Slave Narrative

Primary Source Activity

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Each student will be required to research and analyze 3 slave narratives from the Internet sites listed below.  Students should read a variety of narratives until they read several that interest them.  Students will write a report, develop a chart, and report on the former slaves lives based on the narratives.  Students should have a visual aid to accompany their speech.

        v      Narratives are actually transcripts of interviews conducted by the WPA in the 1930s.  Works may be difficult to read.      If  you read them aloud it may be easier to understand what the interviewees are saying about their lives.

v      Students may not choose one of the following for their report:  Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Nat Turner, James WC Pennington, and Gustavus Vassa (Olaudah Equiano).

Part A: Report

Reports should include the following:

1.      name of person

2.      place where they lived

3.      what their job was

4.      how did they describe their living conditions

5.      describe their treatment

6.      family that they had

7.      when they were freed

8.      what they did after their freedom

9.      anything else that you find interesting

10.  language differences

v     You will need to answer these questions in essay form for all 3 former slaves.  You may not be able to find all information for all former slaves. 

·        Reports should be one and half pages typed, double spaced, 12-point font with 1” margins.

Part B: Chart

Each student will create a chart to help them analyze and understand the information on the web sites.  The following example is only the minimum requirements.  If you just use the example and do not create more, the highest your grade can be for this part of the assignment is a 49 out of 70 (70). 

·        Charts should be typed with the proper headings.  All information should be typed in your chart.

·        At the end of your chart, answer the following questions:

1.      What can we conclude based upon the evidence you collected?  This conclusion should be complete—at least 2 paragraphs.

2.      How does the information collected support or refute your prior perceptions of slave life?

  Part C:  Speech

v     Your speech should last at least one minute and no more than 2 minutes.

v     You must have a visual aid for your speech.  Most web sites have pictures of the former slaves.  You may use this picture within your visual aid, but it cannot be all of your visual aid.

v     You need to report on your findings and conclusions from your chart

v     You need to give us the interesting and unusual aspects of your former slaves lives that you did not expect.

  Web Sites:

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html

            click on Annotated Index of Narratives

http://newdeal.feri.org/asn/asn00.htm

            Click on Narratives and scroll down until you see the table with

Scroll until you see a name, state, or sample quote that interest you.

http://vi.uh.edu/pages/mintz/primary.htm

            Scroll until you find a topic that interest you

  SLAVE NARRATIVE RUBRIC

Report:

  Speech:

Chart:

10.6 Locate, evaluate, and select appropriate teaching/learning resources and curriculum materials for the content area and target audience, including computer-based products, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print sources--This goal is met because in this activity I use primary documents to help the students see the life of a slave that is not colored by a historian

11.4 Use technology to facilitate teaching strategies specific to the discipline--This goal is met because students must use the internet to gain the knowledge of a slave's life

12.1 Develop performance tasks that require students to (a) locate and analyze information as well as draw conclusions and (b) use a variety of media to communicate results clearly--This goal is met because students must draw conclusions about different slaves lives based on the accounts they gave

12.7 Select and create learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, based upon principles of effective teaching and learning, incorporate the use of media and technology for teaching where appropriate, and support learner expression in a variety of media using a variety of media communication tools--This goal is met because students must incorporate a variety of technologies to complete this project

3.1  Use word processing and/or desktop publishing for a variety of writing assignments/projects--This goal is met because students must type their findings and may use desktop publishing to create their tables.

3.2  Use electronic resources for research--This goal is met because students must use the internet to find the primary sources for their slave narratives

3.3  Select and use technological tools for class assignments, projects, and presentations--This goal is met because students must use technology to complete this project

3.4  Adhere to Fair Use and Multimedia Copyright Guidelines, citing sources or copyrighted materials in papers, projects, and multimedia presentations--This goal is met because students must use copyright guidelines when writing their reports.

2.01 Research ideas, events, and/or movements related to United States culture by:

• locating facts and details for purposeful elaboration.
• organizing information to create a structure for purpose, audience, and context.
• excluding extraneous information.
• providing accurate documentation.

This goal is met by students researching the time of slaves and what their life was like.