Lesson Plans & Resources
Each lesson plan offers a unique approach to teaching about slavery and its historical significance, using primary and secondary sources to engage students across different grade levels.
- Analyzing Primary Sources
Grade Level: 7-8
Lesson Overview: This lesson teaches students to critically analyze ads of self-liberated individuals using primary sources from websites like RunawayProject.info and Enslaved.org.
Download the lesson plan: Analyzing Primary Sources (PDF)
(Includes objectives, materials, standards, and DBQ procedures) - Analyzing the Impact of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation
Grade Level: 6-8
Lesson Overview: This lesson introduces students to the impact of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation on enslaved communities during the American Revolution.
Download the lesson plan: Analyzing the Impact of Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation (PDF)
(Includes historical background, primary sources, and a focus on student-written narratives) - Rewriting the Narrative
Grade Level: 8 (Adaptable for elementary and high school students)
Lesson Overview: Students will reimagine stories of enslaved people from the ads found on RunawayProject.info, giving a voice to individuals silenced by history.
Download the lesson plan: Rewriting the Narrative (PDF)
(Includes guiding questions, project ideas, and materials) - Telling Their Stories: Using Runaway Ads to Write Narratives
Grade Level: 5-12
Lesson Overview: This interdisciplinary lesson guides students to use historical runaway ads as a basis for creating personal narratives, fostering empathy and historical understanding.
Download the lesson plan: Telling Their Stories Curriculum (PDF)
(Includes reading excerpts, narrative elements, and group activities)
Additional Resources: