Author: molersmusings

Monday through Friday:

1. Civil War Veteran EduProtocols
2. Success Criteria

This week, my students embarked on a fascinating research project to uncover the stories of Civil War veterans buried in Watkins Hill Cemetery, located right behind our school. By combining a series of EduProtocols, the students were able to organize their findings and piece together the contributions these brave soldiers made to the Union victory.

To kick off the project, students utilized the Fold3 database, a rich resource for military records, as well as information from the cemetery itself and the American Battlefield Trust website. Armed with these tools, they took on the role of historical detectives, digging deep to unearth details about each veteran’s life and service.

The EduProtocols provided a structured framework for the students to present their discoveries. They began by creating a Frayer model to capture basic information about their chosen veteran, such as their birth and enlistment details, regiment, and company. Next, they constructed a timeline to place the veteran’s service within the broader context of the Civil War, marking key milestones like enlistment, discharge, and the battles they fought in.

One of the most engaging aspects of the project was the “Thick Slide,” where students delved into a specific battle their veteran participated in. They researched the date, location, and significant events of the battle, bringing the veteran’s experience to life. By watching videos about the daily life of Civil War soldiers and the food they ate, the students gained a more intimate understanding of the challenges these men faced.

As a culminating activity, the students wove together all the threads of their research to craft a compelling biography of their veteran. They reflected on how each individual contributed to the Union’s ultimate victory, whether through bravery on the battlefield or vital support roles behind the lines.

I asked students what they learned from this project. Here was an interesting comment from a student on the reflection form…”That even though we mainly focus on the big events in history, all the people involved are very important to the overall event.”

Watching my students engage so deeply with local history was truly rewarding. They not only honed their research and critical thinking skills but also developed a profound appreciation for the sacrifices made by these long-ago soldiers. By connecting with the past on such a personal level, they gained a new perspective on the impact of the Civil War on our community and the nation as a whole.

Projects like this one remind us of the power of place-based learning and the importance of preserving local history. I’m incredibly proud of my students’ dedication and the insights they uncovered, and I look forward to exploring more ways to bring the past to life in our classroom.

As educators, it is our responsibility to make history come alive for our students. By employing a variety of teaching strategies and resources, we can help them develop a deep understanding and appreciation for the past. In this blog post, I will share my experience teaching the Civil War to my students, highlighting the activities and projects that proved most effective in engaging them and fostering their learning.

Monday – Assessment (I can’t share the EMC2Learning templates – sorry)

Tuesday – Start of the Civil War

Monday

To assess my students’ understanding of the Civil War and the events leading up to it, I provided them with three assessment options on Monday: a Story Dice template, a Video Game template, and a Sketch and Tell-o Connect activity. These diverse assessment methods allowed students to demonstrate their knowledge in creative and engaging ways, catering to different learning styles and preferences.

The Story Dice template required students to select nine images that represented or symbolized the events and factors contributing to the growing tensions over slavery. They then wrote a paragraph explaining how these events and factors led to the Civil War, incorporating the selected images.

The Video Game template challenged students to create a game proposal that included at least four of the events or factors studied. They had to explain how each event or factor was represented in the game and discuss the educational value of their proposed game.

Lastly, the Sketch and Tell-o Connect activity asked students to create six sketches representing the events leading up to the Civil War. They then made connections by creating a claim, evidence, and reasoning for the question, “What series of disagreements and deals made between the Northern and Southern states finally caused the Civil War?”

Tuesday

Following the summative assessment, I utilized a combination of resources and activities to introduce the Civil War. On Tuesday, I had my students complete a Frayer Model activity, where they collected information about the Union and Confederate armies, including the states involved, colors worn, and other characteristics. This activity helped them organize their knowledge and understand the opposing forces.

I also had my students watch an EdPuzzle video on the start of the Civil War. The video provided a concise yet informative overview of the key events, battles, and leaders, allowing students to visualize the important aspects of the war. The EdPuzzle platform enabled me to embed questions throughout the video, ensuring active engagement and comprehension.

Thursday

On Thursday, I embarked on an exciting project that connected our classroom learning with local history. Near our school grounds lies the Watkins Hill Cemetery, which houses the graves of several Civil War veterans. I instructed my students to research and document the names of these veterans, along with the companies and regiments in which they served.

