Chase Bushman

Emily Murrin
Kat Schuette
Dave Janociak
Grade: 7th
Unit: The Age of Reform
Topic: The Fight Against Slavery

Big Idea: As the country began to change in the mid-1800s, social reform took place in order to
better the lives of the American people.
Essential Question:
1. How did abolitionists and the anti-slavery movement affect the lives of people living in
America?
2. How were anti-slavery movements supported and opposed?
Objectives:
1. Identify the key movements and people who supported the anti-slavery movement.
2. Recognize different ways abolitionists took a stand against slavery.
3. Justify and defend reasons for and against slavery.
ISBE Standards:
1. 16.C.3b Explain relationships among the American economy and slavery, immigration,
industrialization, labor and urbanization, 1700 – present.
2. 17.A.H.3 Patterns of movement in space and time.
3. 18C.H.3 Historical impact of prejudice on U.S. institutions.
ACT Standards:
1. Expressing Judgments: Show clear understanding of the persuasive purpose of the task by
taking a position on the specific issue in the prompt and offering a critical context for discussion
2. Developing A Position: Show effective movement between general and specific ideas and
examples
3. Organizing Ideas: Provide unity and coherence throughout the essay, often with a logical
progression of ideas

Materials:
Textbook, PowerPoint, Internet, Video, guided note sheet, pencil/pen, projector,
computer
Procedure:
1. Introduce lesson to students (~3 min)
2. Distribute guided notes sheet and introduce note taking concept to students
3. Activate Students Prior Knowledge (PPT slide 2) (~ 5 min)
§ Ask students what they know about slavery (people, events, ideas)
4. Show students video clip Origins of Slavery and pictures of slave life and
treatment.
 Ask students to write their reactions to the movie clip and pictures.
Share student reactions to movie and pictures as a whole class.
5. Discuss the roots of antislavery (PPT slide 3 & 5) (~ 20 min)
6. Using map look at distribution of free & slave states (PPT slide 4)
 7. Discuss abolitionists and key abolitionists (PPT slides 6-9)
8. Show Underground Railroad movie clip (PPT slide 10)

(web link: http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=5a450517-

e1e5-439d-a9a4-22bcecd74007&productCode=HUB )
9. Discuss the Underground Railroad (PPT slide 11)
10. Listen to “Follow the Drinking Gourd”
11. Discuss why some opposed the abolition of slavery (PPT slide 12)
12. Break the class in half and distribute pro slavery and anti slavery arguments
13. Allow students to figure out main points (~ 8 min)
14. Allow students to debate pro slavery or antislavery. (~10 min)
§ If not enough time to debate, have students write 3 arguments on a piece of
paper.

Assessment:
1. Student participation and attentiveness during lesson demonstrating knowledge about key
people and events during the abolition movement.
2. Students will be able to justify and defend reasons about abolition/anti-slavery and pro-
slavery in student debates.
3. Students ability to clearly explain answers to essay questions.

Essay Questions:
1. Explain how the Underground Railroad was used, along with certain routes of travel, and how
people learned to use the Underground Railroad. Why was escaping slavery risky for both slaves
and those who helped the slaves escape?

2. The social reforms of the 1800s were intended to improve the lives of Americans. How did
the abolition of slavery improve the lives of some Americans, but possibly harm the well-being
of others? How did anti-slavery and pro-slavery groups promote their opinions on abolition?

3. You have heard the arguments for and against the abolition of slavery, and now it's your turn.
Imagine that you are living in the 1850s and must try to convince your fellow citizens to support
or reject abolition (NOT slavery) at a public meeting. After you briefly address the opposing
side, tell us what your opinion on abolition is, providing at least three examples of supporting
evidence for your beliefs in your counterargument. Also, be sure to tell us who you are! (Some
examples might include: white plantation farmer living in the South, freed slave living in the
North, white woman living in a state where the issue of slavery is under review....)