Last updated: June 4, 2023
Lesson Plan
Consider the Source: The Words We Mean: An Exercise and Study on Euphemisms, Language, and Dialogue about Chattel Slavery in Western North Carolina and the United States (Grades 6-8) Lesson 1 of 3 Carl Sandburg Home NHS
- Grade Level:
- Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- State Standards:
- National Council for Social Studies
Theme 2
Theme 3
Theme 4
Theme 6
North Carolina Social Studies Grades 6 – 8
I.1.1
I.1.3
I.1.8
I.1.9
6.B.1.2
6.B.1.3
6.H.1
7.B.1.2
7.B.1.3
7.E.1.1
7.H.1.1
7.H.1.5 - Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. 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. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
How does disease impact where people chose to live?
How did chattel slavery impact the seasonal migration from Charleston to Western North Carolina?
How do different factors play out in the cause and effect of human societal development?
Objective
I can consider other people’s experiences and sympathize with them.
I can choose my words by considering the power that language has in conversation.
I understand that choices in the past can have long lasting and powerful impacts, even indirectly, on the present.
I can use clear and inclusive language when speaking about slavery in North Carolina and the United States.
Background
This is the first of three lessons intended to exercise critical thinking and encourage empathic skills. The goals of these lessons are to utilize the historic resource study (linked in extension resources under Preparation) from the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site.
Preparation
Prepare for this lesson by accessing the Materials links to the PowerPoint and Additional Prepartory Resources for Teachers. Students will also need pencil and paper.
Materials
Resource study and other materials to enhance lesson understanding
Download Additional and Preparatory Materias for Teachers
Lesson Hook/Preview
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Begin with a Turn and Talk strategy. PowerPoint Slide 2 has the Turn and Talk questions for students to read.
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Additional opening activity, at the teacher’s discretion:
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On the board begin a scatter chart with “Slavery in North Carolina” and ask the students to offer words or phrases that they associate with the subject. The teacher may allow the students to write on their own or write their ideas as they are offered.
Procedure
(Teaching Strategy)
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Slides 3, 4, and 5. Encourage a student to read for the class.
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Ask the students, “Why do you think the history of slavery in North Carolina might be hard to talk about?”
- Slide 7, invite a student to read aloud, then open the floor for discussion of ideas.
- Slides 8 and 9 continue the discussion through for an example from the National Park Service.
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Slides 10 and 11 offer examples of old and new terminology used by historians writing and talking about chattel slavery. On these slides stop and ask the students, “Which one do you think works better? Why?”
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Slide 12 through 19 are a class activity called This or That. On the screen there will be two terms or phrases and students must decide which option is used in current dialogue.
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Teachers may decide how this exercise works best for their class. They may allow students to stand and walk to the side of the room matching their chosen answer. The class might take a vote, or simply write answers down.
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Between each round the correct answers and explanations are given. Encourage students to read these aloud to help them practice using the new dialogue and engage with the reasoning.
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Conclude with a reading of the poem “Little Girl, Be Careful, What You Say” by Carl Sandburg
Assessment Activities (Summarizing Strategy)
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3-2-1 Exit Ticket
Vocabulary
Enslaved - The condition of being in the bondage of slavery, a person or people who are treated as the legal property of another and forced to obey them. Enslaved persons are often denied the freedom to exercise human rights.
Sympathy – the act or state of feeling sorrow or compassion for others, especially based on similar thoughts and experiences.
Euphemism - The substitution of a word or phrase considered to be less offensive than another.
Advantage – The superiority of position or condition or a factor or circumstance of benefit to its possessor.
Dialogue - A conversation between two or more persons, an exchange of ideas and opinions.
Respect – To consider worthy of high regard or to recognize the worth of a person or thing.
Honorifics – Conferring or conveying honor through titles such as Mrs., Dr., etc.
Freedom Seekers – People attempting to escape a lifetime of captivity in enslavement. To refer to a freedom seeker as a “fugitive” invokes unintended social connotations, implying that escaping human trafficking and seeking freedom was a criminal act rather than a human right.