To make the most of this opportunity, I took my students on a field trip to the cemetery. They had the chance to explore, locate the graves, and gain firsthand knowledge about the individuals who played a significant role in our nation’s history. This hands-on experience brought history to life and fostered a deep connection with the past.

Building upon this experience, I introduced my students to Fold3, a comprehensive military veteran database. Using a Google Slidedeck containing EduProtocols, students organized their research findings and delved deeper into the stories of the Civil War veterans. They analyzed numerical data points, researched specific battles, and pieced together the historical context in which their chosen veterans lived.

Conclusion

By employing a multifaceted approach to teaching the Civil War, I was able to engage my students and help them develop a profound understanding of this pivotal moment in history. The combination of creative summative assessments, introductory activities, and hands-on exploration of local history created a comprehensive and meaningful learning experience.

I encourage fellow educators to explore opportunities within their communities to connect history with local landmarks. By immersing students in the stories of the past, we can ignite their curiosity, foster a love for learning, and help them appreciate the sacrifices made by those who came before us.

This week was our last testing week, so we had two shortened class periods. I was continuing the causes of the Civil War and my essential question, “Which conflicts over slavery led to the Civil War?”

Last week, our focus was on compromises such as the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Fugitive Slave Act. This week we focused on finishing up the Kansas Nebraska Act, learning about Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Dred Scott, and the Election of 1860. I have never really focused on the Election of 1860, so I wrapped some EduProtocols around a lesson from the Retro Report.

Monday – Sketch and Tell-o Analogies

Tuesday – Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Wednesday – Dred Scott, Amendments Sketch and Tell

Friday – Election of 1860

Monday

On Monday, I began class with a Sketch and Tell-o that had students thinking about analogies. I wanted them to review what they learned last week (Missouri Compromise, Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas Nebraska Act) by creating similes. For example, they would sketch and object for the simile connection and then write how the Missouri Compromise is like that object. We did this for 25 minutes and then moved onto the start of a new lesson.

To introduce Uncle Tom’s Cabin, I used an Archetype Foursquare. In the middle of the archetype template, I linked an article about the background, plot, and impact of the novel. Students read through the information and decided which archetype they would apply to the novel and use supporting evidence. At the conclusion, I had students discuss why they chose a certain archetype to describe Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

We ended class with a Fast and Curious EduProtocol. I added some questions to the Gimkit about Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The class averages were down a bit because I added three new questions.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we dove into a lesson on Uncle Tom’s Cabin. I adapted this lesson from from a textbook that my co-author, Dr. Scott Petri, contributed to – a resource written for schools in Texas that incorporates background information and primary sources to help students learn history.

Monday we had explored the background and significance of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Tuesday, we focused on three chapters: Chapter 7 – A Mother’s Struggle, Chapter 30 – A Slave Warehouse, and Chapter 33 – Cassy. Students selected a chapter and designed a slide that featured a quote that would anger abolitionists. We then analyzed the quote together and considered how it reflected the harsh realities of slavery.

I was pleased with how engaged and motivated the students were throughout the lesson. By focusing on storytelling techniques and emotional language, Harriet Beecher Stowe created empathy and awareness about the devastating impact of slavery. I added an Annotate and Tell to the lesson with three excerpts from the ending of the book. On the slide, I had students focus on the arguments Stowe put forth against slavery, the audience she was appealing to, and why she would appeal to mothers.

Wednesday and Thursday

On Wednesday, we began learning about the Dred Scott case. I also use this as an opportunity to tie in some local history about Henry Poindexter who had a similar case in Ohio. As an educator, I always strive to connect historical events to the local context, making them more relatable and meaningful for my students. In this particular lesson, we discovered a remarkable similarity between the Dred Scott case of 1857 and a case involving Henry Poindexter in 1856.

Henry Poindexter signed a promissory note committing to pay $1,000 for his freedom. When his enslaver allowed him to cross the river into Ohio, specifically in New Richmond and Cincinnati, Henry decided not to honor the agreement, arguing that he was now in the free state of Ohio. Subsequently, his enslaver sued him, leading to a legal battle that reached the Ohio Supreme Court. Ultimately, the court ruled in Henry’s favor, declaring him free. This local connection offered a unique opportunity to understand the complexities of the time through a relatable lens.

