illustration of different hands. text reads Teaching Our World: Resources That Honor Black Voices

Know the Past: Slavery and Resistance

Standards

These resources are aligned to social justice standards developed by Learning For Justice.

 

Justice 12 JU.3-5.12

I know when people are treated unfairly, and I can give examples of prejudiced words, pictures and rules. 

 

Justice 15 JU.3-5.15

I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked throughout history to bring more justice and fairness to the world.

 

Action 19 AC.3-5.19

I will speak up or do something when I see unfairness, and I will not let others convince me to go along with injustice

 


A list of all social justice standards are available here.

I. Introduction

The stories in “Slavery and Resistance” aim to bolster students’ understanding of the cruel and unjust institution of slavery and its connection to the Civil War, as well as introduce them to abolitionist heroes and their brave acts of resistance. Students will also learn why painful symbols of racism and slavery still cause harm in our world today. This understanding of slavery and resistance will show students that slavery has had lasting consequences that are still evident in America today, and it will help them uncover the work that remains to be done to heal the deep wounds of history and create a more just society.

 

Slavery can be a difficult topic to introduce and teach. See our “Strategies for Teaching About Slavery” guide, which provides ideas and additional resources to help you teach students about this important part of American history.

 

II. Assess Prior Knowledge

On large sheets of paper in your classroom, or on a shared set of interactive slides, write the following words, one on each paper or slide: freedom, injustice, oppression, power, resistance. (If necessary, provide simple definitions of each word.) Have students add questions, comments, words, or images/drawings to each sheet or slide to display their reaction to or understanding of each word. Come back together as a class to review their responses. Then, on a whiteboard or in your virtual classroom, write the following statement: “Millions of people were enslaved—or forced to work for no pay and with no freedom—in America for almost 250 years.” As a class, discuss how this statement relates to each of the words they responded to. (You may consider revisiting this discussion after students have read features in this section.)

III. Introduce Vocabulary

Below you will find terms students will come across as they read the stories in this section, as well as in other discussions about slavery and resistance. Project the list for the class. Ask students to write down the terms whose meanings they would like to find out more about or understand better. Review terms in advance or as they come up in the stories. (Definitions can be found in our Vocabulary section.) 

  • 13th Amendment
  • abolished
  • abolitionists
  • ancestors
  • (slave) auction
  • Civil War
  • Confederacy
  • Constitution
  • emancipation
  • enslaved people 
  • enslavers
  • freedom seeker
  • Juneteenth
  • oppression
  • plantation
  • prejudice
  • racism
  • secede
  • slavery
  • Underground Railroad

* Notice that the articles use the term enslaved people rather than slaves. This language emphasizes that those forced into bondage were first and foremost human beings. You can point this out to students as an example of how language choices matter.

IV. Read the Stories

Invite students to choose one or more of the following texts to read independently or in small groups. If they choose the poem, they should choose at least one other feature as well to build background knowledge. Students may also choose to watch the videos “The Underground Railroad” or “America's Civil War.”

“Freedom or Death”

“What Does This Statue Stand For?”

“Leading the Way to Freedom”

“What Is Juneteenth?”

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (Poem)

“The Underground Railroad” (Video)

“America’s Civil War” (Video)

V. Discussion Questions

After reading, select from the following questions to prompt whole-class or small-group discussions. Alternatively, students can respond in writing.

  1. In your own words, what does it mean to be enslaved? What does it mean to be free? Use evidence from the feature you read or the video you watched to support your answer.
  2. How did Black people resist enslavement and work to oppose the system of slavery in the U.S.? What would you risk for freedom?
  3. What does it mean to be an abolitionist? What words would you use to describe the abolitionists you learned about in the feature you read or watched? What do you think led people to join the abolitionist movement?
  4. The video “The Underground Railroad” says, “The road to freedom was filled with danger.” How did the feature you read or the video you watched support this statement?
  5. In your opinion, what can we as a country do to best honor the memories of the millions of people in our history who were enslaved?

VI. Connect and Extend

Invite students to choose a project to dig deeper and connect with their own lives.

  • Enslaved people resisted slavery in many different ways. Some attempted to escape, some fought back against their enslavers, and some resisted by singing songs or educating themselves. Working in groups, write a list of the examples of resistance you learned about in the features you read or watched. Then go online to research more ways that enslaved people resisted. Draw a picture to represent each one you discover. Connect the drawings to create a paper quilt to display in your classroom.

  • Several abolitionists, such as Frederick Douglass, published antislavery newspapers that encouraged their readers to support the cause of abolition. Using information you learned in the feature(s) you read or watched, create the front page of an imaginary abolitionist newspaper from the time.

  • Working with classmates who chose to read different articles or watch different videos, create a collaborative timeline of important events in the history of slavery and resistance.

  • Write a poem or song about what the word freedom means to you. In your poem or song, reference at least two things you learned from the feature you read or watched.

  • The feature(s) you read introduced you to a handful of abolitionists. But there are so many more! Do research to find out about another person who fought against slavery. How do you think we could honor their contribution to ending slavery? Write a letter to leaders in your area to encourage them to honor the legacy of this person.

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