Enrichment Activities
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The teacher will need a deck of playing cards for a game of “B.S.” though for the sake of school setting, change the name to “Peanut Butter” or another family friendly version. For instructions on the bluffing game check out How to Play BS: A Game of Bluffing.
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Divide the class in half.
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Give one half the students a number starting with one. The numbered half will play the first part of the game, the other half will switch with them halfway through.
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Once the students are numbered, explain the rules of the game, but wait, there are different rules for players with even numbers.
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Even numbered players must lay their cards down face-up, even if they are lying!
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Odd numbered students may play normally. Have the players sit in a circle, shuffle, and pass out the deck, and begin. It is possible not every player will begin with the same number of cards, this is okay.
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When an even or odd numbered player gets out, have them stand aside in separate groups between even and odd winners.
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Once half of the first group have gotten out or won, pause the game to look and see how many face-up (even numbered) players have won versus how many face-down (odd numbered) players. Who is still struggling in the game? Have more Face-up or Face-down players had to take more cards? Which players lose most often, so far? Have the two groups become divided and antagonistic at all because of the unfair rules and disadvantage?
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Have the remaining circle switch with some of the students who haven’t played yet. Do not mix the cards, the new players keep the same hands, and the assigned number of the previous player, even or odd.
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Once the new players are ready to continue, inform them that they will all be playing fairly, everyone will lay their cards face-down.
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As the game continues and the students win or get out, take notice if the even and odd numbered players see any lasting advantages or disadvantages from the previous rules.
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Once the game ends, reset and play again, give any students who have not played yet priority.
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This time, after the players switch halfway through, ask the new odd numbered (face-down) players, if there are any left, if they want to change the rules and allow the even numbered players to play fairly (Face-down). The choice is strictly up to the odd numbered players. What do they decide? Ask why.
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After the next student gets out, or when only one face-down player remains, ask if they want to play fair again. If they still do not choose to make the rules fair, the teacher should overrule the decision and tell the remaining players everyone must play their cards face-down. Even if the odd numbered players are against it.
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After the second round, open the floor for discussion. Which groups had it the hardest? Did the odd numbered players choose to change the rules? Why or why not? Did changing the rules to play fairly at the end really make the game fair? What did they feel? What did the different groups experience? Did the first group think about the players that would switch with them? Did the even numbered players ever just want to quit? Etc.
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Conclusion: Just like this game, life is full of chance and things that happen out of our control, or before we get here. Also, like life, in this game some people had advantages and disadvantages because of the first rules of the game. Those rules can have lasting effects, even after they are changed to be fairer. This is how advantage and disadvantage worked in the U.S. and how privilege and oppression sometimes still impact our friends, family, neighbors, and fellow Americans today.
Alternative Activity -
Materials needed: Monopoly game set (Most likely multiple sets, as the game has a maximum of eight players). You will need enough sets for half the class. The game does not need to be played to the end, teacher may determine when to conclude the activity in time for discussion and conclusion.
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Have half of the students prepare to play, read the rules, set up the boards, then wait.
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Have each group number their players one through eight.
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No even numbered players can buy “property” and must pay an extra $50 (Totaling $100) when they are in “Jail.”
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After 10 -15 rounds (Depending on class time, the teacher may adjust as needed) have the current players switch with the other half of the class. The new players “inherit” the money, property, and even or odd number the previous player they replaced.
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The extra rules are stopped, all students can play by the same rules now.
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Allow enough turns for the new players to understand that they “inherited” some advantages (property, money, etc..) and disadvantages (little to no property, limited funds etc.) and simply for the second set of players to have a fair chance to play and have fun.
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Discussion: What was the hardest part of playing this way? Ask the odd numbered players if they could have changed the rules to be fair earlier in the game. Was it easier for the second group of players? How so? Why or why not? Encourage students to reflect on the lasting effects of the unfair rules.
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Conclusion: Just like this game, life is full of chance and things that happen out of our control, or before we even get here. Also, like in life, this game some people had advantages and disadvantages because of the first rules of the game. Those rules can have lasting effects, even after they are changed to be fairer. This is how privilege and oppression worked in the U.S. in the past, and how advantage and disadvantage sometimes still impact our friends, family, neighbors, and fellow Americans today