from Roots by Alex Haley on the capture of Kunta Kinte and reenact household slavery as practiced by the Igbo people. The make a list of major differences...

Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...

Young scholars evaluate how the impact of building of towns affected slavery.  In this United States History instructional activity, students work in small groups to construct a map, then they participate in a role-playing activity.

Young scholars review the topic of slavery in the 1860's and how it was a key issue during the Civil War. They discuss significant people involved with slavery including Harriet Tubman and the challenges they faced. They read various...

Learners analyze Frederick Douglass' narrative about Christianity and slavery. In this Frederick Douglass lesson, young scholars read his slave narrative and analyze its word choice, imagery, irony, and rhetorical appeals. Learners...

Eighth graders examine the lives of the Gullah-Geechee people. In this unique cultures lesson, 8th graders explore music, language, and slavery of the Gullah-Geechee people from the southern low-country in the United States. Students...

Students examine the issues of slavery and due process. In this Supreme Court lesson plan, students examine primary documents from Dred Scott v. Sandford and discuss the implications of the decision.

Seventh graders examine the implications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In this slavery lesson, 7th graders examine a map of 1820 America and discuss the balance of power implied by the map. Students then read Stephen Douglas's speech on...