Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

Imagine what it was like to be a slave in the United States in 1845. Eighth graders are given an opportunity to experience life from the point of view of Frederick Douglass as they read and discuss an annotated passage from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Guided by a series of text-dependent questions, class members conduct a close reading of the passage, and consider how Douglass’ use of language creates the emotional impact of the excerpt. The carefully designed packet includes directions for teachers, guiding questions for students, suggested activities, and writing prompts that ask participants to craft an emotional response to the passage.