Slavery, its origins and its role during the American Civil War

Teacher: Amanda Weber Date: May 16, 2022

School: Hope Secondary Grade: 9 Subject: Social

Studies

Purpose:
Slavery is an age-old idea that has existed for centuries where a dominant people would enslave a
less dominant group to use in activities that would give them an economic benefit. Before the
American Civil war, slavery was considered essential element to the economy of the deep South. If
they didn’t have slaves to pick cotton, the economy would have collapsed. The trip between Africa
and the United States to the plantation was quite the journey for slaves. This lesson looks at the
Trans-Atlantic slave trade, slave roles on plantations and their roles during the American Civil War.

Big Ideas:
Disparities in power alter the balance of relationships between individuals and between societies.

Curricular Competencies:
- Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather interpret, and analyze
ideas; and to communicate findings and decisions.
- Assess the significance of people, places, events or developments, and compare varying
perspectives on their historical significance at particular times and places, from group to
group.
- Assess how prevailing conditions and the actions of individuals affect events, decisions or
developments (cause and consequence).
- Explain and infer different perspective on past or present people, places, issues or events by
considering prevailing norms, values, worldviews and beliefs.

Content:
- Local, global and regional conflicts.
- The continuing effects of imperialism and colonialism on Indigenous peoples in Canada and
around the world.
- Global demographic shifts, including patterns of migration and population growth.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED MATERIALS & MEDIA

Students:
- Students will be asked if they know - Pencil/paper/binder
anything about slavery, what happens, - Dictionary -School or student created
who it affects, and if there is slavery in -
the world today. Teacher to provide:
- Students will have had some training - Fill in the blank notes on Slavery
on how to work through a “History Lab” https://1drv.ms/w/s!
and how to look at primary and AtxZwOrDrbvtgf09kRV6euJhfunf6A
secondary sources with a critical eye. - Slavery History Lab- In Chains to Life in
Students would have completed three America https://1drv.ms/w/s!
“History Labs” before this lesson. AtxZwOrDrbvtgfhdBbQ4TupjcmJjZw
- Vocab list- https://1drv.ms/w/s!
AtxZwOrDrbvtgoBKLydBcE3SGdqPgg
 Teacher to Bring:
- Slavery Sway
https://sway.office.com/GLKML88z13PX
p7Sv?ref=Link

OBJECTIVE(S) (Declarative Knowledge; Procedural Skill; Concept; Social/Group;

Affect; Thinking Skill; Problem Solving Skill)

Students will be able to (SWABT):

 Discuss ideas about what slavery is, what happens, who it affects, and if there is
slavery in the world today. (I can describe what slavery is, who it affects and if
exists today.)
 Record notes by listening to a Sway. (I can fill in the blanks of my notes by
listening and recording what is there)
 Define and identify the necessary vocabulary terms (in attached document) both
orally and in writing. (I can define new vocabulary by placing them in my own
words)
 Evaluate and analyze selected primary and secondary sources by conducting
close reading to pick out important details to answer the 5 w’s. (I can read
through a primary and secondary source by answering the 5 w’s)
 Examine sources of slavery by developing empathy for the character. (I can share
concern for people from documents).
 Record what they have learned or not learned by filling out an exit slip. (I can
take ownership of my learning by filling out an exit slip before leaving class)

LEARNING TEACHER MODEL, STUDENT PROCESS MONITOR &

OBJECTIVES TEACH, INPUT, TEACHER AND ACTIVITIES ADJUST, CLASS
QUESTIONS MANAGEMENT,
SWABAT DIFF’D IN-
STRUCTION
Discuss ideas about Discussion: Students participate in Slips for students
what slavery is, What is slavery? the classroom who are shy to
what happens, who discussion. participate.
it affects, and if What happens when a
there is slavery in person is a slave? Establish rules for
the world today. participation with the
(I can describe Who does slavery affect? class- possible
what slavery is, answers can include:
who it affects and if Is there slavery in the raise hands to speak,
exists today.) world today? be respectful…etc.

Do you know where? Teachers can ask the

questions as a group
or in smaller groups.
 Fishbowl method to
come back to discuss
as a group.