To deepen our understanding, we engaged in a Cybersandwich activity, comparing the Dred Scott case with Henry Poindexter’s legal battle. Students filled out a Venn diagram, identifying similarities and differences between the two cases. This exercise encouraged critical thinking, analysis, and reflection on the legal implications and consequences of each situation.

Following the Venn diagram, students composed a compare/contrast text structure to summarize their findings. This exercise not only reinforced their understanding of the cases but also developed their writing skills and ability to articulate complex ideas effectively.

To further our exploration, we connected the Dred Scott case to the 13th and 14th Amendments, which had profound implications for civil rights and the overturning of the infamous decision. Employing a Sketch and Tell activity, students utilized Google Shapes to create visual representations of the 13th and 14th Amendments.

Accompanied by their sketches, students “told” the story of the amendments in their own words, explaining how each amendment played a significant role in nullifying the Dred Scott case decision. This exercise fostered creativity, critical thinking, and a deeper comprehension of the amendments’ impact on the course of history.

Thursday’s lesson was a cool exploration of local history intertwined with national events. By connecting the Dred Scott case to the story of Henry Poindexter, we provided students with a personal connection to a pivotal moment in our nation’s past. Moreover, examining the 13th and 14th Amendments enabled students to comprehend how the legal landscape evolved and how these amendments transformed the rights of individuals.

Friday

Friday I wasn’t at school and had a decision to make – do I post a summative assessment for my unit on the causes of the Civil War? Or, do I add one more lesson on the Election of 1860? The Election of 1860 lesson would be easy to put together and cause less problems – I went with this idea.

For this lesson, I adapted it from Retro Report. I started with this question, “How did the results of the 1860 presidential election show that the United States was becoming more and more divided?”

At the end of the lesson, I wanted students to write from the POV of 3 candidates from the Election of 1860. So, I created a 3xPOV template for this lesson. At the beginning of the lesson, I put together a Map and Tell and jhad students analyze a ,ap from the Election of 1860. Next, they watched a video from Retro Report on the election. The they analyzed the platforms of the Northern Democrats, Southern Democrats, and Republicans regarding their stance on slavery. Finally, students ended with the 3xPOV. This was meant to be a one day and they did an awesome job considering I wasn’t present.

This week was another testing week with the Ohio AIR math test. At the end of the week, our assistant principal sent out a weekly updated and asked the question, “What does AIR stand for in Ohio AIR Test?” I responded with, “AIR – Academically Inconvenient Requirement.” I don’t think I won the trivia contest.

This week we continued our unit on the causes of the Civil War. I asked the question, “What conflicts over slavery led to the Civil War?” This week we focused on the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and the Kansas and Nebraska Act.

This semester I”ve been trying to build in more opportunities to have students empathize from multiple perspectives. I have been using some 2xPOV, empathy maps, and perspective summary writing at the end of different lessons.

Monday – Missouri Compromise

Tuesday – Compromise 1850/Fugitive Slave Act

Thursday – Kansas and Nebraska Act

Monday

On Monday, we began with the Missouri Compromise. I asked the question, “How did the Missouri Compromise attempt to balance free states and slave states between North and South?” I began the lesson with a Gimkit with 3 or 4 questions about the Missouri Compromise. I ran the Gimkit for 3 minutes, and then ran it again for 2 minutes.

Next in line, we switched Frayer model with the word, Compromise, in the center. Around the word Compromise, I had students create definition, use it in a sentence, share examples, and nonexamples. For the examples of Compromise, I urged everyone to think of examples we have learned about in class. They came up with, “3/5ths Compromise, the Treaty of Ghent, the Treaty of Paris 1783.” I thought these were great connections.

Following the Frayer, we switched to an EMC2learning penny pedagogy called Upside Down Learning. Students read a textbook section about the Missouri Compromise. On the top of the line with Upside Down Learning, students tell the true story of the Missouri Compromise. I had them think about the compromise, and retelling of the compromise in sequential order. Underneath of the true story, the students come up with alternate reality. They keep some of the details, but they twist them a bit.

