Author: Lauren Cahill

Content Area/ Grade: U.S. History I

Time: 48 minutes (one class period)

Materials: PowerPoint (2007 and later) (click here for slides if classroom computer has a version of PowerPoint earlier than 2007), computer, projector screen



PURPOSE: The purpose of this lesson is to teach the laws regarding slavery in the United States leading up to the Civil War in more human context. Particularly, this human context refers to how the laws (The Missouri Compromise, the Wilmot Proviso, the Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act) affected the family unit among slaves. Textbooks only refer to these in a political context. Because of this, students do not consider the implications as felt by ordinary people. This lesson seeks to rectify that. 



OBJECTIVES: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:



1. Identify the major provisions of each law and court case
2. Understand the problems families faced because of the laws
3. Articulate their own interpretations of these problems





STANDARDS: Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:

USI.36  Summarize the critical developments leading to the Civil War

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A. The Missouri Compromise (1820)

C. The Wilmot Proviso (1846)

D. The Compromise of 1850

F. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

G. The Dred Scott Supreme Court Case (1857)

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THE LESSON

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Activator: (5 minutes) Slide 1 “Food For Thought”. Open a discussion using the two questions. Write umbrella emotions (upset, angry, happy, etc.) on the board. Have students explain why they would feel the way they responded.

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​​PowerPoint:  (15-20 minutes)



Activity: (20 minutes) Last slide. Pretend you are a slave in the South. Write a 2 page journal entry describing 1) one or several of the laws we discussed, 2) how it affected you and your family, 3) how you feel about it, 4) can you do anything about it? Would there be consequences if you did? If so, what?

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Alternative assignment: Draw/ Illustrate a poster (8.5 x 11 computer paper) announcing one of the laws. Students may choose to decide if they will advertize the benefits or the consequences of the subject they choose.

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*If students do not complete the activity, they may finish for homework.

**Responses will be collected.



Closure: (5 minutes)

The closure will be a brief discussion of what students chose to write about/ draw and why they did. A brief review of the points of each topic should accompany each response.



Assessment: The assessment for this lesson will be the student work from the activity collected at the end of the period.





LOGISTICS:

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• