Slave Life in America

Big Idea

1. Students will gain deeper understanding of what life was like as a slave in America.

Essential Questions

1. How did slaves' lives differed in respect to their geographical location?

2. What kind of interactions did slaves have with their owners?

Student Objectives

1. Students will gain an understanding of how life for slaves differed from region to region and
overtime.
2. Students will learn how social and political factors influenced slaves' lives.

Content Standards

1. 16.D.3a Describe the characteristics of slave society in different sections of America during the
colonial periods and 19th century.
2. 16.D.3 Identify the origins and analyze consequences of events that have shaped world social
history.

Procedure

1. Using a quick-write, give students 5 minutes to answer the following question: What would
your life be like if you didn't have freedom, and were under the control of someone else?
2. After going over students responses, pass out lecture notes to the students that will help guide
them through the PowerPoint.
3. Go over the PowerPoint highlighting experiences and complexities of life as a slave. The
PowerPoint will touch on the slaves' experiences throughout their journey through the
transatlantic slave trade. The PowerPoint will discuss the type of work slaves were forced to do
in different regions and overtime. The PowerPoint will also uncover social issues within life as
a slave including the power relationship between slaves and their owners and religious
education. Using excerpts from the Story of The Life of John Anderson, the Fugitive Slave,
provide students with a first hand account of difficulties and challenges facing separated
families.
4. Allow students to take notes throughout PowerPoint presentation and highlight information that
is especially important.
5. Have students answer the following questions for homework: How social factors played
important roles in slaves' lives? Why are these factors more important than other factors? Why
did slavery differed from region to region? What differences existed between these regions? In
what ways were slaves passive or resistant? What explains this passive or resistant behavior?
What were the consequences for their behavior and mistreatment?
6. Collect the homework from students the next day of class.
7. Assess students on their ability to thoroughly answer the questions with relevant information.
Materials:

1. PowerPoint
2. Computer
3. Projector
4. Story of the Life of John Anderson, the Fugitive Slave
5. Lecture Notes