Next, I had students complete an empathy map with two primary sources. Students read a debate between two congressmen named Arthur Livermore and Philip Barbour over the Tallmadge Amendment and Missouri Compromise. Upon reading, students completed an empathy map. To end class, we ran one more Gimkit for 2 to 3 minutes and increased our class averages to over 90% across all classes.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we switched over to the Compromise of 1850 and I asked the question, “What was the Compromise of 1850 and why did it make northerners angry?” I asked this question kowing we would focus on the Fugitive Slave Act. Before the lesson began, I wrote on the board, “Fugitive Slave – Freedom Seeker, Slave – Enslaved Person/People, Master – Enslaver.”

This lesson we began with a Number Mania and here were my instructions: “The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a harsh and ineffective law that deepened the divide between the North and the South, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.”

• Prove this quote true with 4 numbers and facts from the reading.
• If you use my secret number, I’ve got a Jolly Rancher for you.
• Add icons/images for all facts
• Add a title.
• In the speaker notes, explain why you selected these numbers.

I added the Secret Number to create some intrigue – it’s the end of the year! My secret number ended up being 11 – the Civil War began 11 years after the Compromise of 1850. I had these dates underlined and said to everyone, “I gave you a subtle hint.” Only a handful of student solved the secret number throughout the day.

The reading I paired with the Number Mania had a ton of numbers. I wanted to see if students could pick out the important numbers related to the quote.

Following the Number Mania, students filled out an empathy map from a northerners perspective about the Fugitive Slave Act. I also related the Fugitive Slave Act to our community because Enslaved Person Trackers terrorized the abolitionists of New Richmond due to the Fugitive Slave Act. Students filled out an Empathy Map showing what a northerner might think, say, hear, and do about the Fugitive Slave Act. I encouraged them to use details from the Number Mania, which is essentially details from their reading.

At the end of class, I added a few more questions to the Gimkit about the Compromise of 1850. I ran the Gimkit for 3 to 4 minutes.

Wednesday

Wednesday was a shortened class period (30 minutes) due to math testing. I wanted students to reflect on their Number Mania from Tuesday. I put together a Google Form with success criteria at the top. The success criteria contained the numbers students could have used on their infographics. I asked the students these reflection questions:

1. How many numbers from the provided list did you include in your infographic to support the quote “The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a harsh and ineffective law that deepened the divide between the North and the South, ultimately contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861”?
2. How well do you think the numbers you included in your infographic support the given quote?
3. What did you learn about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and its impact on the United States while creating your infographic?
4. If you could improve one aspect of your infographic, what would it be and why? 
5. If you graded yourself on the infographic, what score would you give yourself out of 4 points?

This was a day to finish the Number Mania and empathy maps. A pretty easy, light day.

Thursday

On Thursday we switched to the Kansas and Nebraska Act. I asked the question, “What did voting on slavery and the Kansas and nebraska act reveal about Sectionalism in the United States?” I knew the students would have trouble with the parts of this question – Kansas Nebraska Act and Sectionalism. I didn’t want to throw too much at the students, so we focused on sectionalism for the shortened class period.

One thing I’ve been trying to do more often is using a relevant preview Activity before learning something new. I took this idea from Gene Tavernetti’s book, Teach FAST. This book focuses on how to optimize learning through designing lessons around how students learn best.

A preview activity is a quick activity where students reflect, discuss, or write out something they have experienced and eventually relate it the new content they will learn. In this case, I had students reflect, and create a Sketch and Tell, on a conflict they had with someone – a parent, sibling, teacher, or friend. They sketched about the two differing beliefs, or interests. Then they discussed the conflict with a partner. Finally, they wrote about it on the tell side.

Following the preview activity, I had students complete another Sketch and Tell. This one was about sectionalism. I had AI generate a 2 paragraph explanation of sectionalism. In my prompt, I asked AI to include Civil War and slavery context. Students created an image to represent sectionalism, they discussed their creation with a partner, and then they wrote about sectionalism. To end class, we ran another rep of the Gimmit. I added some more questions to the Gimkit about the Kansas Nebraska Act.

Friday

On Friday we addressed the second part to my question – the Kansas and Nebraska Act. I ran a CyberSandwich with this lesson. I had students read for 10 minutes about the Kansas and Nebraska Act. Their goal was to pull out 5 or more important facts that would help them answer the question, “What did voting on slavery and the Kansas and nebraska act reveal about Sectionalism in the United States?”

After 10 minutes, students discussed and compared their notes with a partner. Following this, students fixed a very vague northerner perspective on the Kansas Nebraska act.

