Last updated: July 23, 2024
Lesson Plan
Taking a Stand Against Slavery: Stories from Frederick Douglass. Grade 4
Portrait of Frederick Douglas
National Park Service
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 4.RI.3
- Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.
Essential Question
Why is it important for the National Park Service to protect historic sites?
Objective
1. Students will be able to recount events in Frederick Douglass' life.
2. Students will understand the important role Frederick Douglass played in the nation's history.
3. Students will understand the importance of cultural and historic units within the National Park Service.
Background
- The National Park unit called National Capital Parks - East contains historic places that reveal Frederick Douglass' groundbreaking work in abolishing slavery, Dr. Carter G. Woodson's recording of African American History, and Mary McLeod Bethune's establishment of the National Council of Negro Women, among other important pieces of history.
- Frederick Douglass was a statesman, abolitionist, civil rights activist, author and editor, and a runaway slave. He was employed as an orator in both the United States and Europe.
- Frederick Douglass lived at Cedar Hill, a 21 room mansion on 15 acres, complete with a large library, and an indoor kitchen and laundry room, from 1877-1895.
- The National Park Service is currently comprised of 419 units, made up of 19 different naming designations. One of these names are National Historic Sites (NHS): places preserved for their historic importance to the nation.
Preparation
- Familiarize yourself with the variety of national park units in the DC area.
- Load the virtual museum tour, and ensure that Adobe Flash Player is installed.
- Gather 4 pieces of chart paper and markers.
- If possible, gather 4 computers for students to use. Or, print at least 4 copies of Frederick Douglass' biography. (this will allow for one copy per group, more copies may be desired).
Procedure
1. Ask students what a National Park is. Have students who have visited a National Park share their personal memories.
2. Discuss the variety of national park units in the District of Columbia. Emphasize that natural areas such as parks, bays, gardens, and trails are available to visit, as well as cultural/historic sites such as memorials, the White House, the National Mall, and homesteads.
3. Explain the value of preserving historic sites for future generations: they commemorate bravery, patriotism, sacrifice, opportunity, and freedom.
2. Discuss the variety of national park units in the District of Columbia. Emphasize that natural areas such as parks, bays, gardens, and trails are available to visit, as well as cultural/historic sites such as memorials, the White House, the National Mall, and homesteads.
3. Explain the value of preserving historic sites for future generations: they commemorate bravery, patriotism, sacrifice, opportunity, and freedom.
1. Introduce students to Frederick Douglass and Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.
2. Tour Douglass' home, Cedar Hill, using a virtual museum. Select one room at a time and read the captions together as a class. (Adobe Flash Player is required for this activity)
2. Tour Douglass' home, Cedar Hill, using a virtual museum. Select one room at a time and read the captions together as a class. (Adobe Flash Player is required for this activity)
1. Ask students to describe their general impressions of Frederick Douglass based on how he lived. What was important to him? What did he do in his free time? Did he welcome visitors?
2. Explain that Douglass had two homes prior to Cedar Hill, and he began his life as a slave. Those experiences shaped his later life and work in Washington, D.C.
2. Explain that Douglass had two homes prior to Cedar Hill, and he began his life as a slave. Those experiences shaped his later life and work in Washington, D.C.
1. Divide students into four groups, and assign each group to one phase of Douglass' life: slavery and escape, abolition work, civil war, post civil war.
2. As a class, look at Frederick Douglass' biography. Read the introduction together.
3. Ask groups to read their assigned period of Douglass' life among themselves. (Each group should have a computer or a print-out copy of the biography)
4.Have each group create a diagram detailing what happened to Douglass, how Douglass responded to events in his life, and why he responded that way.
2. As a class, look at Frederick Douglass' biography. Read the introduction together.
3. Ask groups to read their assigned period of Douglass' life among themselves. (Each group should have a computer or a print-out copy of the biography)
4.Have each group create a diagram detailing what happened to Douglass, how Douglass responded to events in his life, and why he responded that way.
1. Ask each group of students to present the events, actions, and attitudes during the phase of Douglass' life that they were assigned to.
2. Ask if there was a room or artifact shown in the Cedar Hill tour that relates to that section of Douglass' life.
3. Ask students to share about items in their own homes that remind them of significant events in their lives. Do they hold the same significance to all Americans as those relating to Frederick Douglass?
2. Ask if there was a room or artifact shown in the Cedar Hill tour that relates to that section of Douglass' life.
3. Ask students to share about items in their own homes that remind them of significant events in their lives. Do they hold the same significance to all Americans as those relating to Frederick Douglass?
Vocabulary
- Slavery: the condition of being legally owned by someone else, or the system in which some people are owned by others
- Abolition: the official ending of an activity or custom; in the United States, it was the official end to slavery that took place in 1863
- Civil War: a war fought between groups of people who live in the same country
- Education: the process of teaching or learning in a school, or the knowledge you can gain from this
Assessment Materials
- Explain why both natural areas and historic/cultural sites are part of the National Park System. Use examples for the units in Washington, D.C. to support your answer.
- Name the four phases of Douglass' life. Describe one event, and how Douglass responded to that event, for each phase.
- Identify the ways that rooms and artifacts from Cedar Hill are reminders of Frederick Douglass' life events.
Enrichment Activities
- Frederick Douglass National Historic Site hosts an annual student oratory contest. Your students may view videotaped presentations of past contest winners, or you can challenge your students to memorize and deliver portions of Douglass' anti-slavery speeches, just like the students who compete in this contest.
- Have students complete the Jr. Ranger booklet for Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Even if you cannot visit the site, you can still become a Junior Ranger from home by emailing DouglassNHS@nps.gov to receive a copy of the booklet. Complete at least eight activities, and mail it via USPS or email it to the same email address provided above. They will mail you the Junior Ranger badge and a signed certificate.