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

An introduction to slave narratives: Harriet Jacobs's Life of a Slave Girl

This lesson is intended to enhance student knowledge about the life experiences of a slaves in America during the 1800s by using the story of a North Carolina slave woman who eventually escaped.

A lesson plan for grade 8 Social Studies

By Joe Hooten

Learn more

  • Life of a Slave Girl Students should read page 71 to the top of page 74. Cut and paste this as your handout. Page 97 through top of page 103 is another excellent excerpt.
  • Slave Narratives Another resource from DocSouth with more relevant material and explanation for further research and investigation.

Related pages

  • Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have A Dream” speech: Students will display their understanding of the symbolism and references that Dr. King used to enrich his famous speech on August 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by constructing a “jackdaw,” a collection of documents and objects.
  • Experiences of the Civil Rights Movement: A roundtable project: This activity allows students to participate in a roundtable discussion by taking on the persona of someone who lived and experienced the Civil Rights Movement. By participating in a role playing simulation, students are more able to achieve higher-level thinking skills and, as a result, hopefully be able to think more critically about the Civil Rights Era.
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Online Visitor Information Center: Maintained by the National Park Service this web page is useful for anyone planning a trip to the King historic site in Atlanta, GA or interested in the life of the civil rights leader.

Related topics

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • Read a selected oral history to learn about individual experiences of African Americans in the pre-Civil War era
  • Use collaborative skills with each other to share their understandings and develop different perspectives on the reading
  • Interpret primary source oral history document
  • Summarize narrative of former slave

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 to 2 days

Materials/resources

Students will need:

  • excerpt of Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
  • pen and paper

Technology resources

If you do not want to use handouts and, instead, display the excerpt on an overhead:

  • LCD projector
  • internet access to DocSouth
  • laptop

Pre-activities

Teacher will need to read the excerpt prior to handout to be able to answer any student questions regarding the reading.

Explain the importance of using primary documents to investigate historical events and eras to better understand history.

Activities

  1. Introduce the lesson.
  2. Teacher will place students in groups of 3–4 depending on size of class. Have students sit in their groups, if possible.
  3. Ask students to have pen and paper out on their desks.
  4. Pass out selected reading of Harriet Jacobs’s narrative.
  5. Allow time (depending on ability) for students to completely read the handout. 10–20 minutes.
  6. Students will then meet with their small collabrative groups.
  7. Pass out the Discussion Handout. This handout will have questions that students can use in their discussions. They should record each other’s responses and thoughts during the discussion.
  8. Allow for collaboration between the groups. 10–20 minutes.
  9. End the discussions and engage the whole class in a dialogue about their perspectives and what they discussed.
  10. Collect their completed Discussion Handouts.

Assessment

Assessment can be based on student completion of Discussion Handout.

Teachers can also assess student learning by asking questions to see if students have gained knowledge of slave life through the readings and discussions.

Teachers may create their own quiz based on the reading if applicable.

Supplemental information

Comments

Teachers may revise the Discussion Handout to best fit the objectives you would like to focus on.

Teachers may revise the selected excerpts to best fit the objectives you would like to focus on.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 8

  • Goal 3: The learner will identify key events and evaluate the impact of reform and expansion in North Carolina during the first half of the 19th century.
    • Objective 3.04: Describe the development of the institution of slavery in the State and nation, and assess its impact on the economic, social, and political conditions.