|
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Activity Guide
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
By Rick Vanderwall
Overview
This activity will guide students through a reading of To Be a Slave or Letters from a Slave Girl and focus on providing students source material for the lessons they will each younger students about the history of slavery. The students will read the book and use specially adapted Literature Circle Discussions for responding to the material and deciding what to use as they develop lessons for younger learners.
Student Objectives
Students will:
- Read either To Be A Slave or Letters From A Slave Girl.
- Organize, write, and present one of five discussion roles.
- Respond during the discussion to the presentations given by fellow students.
Skills Attained
Students will be able to:
- Discuss To Be A Slave or Letters From A Slave Girl.
- Organize, write, and present one of five adapted discussion roles.
- Apply selected history of slavery content to the design of lessons.
Time Required
Two class periods
Materials Needed
- Copies of: To Be A Slave or Letters From A Slave Girl
- Literature Circle Sheets
- Lesson content selection forms
The Lesson
Anticipatory Set
- Ask students what they know about the history of slavery in America.
- Ask student to speculate about the lives of slaves.
- Introduce the two books.
Procedures
- Divide the class into literature circles of five students each.
- Have students select names for their circles.
- Introduce the Literature Circle Activity. To help familiarize students with literature circles, you can go to
http://www.studyguide.org/lit%20circle%20handout.htm for a literature circle tutorial.
- Have groups assign roles and reading/job schedules using the schedule form, below.
- Assign the reading and discussion schedule.
- Introduce the lesson topics once students have completed the reading and discussion schedule.
- Have each group select the content they want to include in the lessons.
- Collect assessment forms following each discussion.
Assessment
To grade students’ work, use the rubric below:
|
Grading Element |
Points |
|
Literature Circle Discussion Activity (see assessment form) |
16 per Discussion |
|
Completion of Lesson Content Form |
10 |
Rick Vanderwall teaches Sixth Grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Price Laboratory School at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Return to the main unit page.
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Discussion Director Literature Circle Sheet
Discussion Number: _____
Name: ______________________________________
Book Title: _________________________
Assignment for this discussion: page ________ to page ________
Literature Circle's Name: _________________________
Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group can discuss about this part of the novel. Your questions should require thought and get everyone talking and sharing their opinions and reactions. The best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. Do NOT write questions that call for a simple "yes" or "no" answer or a factual detail!
Order for Leading Your Group Discussion
- Call on the Summarizer to read the summary.
- Call on the Connector to explain this passage’s possible uses in the creation of lessons.
- Pose each one of your questions to your group for discussion.
- Ask each member of your group to state their comments/questions about this section of the novel. Lead the group in responding to what each person says.
- Call on the Passage Master.
- Call on the Vocabulary Reporter.
- Fill out the Group Record sheet, with input from your group members.
- After the discussion, go over assigned roles for your next discussion and make sure everyone, including absent members, gets a new role sheet.
- Call the teacher over. Be ready to discuss items on the Group Record sheet.
Discussion Questions or Topics for Our Literary Circle:
1. ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________________________________
5 ________________________________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Types of Questions You Might Ask
- What did you think about...? (name a specific event, action, or character's action)
- Why do you think that....?
- What do you think will happen....? (ask for predictions of events and characters' actions)
- What is happening at the part where.....?
- What do you think _______(event/incident) means?
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Summarizer Literature Circle Sheet
Discussion Number: _____
Name: ______________________________________
Book Title: _________________________
Assignment for this discussion: page ________ to page ________
Literature Circle's Name: _________________________
Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today's reading. The other members of your group will be counting on you to summarize the key points or main highlights of today's reading assignment. It is a good idea to jot down the main events on scratch paper before you complete this form. Be sure to write your summary in complete sentences! When you have finished, give this section a short title—something that captures the main idea.
My Title for the Section: __________________________________
Summary:
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
(finish on back of sheet if necessary)
My comment or question about this part of the book is:
________________________________________________________________________________________
My group agreed that my summary was complete and accurate _______yes ________no (if no, add what is missing on the back of the sheet)
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Page Master Literature Circle Sheet
Discussion Number: _____
Name: ______________________________________
Book Title: _________________________
Assignment for this discussion: page ________ to page ________
Literature Circle's Name: _________________________
Locate three passages of the story that your group should re-read, discuss, and think about. Passages should be important things for everyone to notice, remember, or think about. Choose a variety of passages and not all the same type--here are suggestions:
- Something surprising/startling
- Something confusing (something you wonder if other people "got")
- Descriptive writing: figurative language, strong verbs, etc. (identify literary devices)
- Important event or fact (maybe a clue? foreshadowing?)
