Arts and Humanities
    Language Arts, Literature
Social Studies
    Civics, Social Studies, Geography, History, U.S. History, Sociology

It is very hard for today’s students to imagine a time when people owned other people like property. By highlighting such slaves as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, this videoconference will illustrate their courage, bravery, determination of spirit, mind, and body, and their absolute refusal to accept the bondage of slavery.

Join Dr. Frank Dobson as he discusses the dramatic, exciting, authoritative story of the experiences of these four African Americans from slavery to freedom to their continued struggle for equality.  Dr. Frank Dobson will share stories of Sojourner Truth, former slave, abolitionist, preacher and advocate of women's rights; Frederick Douglass, publisher and leader who fought for the abolition of slavery and for racial equality; Booker T. Washington, born into slavery and dedicated himself to education, became a teacher, then founded Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute in 1881;  and Harriet Tubman, who was born into slavery in Maryland, then freed herself, and after freeing herself from slavery, returned to Maryland to rescue about 300 other runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad.
A 15-20 minute interactive question and answer session with students will follow each presentation.

45-minute videoconference segmented into a 30 minute presentation followed by 15-20 minute interactive Question and Answer session with students. The presenter may include audiovisuals to enhance the presentation.

1) Invite students to view Follow the Drinking Gourd video, produced in 1994 by Reading Rainbow for PBS.

2) Assign students to write "first-person" accounts of what a slave’s life might have been like after the Emancipation Proclamation.

3) Ask students to research and write editorial on this current hot topic:
“Should the descendents of slaves be financially compensated (reparations) for the suffering of their ancestors?” 

Students will

• listen to stories about former slaves’ accounts of his or her life as a slave.
• read about the lives of Harriet Tubman and Booker T. Washington
• write "first-person" accounts of what a slave’s life might have been like after the Emancipation Proclamation.

1) Students will read about Harriet Tubman, known as “Moses”.  
“Moses” is coming! You have heard the stories about her. She is Harriet Tubman, a former slave who ran away from a nearby plantation in Maryland in 1849 but returns to rescue others. Guided by her “visions,” she has never lost a passenger. Even if “Moses” cannot fit you into her next group, she will tell you how to follow the North Star to freedom in Canada.
 2) Students will research and read about Booker T. Washington.

Booker was born into slavery. The cabin where Booker was born, was
also the plantations kitchen. His mother was the cook. Cooking back then
was not as easy as it is now. Cooking was done on a fireplace. The cabin had no glass for the windows and there were holes in the walls. Booker and the others slept on a dirt floor, on bundles of rags.

Booker had many different jobs to do on the plantation. He would
carry water out to the workers in the field and take corn to the mill.
In 1865 when Booker was about 10 years old the slaves were freed. Booker and his family left the plantation and headed for Virginia. Their new home in
Virginia was no better than the one they had left behind. It may have
been even worse.

LANGUAGE ARTS: English
GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective
NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.3 Evaluation Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NL-ENG.K-12.7 Evaluating Data
NL-ENG.K-12.8 Developing Research Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.11 Participating in Society
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES K - 4
NSS-C.K-4.1 What Is Government?
NSS-C.K-4.2 Values and Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.K-4.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.K-4.5 Roles of the Citizen

GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.5-8.2 Foundations of the American Political System
NSS-C.5-8.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen

GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.9-12.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen
SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
GRADES K - 12
NSS-G.K-12.5 Environment and Society
NSS-G.K-12.6 Uses of Geography
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History
GRADES K - 4
NSS-USH.K-4.1 Living and Working Together in Families and Communities, Now and Long Ago
NSS-USH.K-4.3 The History of the United States: Democratic Principles and Values and the People from Many Cultures Who Contributed to Its Cultural, Economic, and Political Heritage

GRADES 5 - 12
NSS-USH.5-12.5 Era 5: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877)