I created another Google Form with reflection questions. I added success criteria at the top:

1. Explain what “popular sovereignty” means and how it applied to the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
2. Describe the violence that took place in Kansas between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, known as “Bleeding Kansas”.
3. Mention how the Kansas-Nebraska Act angered many in the North because it allowed the potential spread of slavery into new territories.
4. Explain that the Act’s repeal of the Missouri Compromise was seen as wrong by those in the North.
5. Note that the Republican Party was formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, with the goal of preventing the expansion of slavery.
6. Conclude that the events surrounding Kansas revealed the deep divisions (sectionalism) between the North and South over the issue of slavery.

I also added these reflection questions:

1. How many of the these details do you have?
2. What score would you give yourself?
3. Why would you give yourself that score?

To end class, I ran the Gimkit one more time – every class, except for one, got a 90% or higher class average.

This week we started state testing. We always begin with the ELA test. As a result, our schedule was a bit weird. Also, I don’t really do anything on class on ELA testing days. Staring at screen, reading, and writing for 2 1/2 hours is daunting. I’m not going to have students come into social studies only to do it all again.

This week we focused on social studies for Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. We began the week by finishing our lesson on abolitionists. Students could choose between 3 options to show their learning about abolitionists – Dinner Party (Amanda Sandoval template), Sketch and Tell, or an Instastory (Amanda Sandoval template).

Then we wrapped up our unit on Revolution and Reform with a Summative Assessment of creating a virtual museum exhibit sharing the things they learned. I gave students one class period to complete this museum exhibit.

To end the week, we began a new unit on the Civil War. I began with a Geography Challenge from TCI. WE have spent the last two weeks learning about slavery and abolitionism and this served as a nice transition to the cause of the Civil War – slavery. The geography challenge served as a nice transitioning piece from abolitionism to showing how the Union struggled over the issues of slavery and statehood.

Monday – Abolitionist Lesson, Assessment

Tuesday – Virtual Museum Exhibit

Friday – Geography Challenge, Class Companion

Monday

Last Thursday we began a lesson on abolitionism. I like this lesson because I can incorporate lots of local history with abolitionists like: James G. Birney, John Rankin, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. It helps students see how their community played an important role in the ending of slavery. Here is the layout of the lesson:

1. Students choose an abolitionist and create a Thick Slide about their methods and motivations.
2. Students share their Thick Slide through a Google Form. The Google Form collects the slide links into a Google Sheet. I share the sheet.
3. Students choose 4 other abolitionists, read through the slides, and collect notes about them using a Frayer Model.
4. Students use their information to create something – Dinner Party, Sketch and Tell, or Instastory.

Students like having the choice of to show what they know about abolitionism. I tried to pick choices that varied in complexity. To me the Dinner Party was the most complex because students had to think about where toplace the abolitionists at a dinner party and think about their conversations. It’s very outside of the box thinking.

The sketch and tell is an option that students are familiar with. I selected this because I wanted students to apply a visual to the methods and motivations for abolitionists.

The Instastory template is familiar to students because it looks like an Instagram posting. Even though I haven’t used this template all year, I wanted to throw it out there and see what would happen. Here are some student samples:

Tuesday

On Tuesday, I wanted to wrap up my unit on Revolution and Reform. I wanted students to be able to answer two questions:

1. How was life different in the North from life in the South?
2. What motivated abolitionists to risk their lives to end slavery?

I needed an assessment to tie those things together. Te perfect option was a virtual museum exhibit. A few years ago, I created a template for a virtual museum, but I have never used it……until now.

When I put together the assessment, I wanted students to create an exhibits showing differences between North and South, an exhibit on slavery and resistance, and an exhibit on abolitionism. Because this is a summative assessment, I gave students the entire class period to get it done. It had to be turned in by the end of class. No working on it at home. A one shot deal.

I was pretty impressed with the exhibits:

Friday

On Friday, I introduced a new unit question, “What were the conflicts over slavery that led to the Civil War?” I began with a Geography Challenge from TCI because it was a simple way to begin the lesson. Plus, it wasn’t a daunting task that involved much reading or writing considering students spent the last 2 days doing that with testing.

I introduced the lesson by reminding students we have been learning about slavery and abolitionists. Now it was time to see how al, of these ideas played into arguments over statehood and sectionalism between North and South. We were building on previous knowledge to set up new knowledge.

