Freedom for Whom? A WebQuest on Slavery and the American Revolution
By Dr. Allison Nazzal

Overview

This lesson is a WebQuest you can use to deepen students' understanding of the role of blacks, especially slaves, in the Revolutionary War. One of the great paradoxes of American History is that, as the colonists fought for liberty, their government enslaved millions of its own people. Students who study the Revolutionary War should understand this paradox while exploring the role of blacks in the militaries of both the colonies and England, the reasons behind their decisions to align themselves on either side, and the effects of their decisions had. Students also should have the opportunity to explore individuals and ideas that influenced the revolution's ideals and the way colonists regarded blacks, their position in colonial society, and the institution of slavery.

A WebQuest is a form of inquiry in which the resources students need for their investigations are pre-selected Internet Websites. This lesson provides students an opportunity to think critically in cooperative groups as they investigate black soldiers in the Revolutionary War and others who influenced their lives. As an end product, they will develop a "Living History Museum" with exhibits that reflect their research and new understandings. This lesson is most effective when you use it with PBS' Slavery in America film series. While the WebQuest is designed for students in grades six through nine, you also can easily adapt it for high school students as well.

Curriculum Standards

For a list of standards that this unit addresses, click here.

Time Required

Seven to eight days, depending on computer availability and class scheduling.

Materials

• Computers with Internet Access (partners can share one computer during research)
• Presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPointŪ
• Printer
• Exhibit Team Research Guide
• Exhibit Team Script Guide
• Curator Team Research Guide
• Team Rubrics
• Alternate Rubric for Exhibit Team-Poster/Backboard

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

Ask students what they know about the Revolutionary War, specifically why the colonists fought England. Then show students the painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emmanuel Leutze. (The painting is toward the bottom of the WebQuest student page). Be careful not to allow students to see other parts of the page at this point.) Point out the soldier rowing the oar on the left, near Washington's knee. Inform students that this is a black soldier who fought alongside Washington, but historians debate his identity. Ask students to predict why a slave would fight for the colonies, but do not confirm their predictions. Next, ask students to describe museums they have visited. Ask them what the exhibits looked like and how information was presented. Tell them that they will be investigating soldiers like the one in the painting and the issue of slavery during the Revolutionary. Read the Introduction section of the WebQuest to students.

Procedures

Pre-activity (Optional)

Before beginning the WebQuest, guide students through the PBS series "Africans in America"--the web site is included in this WebQuest--to learn about the development of slavery in America. By visiting this site, students can deepen their understanding of slavery's history. You can have students research the site individually, in small groups, or the entire class through a group guided activity.

Day One

1. Familiarize students with the WebQuest, for instance how to click on links and move backwards/forwards.



2. Read, with the class, the Task, Process, and Evaluation sections of the WebQuest. Then, review the evaluation rubric with students.



3. Review the two major roles (Exhibit Teams and Curator Team) and their tasks/responsibilities described in the Task Section. (You should have only one Curator Team, ideally with two or three students. All remaining students should work in partner groups of two as Exhibit Teams.)



4. Choose teams. (You may wish to assign these before beginning the WebQuest.) Note: The Curator Team will summarize all information, compare and contrast information, and develop a creative introduction to the exhibit. Although they will base their information on whole group discussions after the investigation, you may wish to assign Curator roles to students who respond well to a challenge.



5. Have Exhibit Teams choose one of the historical figures listed in the Process section to investigate.



6. Review the Research Guides with students. Inform them that they will receive additional information after completing their research for developing their exhibit.



7. Ask students to bring a floppy disk to the next class to save information, including artifacts. Discuss the types of artifacts they might find in a museum and possibilities for this WebQuest (examples--portraits, paintings, documents, etc).

Day Two

1. Inform students on Exhibit Teams that they will be investigating their historical figure today and review with them the research guide they will be using. Remind students to look for artifacts they may wish to use in their exhibit (example--portraits, paintings, documents).



2. Show students how to save a painting, document, etc. from one of the WebQuest sites on disk.



3. Have the Curator Team investigate the WebQuest portion that focuses on democratic ideals, documents, and the two versions of the Declaration of Independence. If they have time, they also should circulate and obtain information from Exhibit Teams, using their guides, about historical figures.

Day Three

1. Have students continue their research.
   
   
2. Assign the following homework for each student:
   
   
   • Exhibit Teams: an investigation report of the historical figure based on the information guide, including many details and a description of artifacts.
     
