Showing posts with label Slavery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slavery. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Role of Racism

Some of you have started on the Role of Racism lesson already.  I'm going to try and help you through the first two stereotypes to see if you can get the hang of how this works. 

First of all a stereotype is when we define or label an entire group based on simplified, generalized, and or exaggerated characteristics.  Often times exaggeration is at play.  Remember our lesson with the political cartoons?  Ask yourself what is being exaggerated in the description.  What is implied by that exaggeration? 

For Sambo take a look at the words used to describe him.  What is being exaggerated in this description and post your ideas in the comment box.

For Uncle Ned you may want to look up and read through all of the lyrics of 'Uncle Ned' HERE.  What is the action, what's happening in this song?  What might it mean?

Please don't stress about this assignment, there isn't one right answer.  We will use it to guide class discussion and it will be 'graded' for completion and effort!

Homework for February 21st

TIMELINE
We will begin class with a short review of the timeline of Civil War up to the Emancipation Proclomation.  To that end please review the timeline from two weeks ago.  To this timeline we will be adding a few events taking us to the Gettysburg Address and the beginning of Chapter 10.  Below is  a list of additional battles (I have assigned one to each  of you).  Prepare a short description of your battle (include the date of battle, who was in command, what happened there,  why it was important to the war) so that it can be printed and placed on an index card.  Email these to the class (including me) by Friday evening.

Vicksburg --  Nick
Fredericksburg --  Kaela
Antietam --  Hope
7 Days Battle -- Caleb
McLellan at Yorktown and Richmond advance -- Jonathan
Shiloh -- Julia
2nd Bull Run --Trey

HOW BAD WAS IT?
I will emailing you a follow up to this assignment.  Please read the handout and answer the three questions that accompany it.  Have them ready to turn in at the beginning of class.

VOICE OF SLAVERY & ROLE OF RACISIM
This week we will begin a deeper discussion about Racism in the United States.  This theme is something that we will follow all the way through the end of next year's class.  It's difficult to talk about - the words themselves are offensive to us.  In your reading you will see the 'n' word and other offensive, derogatory terms.  This assignment isn't given to shock you, but to help us all face some hard truths about our history.  I think if we use it wisely it can equip us to talk about and even to minister to the residue of these events and attitudes in our own time and culture.  If it makes you feel uncomfortable please talk about it with your parents - share with them what you are reading.  Unfortunately much of history is ugly.

There are two venues that we will use to begin this conversation.  One is the 'My Folks' book, the other is a handout I emailed to you about the role of racism during the Civil War.  If you follow the checklist below it will guide you to completing the racism handout with much less stress.  If you wait to Monday to start this you won't be able to do a very thorough job.  Below are the chapters I would like you to choose from in the My Folks book.  Email me which interview you would like to read.  If you do not have the book let me know so that I can email you a chapter.

Ann Parker (a103?)
Henry James Trentham (age 92)
Elias Thomas (age 9)
Mary Barbour (age 81)
Hannah Crasson (age 84)
Isaac Johnson (age 82)
Mary Anderson (age 86)

Answer the following questions about your reading and be prepared to share in class:

What can you learn about the Civil War from your interview?
About Slavery?
What evidence to you find about whether the slaves were treated with dignity or not - was their humanity recognized?  (In other words what things were they allowed to do/not to do and did that recognize that they were a person created in the image of God?)
Do you see prejudice or racism in your interview?  (Look up definitions of these words.)

___Prepare Battle Card
___Email Class Battle Card
___Make cards and bring all to class
___How Bad Was It?
___Read My Folks Interview & Answer Accompanying Questions. 
___Racisim Part I Completed by Thursday
___Racisim Part II Reading of Sources A-H and complete #7 the Causes of the Racism by Friday evening
___Racisim #'s 8-11 by Monday evening
___Email me your Oral Family History idea by the 21st
___Spend 20-30 minutes reviewing for Final  (suggested)
___Spend 20-30 minutes working on Oral History Project (suggested)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Fugitive Slave Act Debate

Students,
 
Below are some materials on the internet which I hope you may find useful to you in your preparations.  There are materials that support both sides of the debate included.  In addition to these materials I suggest that you discuss/recall/research more into our discussion earlier in the year as regards to Natural Law.  There are two aspects in particular that you might apply:  1) The appeal to heaven (this was how the founding fathers justified their 'rebellion' - their fight for independence from Brittain.  2)  The rights of ownership of property according to John Locke.
 
You might also think carefully of 'states rights'.  Southern states were very noisy about states rights, but look and think carefully about how the Fugitive Slave Act as a federal law is applied in states.
 
 
This first site is a teacher resource site, but it gives a good summary of some questions that should be considered when thinking of the Fugitive Slave Act.  It also gives a summary of some of the materials that you can use to support your arguments.  There is material for both sides here. 
 
Here is the collection of articles/sources that the above site refers to:
 
Here is another general/overview site.  I think it does a good job of explaining how the Fugitive Slave law worked.  At the end of this article there is a collection of facts which could prove useful:
 
Here is a sermon by Ichabod Spencer on the duty to obey the law (this may also be included in the collection on the teachers site I can't recall):
 
Here is a sermon by Jermain Loquen, a former slave, on resistance to the law.  (In this one Syracuse, NY actually votes to be a sanctuary and agrees as a city to disobey) 
 
Here is a poster warning slaves to be careful of police in Boston: 
 
Here is a poster warning the citizens of Boston to be aware of the 'kidnappers'
 
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Poster, 1855
 
You may also look for some reward posters online - there are many.
 
I look forward to listening to your ideas!
 
Mrs. Amber