ABOLITION OF SLAVERY
CURRICULUM UNIT DESIGN
PRESENTED BY:
HEATHER CAIN AND SAM FUNNELL
CONTEXT
We decided to focus on slavery and the abolition of slavery. Our
designed curriculum is intended for a 5th grade, Hartford classroom
over a 5-day span. We are basing our curriculum off of having 90
minute classes. Our main objective is to teach the students about a
historical and pivotal event in history, as well as allowing the students
to make personal connections with a historical event. Our unit
encompasses a multi-intelligence type of structure that will allow for
students with differing learning styles to succeed. Our curriculum unit
is designed to allow the students to develop a deeper understanding
of history while interpreting it to make connections within their own
lives.
TEACHING GOAL: MULTIINTELLIGENCE ENVIRONMENT
• Our main objective is to create a multi-intelligence environment based
off of the theory of Howard Gardner
• This will give each student a chance to understand the material and excel.
• Instead of focusing on strictly lectures, individual assignments and
evaluations; we intend to incorporate different teaching techniques that
can apply to different types of learners.
 Personal Journals-allow students to freely express their opinions
 *Field Trip-Students can visually see & experience the content to get a better understanding
 *Debate-Verbally expressing their knowledge
 *Active Role Play-A hands-on activity
 Group Discussions-Being able to communicate personal experiences to make connections and deepen their
understanding
MULTI-INTELLIGENCES
TEACHING GOAL: MULTICULTURAL
ENVIRONMENT
Hartford Public Schools are made up of 93.8% minorities (Metro
Hartford School District Enrollment 2007-2008 )
We wanted to integrate a culture that the students can relate to
James Banks says that “students learn best and are more highly
motivated when the school curriculum reflects their cultures,
experiences, and perspectives.” (Page 243, Approaches to
Multicultural Curriculum)
This will avoid student alienation and encourage students to dive
into a topic they can relate to and apply to their every day lives
MULTICULTURAL
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Students will be able to describe, discuss, & comprehend the significance
of a critical turning point in history, including its notoriety of racism and
inequality
 Students will be able to identify and analyze a significant a historical event
and apply, compare and contrast its characteristics to their personal
experiences
 Students will be able to compare and contrast different perspectives of a
historical event
 Students will be able to argue and defend various historical perspectives as
they relate to a historical event and judge their merits
 Students will be able to create solutions and apply them to society
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
*Lesson: Teacher will
introduce the topic of
slavery
*Lesson: Students will
be introduced to people
who tried to combat
slavery
*Lesson: Students will
learn another leader who
tried to combat slavery
*Lesson: Students will
make personal
connections with a
historic event
*Lesson: Students will
be evaluated on what
they have learned
*Activity: Students will
be asked to write a brief
assignment about what
they know and think
about slavery.
*Activity: Students will
visit the Harriet Beecher
Stowe Center
*Activity: Students will
be lectured through a
short power point about
Harriet Tubman
*Objective: Students
will be able to analyze,
compare and contrast
different perspectives of
a historical event
*Activity: Students will
participate in a roleplaying game to
understand the different
motives, interests, hopes
and fears through
various perspectives
*Activity:
Discuss with students
what they already know
about slavery &
abolition fostered by an
open discussion led by
the teacher
*Activity: Students will
watch parts of a movie
to deepen their
understandingUnchained Memories:
Reading From The
Slave Narrative
*Activity: Students will
be asked to keep a
journal for homework &
write in it every day
*Objective: Students
will be able to identify &
analyze a pivotal aspect
of a historical event
*Objective: Students
will be able to compare
and contrast different
perspectives of a
historical event
*Activity: Students will
be asked to talk about
what they know about
racism/race inequalities
through an open
discussion fostered by
the teacher
*Activity: Students will
participate in
collaborative
discussions with diverse
partners/groups about
personal experiences
relating to inequalities
*Activity: As a class,
students will make a list
of ideas to help society
take greater leaps
toward equality
*Activity: We will
discuss the viewpoints
on slavery from people
*Activity: Students will
participate in a debate
through various
perspectives
(slave, slave owners,
Northerners etc.)
*Activity: Students will
write a letter to the
President of that time
from the perspective
that they were assigned
for the debate
*Objective: Students
will be able to argue and
defend a historical event
through different
perspectives and judge
its merits
*Objective: Students
will be able to present
their defend their
knowledge with clarity
& voice
DAY 1
• The topic of slavery will be introduced to the students
• Students will have a brief writing assignment about what they know about slavery and
any thoughts they might have about it.
• We will discuss with students what they know about slavery fostered by questions from
the teacher
• Students will watch parts of a movie to deepen their understanding of the new topicUnchained Memories: Reading From The Slave Narratives
• Students will be asked to keep a journal for homework and write in it every class in the
perspective of a slave
 This will target the learning objectives:
o Students will develop a comprehension of the historical event
o Students will be able to discuss and describe a historical event
DAY 2
• Students will be introduced to some people who tried to combat
slavery by visiting the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
• We will attend the school program entitled, Inspiration To Action.
 This will target the learning objective:
o Students will be able to analyze, compare and contrast different perspectives of
a historical event
o Students will identify & analyze a pivotal aspect of a historical event
*DAY 3
• Students will be introduced to another abolitionist, Harriet Tubman,
through a short power point
• Students will participate in a role-playing game to understand the
different motives, interests, hopes and fears through each
perspective
 This will target the learning objective:
o Students will be able to identify & analyze the historical event through different
perspectives
o Students will be able to compare and contrast the different perspectives
DAY 4
• Students will be asked to talk about what they know about racism/race inequalities
through an open discussion
• Students will participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners/groups
about personal experiences relating to inequalities
• Students will be asked to write a list of ideas to help society take greater leaps toward
equality
• We will discuss the viewpoints of people on both sides of the issue of slavery and explain
some of the reasoning for these differing opinions.
 This will target the learning objective:
o Students will be able to identify and analyze, significant historical events and apply and
compare and contrast them to their personal experiences.
o Students will be able to create & organize a list of ideas and apply them to the greater society
*DAY 5
• We will do a debate about slavery through various perspectives (Students
will be assigned to argue either on the the behalf of white slave owners,
slaves, or pro-abolition northerners)
• Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the unit through
writing a letter to the President, as if they were living in the US before the
13th amendment, from the perspective they were assigned for the debate
 This will target the learning objective:
o Students will be able to argue and defend a historical event through several
perspectives and judge its merits
o Students will be able to defend their knowledge with clarity and voice
EVALUATION
In order to evaluate the learning of the students over the course of
this unit, we will compare writing assignments from the first day as
well as the last day.
We will be looking for them to display improved overall knowledge
of the subject as well as the ability to articulate and argue a
viewpoint that they may or may not agree with.
RESOURCES
Movie- Unchained Memories: Reading From The Slave Narrative
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
Journals