Title: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Grade Level: 11th Grade
Subject/Topic Area: U. S. History
Key Words: slavery, abolitionists, emancipation, anti-slavery, antebellum South
Designed by: Brenda Smith and Susan Smith
Time Frame: 3 sessions
School District: Savannah Chatham County Public Schools
Summary of Unit
This unit is designed to
Initial draft date: 9/17/09
Stage 1—Identify Desired Results
Learner Analysis
The students were administered a pre-assessment to determine their current standing in
regards to literacy skills. The instrument used was the online TRAILS Tool for Realtime Assessment of Information Literacy Skills. The pdf file of the results is attached to
this lesson plan. One of the areas of concern is the ability to recognize how to use
information responsibly, ethically, and legally. The overall correct responses in this area
were just 55%. Therefore, this is the area that is addressed most directly by this lesson
plan.
Established Goals:
SSUSH6 The student will analyze the nature of territorial and population growth and the
impact of this growth in the early decades of the new nation.
SSUSH7 Students will explain the process of economic growth, its regional and national
impact in the first half of the 19th century, and the different responses to it.
SUSH8 The student will explain the relationship between growing north-south divisions
and westward expansion.
21st Century Learner Standard
1.3.1. Respect copyright/intellectual property rights of creators and producers.
1.3.5. Use Information technology responsibly.
2.1.2. Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
2.1.4. Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
2.1.6. Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create
products that express new understandings.
2.2.4. Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.
3.1.3. Use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively.
3.1.4. Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and
understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
3.4.2. Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.
4.1.3. Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and
genres.
4.1.8. Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.
What essential questions will be considered?



How did the perception of slavery differ between socio-economic groups and
geographical groups?
What role did religion play in Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Why?
How did the indignation over slavery lead to the writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin
and how did the writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin lead to the indignation over
slavery?
What understandings are desired?


Powerful literary works can impact ideas, which in turn, can impact history.
The struggle to abolish slavery in America forever changed the character of the
young country.
What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
Students will know…
 The impact of slavery on the economy of the southern states.
 The events following the publication of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.
 The impact of the novel on the impending conflict of the Civil War.
 The impact of the novel on European support for the north and the south as the
Civil War begins to tear apart the nation.
Students will be able to…
 Read a literary work and research the cultural environment in which it was written
and published.
 Compare and contrast northern and southern attitudes regarding slavery in the
early 1800s.
 Analyze the literary elements of a fictional work.
 Plan and design a multi-media presentation to convey meaning and ideas.
 Research and gather data and resources to support writing and production.
Stage 2—Determine Acceptable Evidence
Performance Tasks:




Students will read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriett Beecher Stowe.
Students will prepare a report on the literary elements of the novel as well as its
effect on the rising tensions between the northern and southern states. Students
will include information on the book’s effect on European perception of the
conflict between the regions.
Students will research the book and it’s influence on events through research of
primary and secondary resources.
A multi-media presentation will be prepared by the students to communicate the
novel and it’s significance on the rising conflict.
Other Evidence:
 Students will be able to discuss and debate the importance of “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin” as a catalyst for the Civil War.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection:
 Participants will complete a self-evaluation
Stage 3—Plan Learning Experiences
W. H. E. R. E. T. O.
1. Begin the session with the animoto short “Day of Tears” to demonstrate how
a sequential still presentation is used to present a synapses of a book.
http://animoto.com/play/OxkJtA5TuH37xKRSeYuNnA#embed. H
2. Demonstrate the steps involved in creating a short book video using animoto.
W
3. Distribute handouts of copyright guidelines as well as bookmarks with list of
online resources for royalty-free music, public domain and creative common
photos, image files, and online citation tools. W
4. Distribute copies of the book, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and guiding questions to
be used by the students as they read. W
5. Allow students time to discuss the book in small reading circles. E
6. Have the students read the chapter on rising tensions prior to the Civil War for
key events. E
7. Handout the timeline organizer showing the major events including the
publication of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.E
8. Distribute rubric for the book reports and the rubrics for the presentations. W
9. Watch the movie, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and discuss differences between the
film and the book. R
10. Have students present their multi-media book reports and allow other students
to ask questions and give feedback. R
11. Distribute self-evaluation to students to encourage reflection on the unit. E-2
Differentiation
No students in this class required differentiation. However, the following ideas
are provided for instances where differentiation is indicated.