- Controversial event (elicits different opinions from group members)
- Something that could be used in making the lessons about the history of slavery
During your group meeting, do the following:
- Make sure everyone opens to the right page and help them find where the passage begins.
- Either read it aloud yourself, have everyone read it silently, or ask someone to read it.
- Tell your reasons for selecting each passage; ask for comments. Do they agree with your choices?
Complete the following statements for each of the three passages you select.
Passage 1
Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______
The first three words of the paragraph are: _________________________________ I selected this passage because:
Passage 2
Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______
The first three words of the paragraph are: _________________________________ I selected this passage because:
Passage 3
Page _______ Paragraph(s) ______
The first three words of the paragraph are: _________________________________ I selected this passage because:
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Word Reporter Literature Circle Sheet
Discussion Number: _____
Name: ______________________________________
Book Title: _________________________
Assignment for this discussion: page ________ to page ________
Literature Circle's Name: _________________________
Your job is to look up definitions to the unknown words you find on your own and create an excellent sentence using each one. During the Literary Circle Discussion, do the following: First, make sure everyone in your group copies down each word and definition on their vocabulary sheet. Then, together as a group, create a new sentence and write this on your vocabulary sheet. Finally, make sure the teacher checks the group's sentence for accuracy.
1. Word: ______________________Page _________ Paragraph ________
Sentence from the book: __________________________________________
The definition is:________________________________________________________
My excellent sentence is: ___________________________________________________
My comment or question about this part of the book is: ____________________________________
2. Word: ______________________Page _________ Paragraph ________
Sentence from the book: __________________________________________________________________
The definition is:________________________________________________________
My excellent sentence is: ___________________________________________________
My comment or question about this part of the book is: ____________________________________
3. Word: ______________________Page _________ Paragraph ________
Sentence from the book: __________________________________________________________________
The definition is:________________________________________________________
My excellent sentence is: ____________________________________________________
My comment or question about this part of the book is:
________________________________________________________________________
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Daily Group Record Sheet
Discussion Number: _____
Name: ______________________________________
Book Title: _________________________
Assignment for this discussion: page ________ to page ________
Literature Circle's Name: _________________________
Following the group meeting, the Discussion Director will complete this form with help from the group.
- Two topics that generated the most discussion today were:
- As a group, we agreed one of the most important or intriguing passages in this section was about: (this may or may not be one that the Passage Master selected)
- Group Participation Today: Rate each member by number: (1) means beginning (2) means developing (3) means focused (4) means exemplary
Member's Name: ________________________
Completed Reading ____
Contributes relevant info ____
Listens to group members ____
Fulfills duties ____
Member's Name: ________________________
Completed Reading ____
Contributes relevant info ____
Listens to group members ____
Fulfills duties ____
Member's Name: ________________________
Completed Reading ____
Contributes relevant info ____
Listens to group members ____
Fulfills duties ____
Member's Name: ________________________
Completed Reading ____
Contributes relevant info ____
Listens to group members ____
Fulfills duties ____
Member's Name: ________________________
Completed Reading ____
Contributes relevant info ____
Listens to group members ____
Fulfills duties ____
- Remember to give this sheet to the teacher before leaving today.
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Literature Circle Reading and Job Schedule
Book Title:
Section:
Group Name:
J o b s
| |
Disc.Dates |
|
|
|
|
|
Chapters |
|
Disc 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Book # |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DD = Discussion Director, S = Summarizer , Con= Connector, PM = Passage Master, WP = Word Reporter
Book Title:
Section:
Group Name:
J o b s
| |
Disc.Dates |
|
|
|
|
|
Chapters |
|
Disc 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Book # |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DD = Discussion Director, S = Summarizer , Con= Connector, PM = Passage Master, WP = Word Reporter
Book Title:
Section:
Group Name:
J o b s
| |
Disc.Dates |
|
|
|
|
|
Chapters |
|
Disc 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Disc 5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Book # |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DD = Discussion Director, S = Summarizer , Con= Connector, PM = Passage Master, WP = Word Reporter
*This form designed by Malini Roy, 2003
To Be A Slave and Letters From A Slave Girl Lesson
Young Adult Literature and the History of Slavery Unit
Lesson Content Selection Report
Names of Literature Circle Members:
Book/Website Title: _________________________
Assigned Lesson Topic (circle one)
Timeline of slavery
The lives of slaves, selected slave narratives
Reading with fourth/fifth graders.
Possible activities that will work with our lesson:
Content to include in our lesson:
| 