     
   • Curator Team: a progress report on the Exhibit Teams and their work, a description of what they have learned about the democratic ideals related to the American Revolution, the versions of the Declaration of Independence, and the historical figures in the American Revolution.

Day Four

1. Review the rubric with the class.



2. Have the class discuss this question: "What have we learned so far?" You can either make sure Curators take careful notes, or you can choose to guide this discussion taking notes on computer with a TV-link, easel board, overhead etc. (Note: Curators will need this information for their work.)



3. After initial discussion of what we have learned about our historical figures, teacher should lead discussion based on the Curator Guide questions, in order for all students to compare/contrast the decisions of blacks/slaves to enlist, their reasons for doing so, their contributions to colonies/England, the effects of their service on their personal liberty, the tension between the colonists' beliefs in inalienable rights (freedom) and slavery, and others who sought to individually change public opinion/government policy (i.e. Phillis Wheatley, Abigail Adams).

Day Five

1. Review the Exhibit Team Guide.
   
   
2. Have Exhibit Teams decide who will act as "story-teller" and who will be in charge of the display.



3. Instruct Exhibit Teams to write a script for their "Living History Exhibit."



4. Review the Curator Team Guide while Exhibit Teams work independently on their script.



5. Have the Curator Team develop a first-draft template--just the narrative, not graphics or background--of its PowerPoint presentation.



6. Evaluate the scripts and offer feedback for students to use in the next class.

Day Six

1. Have Exhibit Teams revise script based on your feedback.



2. Instruct one member of each Exhibit Team to create a visual display of their artifacts and a summary of their historical figure.



3. Have the remaining members of each Exhibit Team practice delivering the script alone and with their partner, modifying the script as necessary.



4. Make sure the Curator Team revises their PowerPoint, based on your feedback, then adds the background, color, graphics, etc to the presentation.

Day Seven (Optional)

1. Have students continue preparing exhibits and practicing the Living History presentations.

Day Eight

1. Have students present their "Living History Museum" to an audience from the school.
   
   Suggestions: rotate other classes into the designated room to serve as audience each period. For example, have the Language Arts class visit the Social Studies class each period; invite school staff--counselors, principals, support staff, teachers on planning period--to attend; or present the "Living History Museum" at a PTA meeting or other school activity.



2. Help students bring closure to and reflect on their project by asking: What have we learned?

Assessment

Assess student work with the WebQuest Rubrics. You also probably will want to evaluate students' participation and homework assignments daily.

Related Works

1. "Africans in America" Web site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/title.html



2. WebQuests: Bernie Dodge's WebQuest Page for a full description of the WebQuest model and additional WebQuests for classroom use.

Interdisciplinary Links

1. This lesson integrates social studies and language arts, partly because it is best suited to middle school (grades six-nine) and early high school (grades nine and ten). However, it also integrates the following skills common to most grade level curriculums: Reading Comprehension, Study Skills (outlines, summarization,) Information Processing Skills, Computer Skills, Thinking Skills (Interpreting, Analyzing, Summarizing,) and Social Interaction Skills.

Adaptations

1. Ask Living History Exhibit Teams to create posters or science-fair-type backboards to accompany their oral presentation. Use the alternative "Exhibit Team Poster Rubric" above.



2. Add slow learners to an Exhibit Team as a third member so that they contribute to the product without as much responsibility.



3. If time allows, instead of having the Curator Team investigate their sites as a team, you may wish to have all students investigate these sites before their Exhibit Team research so that all students investigate the "big story" of the paradox between liberty and slavery. After the class discussion, the Curator Team then would be responsible for developing the Exhibit Introduction.



4. If you lack sufficient computers, have students rotate to available computers while rest of class continues with other work. You can also print materials from the websites and place them in centers; however, this will diminish some students' motivation.



5. Have students, if they want to, dress in period clothing during the Living History Exhibit Presentation

Extension Activities

1. Extend this inquiry on the Revolutionary War period to have students investigate the development of the Constitution through further research on the PBS "Africans in America" website.



2. Extend this lesson by having students study the Civil War and investigate how slaves/free blacks served in the Confederate/Union armies. See conclusion.



3. Have students apply what they learned by connecting this paradox to recent history, for example, the citizens of Communist countries, such as Cuba and North Korea, or the citizens of Iraq who fight for their government despite government policies that severely restrict their liberties.) See conclusion.

This lesson was submitted by Dr. Allison Nazzal, State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA., a proud former eighth grade American History teacher in Mesquite, TX ISD.