ADHD: Students should be provided with headphones when working on multimedia projects to decrease distractions. Class can be divided into teams of two to
work together on the multimedia project.
Visually Impaired: Students can produce a narrated audio in place of the video
for their multi-media piece.
Gifted: Students can create narration to add to their Animoto video.
Resources
Print Resources
Ohler, Jason (2008). Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New media pathways
to literacy, learning and creativity.
Teehan, Kay (2006). Digital Storytelling: In and out of the classroom.
Miller, Carolyn Handler (2008). Digital Storytelling: A creator’s guide to
interactive entertainment.
Web Resources for multi-media presentation
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/PhotoStory/defa
ult.mspx . The official download site for Windows PhotoStory 3, a free
download.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ . The official download site for Audacity, a free
download.
http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/free-music-resources.html . Apply for free
access to this royalty-free, commercial quality music for schools.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page . A huge database of media files
that are free to use under Creative Commons licenses, government
licenses, or public domain.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html . Wonderful collection of historical
documents, recordings, and photos in the American Memory Collection of
the Library of Congress.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/images.cfm . The materials included in the
Digital History website are original works of authorship, government
records, works for which copyright permission has expired, works
reprinted with permission, or works that we believe are within the fair use
protection of the copyright laws.
http://www.freefoto.com/index.jsp . The largest collection of free photographs on
the web. Link back and attribution required.
http://www.pics4learning.com/ . Pics4Learning is a copyright-friendly image
library for teachers and students.
http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/ . Photo archive of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
http://www.jasonohler.com/pdfs/storyboard_template.pdf . Directions for
producing a storyboard along with storyboard templates.
http://www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.pres.html . Rubric for assessing studentproduced digital stories.
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/ . Educational uses of digital storytelling are
described in this short video by Daniel Meadows.
http://www.digitales.us/ . Great resource website for ideas, rubrics, and tips for
creating outstanding digital stories.
Web Resources for Content
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam005.html . A virtual exhibit on
abolitionists from the Library of Congress.
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam006.html . The Library of Congress
explores the influence of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”.
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/stowe/stowbib.html . A bibliography for
Harriett Beecher Stowe. This includes all of the author’s works.
http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org/utc/impact.shtml . The official site of
the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and Museum.
http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/ . This extensive site includes many primary source
documents including reviews of the novel in America and Europe.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/ . This PBS site offers documents and information
on the slave experience as well as the abolitionist movement.
http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/ . This browsable index of "hypertext links to the
most useful identified electronic files about the American Civil War
(1861-1865)" is a great place for primary documents and more.
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/ . Louisiana State University maintains this site which
contains links to primary and secondary sources on the Civil War period.
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/nhihtml/cwnyhshome.html . Archival
files of historical images and documents. Most of these are in the public
domain.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html . The online collection
of photographs made under the direction of Matthew B. Brady during the
Civil War.
http://civilwarcauses.org/ . Explore the causes of the Civil War through primary
documents and chronologies and more.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Guiding Questions for Discussion
1. What is "freedom"? What opportunities and responsibilities accompany freedom?
2. What are the limits on freedom? Are limits to freedom a good thing or a bad
thing? Why?
3. Historically, what were the links between slavery and religion? What were the
links between emancipation/abolition and religion? Why and how was
Christianity used to justify both?
4. Are there still forms of slavery in the world today? If so, what are they? Where do
they exist? What can/should people do about it and why?
5. How did Marie St. Clare’s care of the household compare to that of Miss
Ophelia?
6. Tom’s refusal to take violent action against his masters, to run away, or even
protect himself from punishment is one of the most controversial aspects of
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. How do you feel about his actions compared to George
Harris or Cassy? Why do you think Stowe made such a passive character the hero
of her book?
7. Stowe’s novel is often cited as a successful protest work of fiction. Have you
ever been convinced to take action by a work of art, music, film or literature?
Book Report Requirements for Uncle Tom’s Cabin
1. Read the assigned book!!! (Cheating/cliff notes/papers from the internet will not be
tolerated)
2. Cover page is required.
3. Cover for the report is optional. (Meaning…I don’t care)
4. Report must be typed; handwritten reports will not be accepted.
5. Font is regular 12 Times New Roman.
6. Double spaced, normal margins.
7. Report is to be free from typing and spelling errors.
8. Book report is to be three typed pages of report + Cover page + bibliography =
five or more typed pages to be turned in.