We began the lesson by reading some background knowledge paired with the maps. Next, I had the students go through the steps to complete the Geography Challenge map.

During this lesson, I tried Class Companion – an self-contained AI tool that offers immediate feedback with student writing responses. Here is a brief summary about it:

Class Companion is an innovative educational app that integrates artificial intelligence to provide personalized feedback on writing assignments for students. In subjects like AP World History, teachers can assign writing prompts for students to practice answering repeatedly until they achieve an acceptable response.

The AI acts as a virtual teacher, offering instant critiques on what students did well and areas for improvement, allowing them to learn from mistakes at their own pace outside the classroom. Teachers can customize assignments, rubrics, and the type of feedback given, making it versatile across subjects requiring written responses like social studies, English, science, and languages.

The app includes anti-cheating features like detecting pasted text, tracking response times, and enabling teachers to override the AI’s grading if disputed. Students appreciate the rigorous practice and autonomy Class Companion provides in mastering structured essay writing for classes like AP History.

In summary, Class Companion harnesses AI to deliver tailored writing guidance, practice opportunities, and engagement for students while giving teachers powerful customization and oversight capabilities. Its unique blend of technology and pedagogy enhances the learning experience.

This week, I wanted to focus on the second part of our Revolution and Reform unit, specifically on the topic of abolitionism. With only 28 or 29 days of school left, it’s crucial that I carefully select the most important content to cover. Although I would love to delve into all aspects of reform movements, time constraints simply won’t allow for it. Therefore, I chose to concentrate on abolitionism and slavery this week, as it provides a smooth transition into exploring the causes of the Civil War. To build a solid foundation, I began by discussing the impact of the cotton gin, the lives of enslaved people, and the resistance they exhibited. Finally, we concluded the week by examining abolitionist reformers, which ties in nicely with some local New Richmond history.

Monday – Cotton Gin Lesson

Tuesday – Life of Enslaved People

Wednesday – Resistance

Thursday – Abolitionists, Assessment

Friday – Citizens of Sardinia

Monday

On Monday, we wrapped up our lesson on the cotton gin, which we had started the previous Friday. The central question was, “What were the consequences of the cotton gin?” I utilized various activities such as “Annotate and Tell,” “Graph and Tell,” and a “2xPOV” (two points of view) activity. Initially, I had planned a “Sketch and Tell” where students would sketch different viewpoints on the consequences of the cotton gin, but I ultimately decided to switch to the “2xPOV” format to make the summative assessment clearer and more straightforward for the students. I allocated 20-25 minutes for them to complete their work on the consequences of the cotton gin. To reinforce their learning, we concluded with a “Fast and Curious” activity on Gimkit, where class averages ranged from 83% to 95%.

Tuesday

Tuesday marked the beginning of our exploration of the lives of enslaved people. To start, I explained the importance of using person-first language, such as “enslaved person,” “enslaver,” and “freedom seeker.” I then adapted a lesson from a textbook that my co-author, Dr. Scott Petri, contributed to – a resource written for schools in Texas that incorporates background information and primary sources to help students learn history. I was particularly impressed by the selection of primary sources and background information compiled for this lesson on the lives of enslaved people. The lesson included excerpts from Solomon Northup’s “12 Years a Slave,” Fanny Kemball’s diary, and a book written by Harriet Jacobs. These diverse perspectives provided valuable insights into the experiences of enslaved individuals.

For the lesson, I used an “Annotate and Tell” activity where students read the excerpts and highlighted instances of cruelty. To conclude the activity and elevate the depth of knowledge, I incorporated a “Thick Slide” with questions such as, “Imagine you are an abolitionist. Find quotes you could use to show people about the cruelties of slavery.” I explained to the students that during this time period, people primarily obtained news and information through stories and hearsay. Additionally, I included a “Number Mania” activity, asking students to select one number from the excerpts that surprised them. To further engage with primary sources, students were tasked with finding a newspaper advertisement seeking a freedom seeker. In the image caption, they had to explain what they could learn or conclude about slavery from the advertisement. Finally, students were asked to give the slide a title. We ended the class with another “Fast and Curious” activity to reinforce their learning.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I started class by presenting a quote from George Fitzhugh: “The slaves of the South are the happiest, and in some sense, the freest people in the world. The children and the aged and infirm work not at all, and yet have all the comforts and necessaries of life provided for them. They enjoy liberty, because they are oppressed neither by care or labor. The women do little hard work, and are protected from the despotism of their husbands by their masters.” The students were understandably confused by this quote, especially considering the previous day’s lesson on the harsh realities of enslaved life. They expressed their puzzlement and disagreed with the sentiment expressed in the quote, which I validated. However, I pointed out that this was how information was disseminated and often believed during that era, given the absence of modern media like TV, radio, and social media. I instructed the students to keep this quote in mind throughout our lesson on resistance to slavery, as we would revisit it at the end of the lesson.

