Classroom Activities About Slavery
The key to engaging students in history is to teach the subject as it relates to current culture, geography and society. Slavery is a key aspect of American history and politics, not to mention a huge aspect of American multiculturalism, which arose directly out of slavery. Teaching slavery to students also means teaching about cultural and racial integration in America.
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Stories, Poetry and Music
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Spend a week celebrating the art that was created out of slavery. This includes slave narratives, poetry, and songs that slaves sang to sustain their hope for freedom. Use this activity to explore what freedom means and what can happen to the human spirit when freedom is denied.
Slave Geography
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Help the students to create a giant map of the United States and highlight the regions that were key during the slavery period. What were the main escape routes that slaves used to get to the free states? What were the main slave trade routes? Encourage the students to think about the state they live in and where their ancestors may have come from.
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Chronology of African-American History
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Ask the students to create a time line of African-American history. This can be displayed on the classroom wall. It should feature the key dates in the history of slavery, including the beginning of the slave trade, the Emancipation Proclamation and the establishment of the 13th Amendment.
Wall of Heroes
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Create a wall of heroes, living and dead. These can be individuals of African-American origin who either contributed to history during the time of slavery, or modern athletes, musicians and actors. Ask the students to look back at American history in the last 100 years and to include figures who fought against racial discrimination.
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References
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