9. A strong thesis is required.
10. Take a stand in your paper. Was the book an accurate portrayal of the time period?
Were the characters and storyline believable? Was the story fictitious? Did it contain
a deeper message from the author that could only be interpreted by the reader? What
was the outcome of the book being published?
11. Basically your assignment is not to retell the story from the book but to analyze the
story and comment on the weaknesses and strengths of the book and author.
12. Rough draft of the paper is due on Monday, October 26 for a homework grade.
13. Book report is for one test grade, due on Monday November 2nd.
14. One test grade will be for the multimedia presentation that you create on
Animoto.
Book Report Rubric
Beginning
Totally unrelated
5 points
Developing
Remotely related
10 points
Organization
Not organized,
events make no
sense
5 points
Quality of
Information
Unable to find
specific details
10 points
Grammar &
Spelling
Very frequent
grammar and/or
spelling errors
10 points
Needs descriptive
words
3 points
Some
organization,
events jump
around, start and
end are unclear
10 points
Details are
somewhat
sketchy
8 points
More than two
errors
8 points
Topic
Interest Level
Neatness
Illegible writing,
loose pages
3 points
Timeliness
Report handed in
more than one
week late
-30 points
Vocabulary is
constant, details
lack “color”
5 points
Legible writing,
some ill-formed
letters, print too
small or too
large
5 points
Up to one week
late
-20 points
Accomplished
Somewhat
relevant
15 points
Organized,
events are
somewhat jumpy
15 points
Some details are
non-supporting
to the subject
12 points
Only one or two
errors
12 points
Exemplary
Directly relevant
20 points
Good organization,
events are
logically ordered,
sharp sense of
beginning and end
20 points
Supporting details
specific to subject
15 points
All grammar and
spelling are correct
15 points
Vocabulary is
varied,
supporting
details need
work
7 points
Legible writing,
well-formed
characters
7 points
Vocabulary varied,
supporting details
vivid
10 points
Up to two days
late
-10 points
Report handed in
on time
10 points
Word processed or
typed
10 points
Score
Animoto Rubric
1
2
3
4
Organization
Audience cannot
understand
presentation
because there is
no sequence of
information.
Audience has
difficulty following
presentation
because student
jumps around.
Student presents
information in
logical sequence
which audience
can follow.
Subject
Knowledge
Student does not
have grasp of
information;
student cannot
answer
questions about
subject.
Student is
uncomfortable
with information
and is able to
answer only
rudimentary
questions.
Student is at
ease with
expected
answers to all
questions, but
fails to elaborate.
Graphics
Student uses
superfluous
graphics or no
graphics
Student's
graphics relate to
text and
presentation.
Mechanics
Student's
presentation has
four or more
spelling errors
and/or
grammatical
errors.
Student reads all
of report with no
eye contact.
Student
occasionally
uses graphics
that rarely
support text and
presentation.
Presentation has
three
misspellings
and/or
grammatical
errors.
Student presents
information in
logical,
interesting
sequence which
audience can
follow.
Student
demonstrates full
knowledge (more
than required) by
answering all
class questions
with explanations
and elaboration.
Student's
graphics explain
and reinforce
screen text and
presentation.
Eye Contact
Elocution
Student
mumbles,
incorrectly
pronounces
terms, and
speaks too
quietly for
students in the
back of class to
hear.
Student
occasionally
uses eye contact,
but still reads
most of report.
Student's voice is
low. Student
incorrectly
pronounces
terms. Audience
members have
difficulty hearing
presentation.
Presentation has
no more than two
misspellings
and/or
grammatical
errors.
Presentation has
no misspellings
or grammatical
errors.
Student
maintains eye
contact most of
the time but
frequently returns
to notes.
Student's voice is
clear. Student
pronounces most
words correctly.
Most audience
members can
hear
presentation.
Student
maintains eye
contact with
audience,
seldom returning
to notes.
Student uses a
clear voice and
correct, precise
pronunciation of
terms so that all
audience
members can
hear
presentation.
TOTAL
Score
-/24
Developed by Information Technology Evaluation Services, NC Department of Public Instruction