Lesson Plan

What is Freedom?

Grade Level:: High School: Ninth Grade through Twelfth Grade
Subject:: Social Studies
Lesson Duration:: 90 Minutes
State Standards:: science 1a, 1d,1e,1g, 4c, 9a (2015)
Additional Standards:: CCSS.ELA-literacy 9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.6, 11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.6
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. Creating: Bring together parts (elements, compounds) of knowledge to form a whole and build relationships for NEW situations. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.

Essential Question

What was Booker T. Washington's philosophy of education, experiences with freedom, and his hopes for African American progress?

What were the multiple points of view of freedom of Booker T. Washington's peers based on individual perspectives and historical changes over time?

Objective

1.Students will examine the experiences of Booker T. Washington and other prominent figures of the Abolition/Civil War time period and analyze and compare their individual views on freedom.

2.Students will examine and compare views on freedom across multiple time periods, including the Civil War period, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights era, and the modern United States.

Background

By engaging in classroom activities that are appropriate to their grade level, students will examine in depth Booker T. Washington’s early life and gain insight into the topic of freedom as viewed by African Americans and abolitionists of the period. The activities included in this packet enable students to investigate, research, and participate in meaningful learning experiences. They will build a strong foundation in communication skills, research techniques, computer skills, writing, and thinking in terms of multiple points of view. At Booker T. Washington National Monument, students can learn about the cultural diversity that makes up Franklin County, Virginia. It is the hope of Booker T. Washington National Monument's educational staff that by learning about the past and the life of Booker T. Washington that we can broaden our understanding of the context of race and freedom in American society.

Preparation

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITIES 1. Students will read and answer questions from chapters one and two from Booker T. Washington’s autobiography Up From Slavery to learn about his early life.

2. Students will watch the video Measure of a Man, found here https://vimeo.com/218679519 or on the NPS website at https://www.nps.gov/bowa/planyourvisit/things2do.htm in preparation for the site visit.

VISIT ACTIVITIES
3. Students will take a tour of the Booker T. Washington National Park with a park ranger. The tour will be centered on the theme “What Is Freedom?” and use the disruptors that are found throughout the park. Disruptors will be used to initiate conversation and discussion on this topic. Disruptors will be found in three key locations, the pig pen, the smokehouse, and the spring.

POST VISIT ACTIVITIES

4. Roundtable discussion: What did Washington think about freedom during the various times of his life? What did freedom mean to Booker T. Washington at age 9? At age 16? At age 25? And at the end of his life at age 59? What factors led to the changes in his point of view?

5. Students will compare Booker T. Washington’s views on freedom with another prominent individual of the Abolition/Civil War period. 6. As an extension of the post-visit activity above, students can continue to add to the project by adding viewpoints from each of the following periods/lists.

Materials

Download What is Freedom?

Lesson Hook/Preview

What is Freedom?

Procedure

Up From Slavery Chapter QuestionsDirections: Read Chapters one and two from Booker T. Washington’s autobiography Up from Slavery answer the following questions.Chapter 1

How did the “grape-vine” telegraph work? Why was it important? (p. 4-5)

Explain how the act of Booker’s brother to take his shirt from him and wear it was an act of kindness? (p. 6)

How does Washington explain that the institution of slavery hurt not just blacks but also whites? (p.8-9)

According to Washington after the initial celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation there was a feeling of gloom among the enslaved. Why was this? What group worried the most about this new freedom? (p.10-11)

Chapter 2

Where did Washington and his family go after being freed? Who were they meeting there and how did they travel? (p.12)

What did Washington long to do from as far back as he could remember? And how did his mother help him get started? (p.13)

What were some of the obstacles Washington had to overcome to go to school? (p. 15-16).

Washington mentions as a young man he used to envy white boys. How did his perception change overtime? (p.19-20)

Post-Visit Roundtable DiscussionLeading Questions:

What did Washington think about freedom during the various times of his life?

What did freedom mean to Booker T. Washington at age 9?

At age 16?

At age 25?

And at the end of his life at age 59?

What factors led to the changes in his point of view?

How did age play a role in Washington’s views?

How did his experience as an enslaved person impact his view?

How did his thirst for education contribute to his thoughts on freedom and vice versa?

Change Over Time/Comparison ActivityEach listed individual has a link to a short biography to help familiarize students with their experiences and to help students cite specific examples to support their arguments. Their examples should center on “What is freedom for this individual?” **Time permitting, teachers may choose to have students do their own independent research on their assigned individual instead of using the provided link.Students could complete this activity as a social media profile/posts activity or as a monologue.

Suggested List of Prominent Individuals of the Abolition/Civil War Time Period:

Reconstruction/Early 20th Century

Mary Peake https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/changemakers/items/show/3Marcus Garvey https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-GarveyPap Singleton https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/singleton-benjamin-pap-1809-1892/Nat Love https://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/natlove/summary.htmlWilliam Monroe Trotter https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Monroe-TrotterIda B. Wells https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ida-B-Wells-BarnettMary Bethune https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-McLeod-BethuneSarah Breedlove (Madam CJ Walker) https://www.britannica.com/biography/Madam-C-J-WalkerLouis Armstrong https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-ArmstrongGeorge Washington Carver https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Washington-Carver

Civil Rights Movement

Fanny Lou Hamer https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fannie-Lou-Hamer-American-civil-rights-activistEmmett Till https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emmett-TillNina Simone https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nina-SimoneHank Aaron https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hank-AaronBarbara Johns https://motonmuseum.org/learn/biography-barbara-rose-johns-powell/Jackie Robinson https://www.jackierobinson.com/biography/Don Shirley https://www.biography.com/musician/don-shirleyStokley Carmichael https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stokely-CarmichaelMalcolm X https://www.britannica.com/biography/Malcolm-X

Modern America

Individuals whose experiences (potentially) evolved with multiple periods