For the resistance to slavery lesson, I adapted materials from the Zinn Education Project. The lesson categorized resistance into different forms, such as maintaining family, running away, revolting, or expressing resistance through culture, religion, and music. I cut out various stories of resistance and placed them in seven envelopes around the room, each representing a different category. Students were given a series of questions and had to move around the room, find the appropriate resistance category, and write down an example. This interactive portion of the lesson took approximately 25 minutes.

At the end of class, we revisited Fitzhugh’s quote for a “Thin Slide” activity, which I conducted using Padlet instead of Google Slides. On the Padlet, I displayed the original quote and asked students to share a form of resistance that contradicted the quote’s assertion. I encouraged them to do this from memory, without consulting their notes, and to include a relevant image with their example. One feature I appreciate about Padlet is the “I can’t draw” option, which uses an AI image generator to create images based on a prompt. The students did an excellent job with this portion of the lesson.

The assessment for the Resistance lesson was a Bento Box template created by Amanda Sandoval. Or the students could create blackout poetry using a biography about Harriet Jacobs I created with AI.

Thursday

Thursday marked the beginning of our lesson on abolitionism, which ties in nicely with local New Richmond history. New Richmond, Ohio, is a town situated along the Ohio River, directly across from Kentucky. The river served as a dividing line between free states and slave states. New Richmond has a rich history of abolitionism and involvement in the Underground Railroad. Having built up the context of slavery throughout the week and discussed the cruelties endured by enslaved people, I wanted students to examine abolitionists and consider the methods and motivations behind their efforts to end slavery.

For this lesson, students chose an abolitionist to research, such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, William Lloyd Garrison, Sarah Grimké, or local figures like John Rankin and James G. Birney. They read a one-page summary about their selected abolitionist and designed a “Thick Slide” detailing the methods, motivations, and conflicts faced by that individual. Students then shared their “Thick Slide” with all of my classes through a Google Form. Next, I had students use a Frayer Model to read and take notes on four other abolitionists, focusing on their methods, motivations, and conflicts.

To assess their understanding, students had a choice between three options:

1. A “Dinner Party” activity, designed by Amanda Sandoval, where they arranged the abolitionists at a table and discussed the potential conversations they might have.
2. Creating sketches depicting the abolitionists’ methods and motivations for wanting to end slavery.
3. Designing an “Instastory Abolitionist” post. This lesson spanned two days, extending into Friday.

Friday

On Friday, most of my classes were working on the Frayer Model and taking notes on four different abolitionists. However, one class was ahead, so I used AI to create a tailored lesson. In our abolitionist lesson, we learned about James G. Birney, a local abolitionist who published an anti-slavery newspaper called “The Philanthropist.” I found a front page of that newspaper from December 18, 1838, and took a screenshot of a portion of it. I then input the image into the Claude AI and asked it to rewrite the article for me.

The AI-generated article discussed a community called Sardinia, Ohio, which most of the students were familiar with. It described an incident where a reverend was taken by slave catchers into Kentucky and put on trial for helping enslaved people. Using the AI, I generated a prompt: “What can we learn about the abolitionists from ‘The Philanthropist’ newspaper?” I turned this into a “Cybersandwich” lesson, with the following prompt for the notes section: “Read the article ‘Citizens of Sardinia’ carefully and identify at least three specific details or events that provide insight into the tensions and conflicts surrounding the issue of slavery in this community in 1838.”

The students were highly engaged with this lesson, as it incorporated local history that they could relate to and tied in with our study of abolitionism. This experience reinforced my appreciation for AI, as it enables me to bring more local history into the classroom using newspapers that might otherwise be challenging for students to read due to the print quality or archaic language.