Record notes while Introduce the topic of Student will take notes Hand out the
listening to a Sway.slavery before and during by filling in the blanks vocabulary sheet to
(I can fill in the the American Civil War. as the teacher talks. the ELL student the
blanks of my notes day before and go
by listening and Turn on the Sway and Students participate in over the vocabulary
recording what is hand out the fill in the the discussion as the words. Student can
there) blank notes. teacher asks questions. work on putting
vocab words into
own words or
Define and identify Students answer dictionary
the necessary Ask questions about the questions about the
vocabulary terms context of vocabulary vocab words. Circulate around the
(in attached words found in the room while talking.
document) both presentation.
orally and in
writing.
(I can define new
vocabulary by
placing them in my
own words)

Evaluate and Hand out the History Lab Students will page Circulate around the
analyze selected and explain directions on through the document room to check in
primary and how to approach the with the teacher. with students.
secondary sources assignment and the
by conducting close primary and secondary The ELL student has
reading to pick out sources in the document. the option of working
important details to with someone to
answer the 5 w’s. Go through the first two Students will work bounce ideas off the
(I can read through questions to practice the through the first couple partner.
a primary and reading the source with of questions with the
secondary source the students. Students teacher. Remind students to
by answering the 5 will have to empathize Students work through hand in when
w’s) with the slave) the History Lab. finished the
Remind students to work document.
in full sentences.
Examine sources of
slavery by
developing
empathy for the
character. (I can
share concern for
people from
documents).

Record what they Instruct students to fill Students will fill out Oral exit slips may be
have learned or not out an exit slip with the their exit slip before an option.
learned by filling following things: leaving.
out an exit slip. (I 1. 3 things that you
can take ownership learned
of my learning by 2. 2 things that
filling out an exit interested that
slip before leaving needs more
class) exploration
3. 1 thing you have a
question about.

EVALUATE
(How will you check student knowledge, understanding, analysis, application, synthesis,
evaluation ability? Write 2-3 quiz/test questions below.)

(How will you mark student work? Right/Wrong, Marking Chits, Rating Scales, Rubrics,
Holistic: Attach documents)

Formative
- Discussions
- Exit Slip with 3 things learned in class, 2 things that interested you that needs
more exploration, and 1 thing that you have a question about.

Summative:
- History Lab: Life in Chains to Life in America. Point values for each question are at
the end of each question.

ELL Levels: 1 is an ELL learner. This learner is at Level 2.

Vocabulary Language Demands:

- Language demands are high for this lesson. Social Studies does have extensive
demands where unfamiliar terms and topics that need to be taught explicitly to
students. In an attached document there is a list of vocabulary that might have
difficulties. I have defined this in the document but there might be the need to
have students define the words in their own words to add meaning to their
learning. These words can be in their dictionary that they create themselves.
o Vocabulary instruction needs to be modified to clear up uncertainty
around words that may be confusing. Adding some context to where the
 words come from is especially important for a content-based subject like
Social Studies.
- Listening, speaking, reading and writing can be addressed in this lesson as well.
With discussion and even with the History Lab, students are working on
developing these skills. This lesson also has room for most of the modalities of
learning but to focus on a skill like addressing primary and secondary sources
competently, time needs to be spent practicing that skill.
- Scaffolding the lesson needs to be done for something that involves critical
thinking skills like primary and secondary skill analysis. Students would have had
some training on how to do a History lab before this assignment.
o Pre-teaching the vocabulary would be a good idea to preview with the
students before teaching the lesson. Giving the material to the student
and previewing it with them can help loads.
- Accommodations:
o Assigning a buddy to watch and help students with the work if needed.
The buddy works through the assignment with the ELL learner.
o Shortened lengths of the assignment or extra time.
o Allowing for multiple means of expressing. This can be done orally, in
picture form for written assignments.
o Demonstrating and modelling how the assignment should be done.
o Using a dictionary or thesaurus to look up words
o Allow for translations if possible
- Assessment:
o Formative: discussions and Exit tickets.
 Using the fishbowl method to facilitate discussion can be a good
thing to try with the students. They will need training to do so it
goes seamlessly.
 Other discussion methods can be turn and talks or reteaching the
information to a partner/the other person filling in the
information missed in the teaching.
 Exit tickets are a way to see what information students have
gathered during the discussion and to see what they have missed.
o Summative:
 Assessing critical thinking skills through an assignment like a
history lab I find is a perfect way to analyze primary and secondar
sources. Students will need training on how to competently
handle these tasks. With an ELL student, modelling on how to
accomplish this and to circulate to provide help if needed.

References:
Alrubail, R. (2016, July 7). Equity for English-language learners. Edutopia. Retrieved
May 19, 2022, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-for-english-language-
learners-rusul-alrubail 

Haynes, J. (n.d.). | six strategies for teaching ells across the content areas. TESOL Blog.
Retrieved May 19, 2022, from http://blog.tesol.org/six-strategies-for-teaching-ells-
across-the-content-areas/ 

  . Working with ELL Students. (n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2022, from https://bestofb-
ilash.ualberta.ca/ELLstudents.html