LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Learn more

Related pages

  • Who started the Civil War?: Comparing perspectives on the causes of the war: This lesson plans presents the account of Rose O'Neal Greenhow, a confederate spy during the Civil War. Students are encouraged to find confirming and refuting evidence of her perspective on what caused the Civil War by browsing the Documenting the American South Collection of digitized primary sources.
  • World War II at home: Victory Gardens: Students will learn about home front activities during World War II. Using primary source documents and photographs, students will discover how children their own age participated by growing Victory Gardens. They will design their own gardens and propaganda posters.
  • Effects of civic action: In this lesson, secondary students will analyze primary source materials to investigate how 4-H clubs made an impact on the home front in completing projects that supported the war effort during World War II. This lesson should be taught at the end of a World War II unit.

Related topics

Help

Please read our disclaimer for lesson plans.

Legal

The text of this page is copyright ©2008. See terms of use. Images and other media may be licensed separately; see captions for more information and read the fine print.

Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • learn more about the historical context of the Fugitive Slave Bill.
  • discover the impact of the Bill and its ramifications.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

100 minutes

Technology resources

computers with internet access or copies of primary sources

Activities

  1. Divide students in the class into the following roles:
    • Members of the Mediation Panel. Duties include:
      • Preparing background statements about the major issues of the case based on background reading of the Fugitive Slave Law.
      • Preparing 4-5 questions for each character.
      • Nominating one member to serve as the recorder of the proceedings.
    • Characters represented by 1-3 students each. Duties include:
      • Prepare a biography for your character.
      • Prepare a diary entry written from the perspective of your character.
      • Prepare to answer questions of the panel and the reporters.
      • Characters:
        • Ellen Craft
        • William Craft
        • Frederick Douglas
        • Henry Clay
        • William Hughes
    • Newspaper reporters. Duties include:
      • Prepare a list of 8-10 questions for one of the characters based on background reading of their stories.
      • Write a news story covering the events of the panel discussion and including your interview.
      • Note: This is a good role to assign students who were absent during the planning or early stages of the lesson, especially if your class runs only 55 minutes.
  2. All students will need to read background on the Fugitive Slave Law from their text or some other secondary source. They should also all read the primary sources attributed to the characters.
    • Singular Escape. Appeared in the Liberator newspaper in 1849 and recounted the Crafts’ escape.
    • Interesting Meeting. Describes Ellen Craft’s speech and alludes to the Fugitive Slave Law.
    • Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom. Written by Henry Craft. Excerpts are suggested since this is a lengthy document: p. 27 beginning with “My wife was torn begins the account of the Craft’s escape”; p. 87 marks the beginning of the discussion of the Fugitive Slave Law including an account of slave traders looking for the Crafts and religious leaders both supporting and opposing the law.
    • A Simple Tale of Slavery. A speech delivered by Frederick Douglas.
    • Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. Excerpts pp. 346-348.

    Assessment

    Assess students based on the completion of their role and the corresponding writing assignments.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 11–12 — United States History

  • Goal 3: Crisis, Civil War, and Reconstruction (1848-1877) - The learner will analyze the issues that led to the Civil War, the effects of the war, and the impact of Reconstruction on the nation.