Abolition

The goal of this lesson is to teach 4th grade students to look closely at primary sources in order to understand contributions made by citizens to abolish slavery. The lesson will explore Tennesseans active in the abolitionist movement including Frances Wright and Elihu Embree.

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

In this lesson, the teacher uses a variety of strategies to actively engage students in analyzing vocabulary, answering source dependent questions, and facilitating group discussions. Students practice taking notes and identifying key information while using a graphic organizer in small groups.

Essential and guiding questions: 
  • Define subject area vocabulary: “abolish” and “slavery”
  • How would you describe slavery?
  • Can you explain how slavery affected African Americans?
  • Give examples of how individuals might have contributed to abolishing slavery in Tennessee.
  • What do you notice about this sketch, map and photograph? (A graphic organizer is provided to assess sources.)
  • Answer Who, What, When, Where and Why questions in response to “Nashoba” encyclopediaentry.

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Applying

Helpful Hints

Materials Needed: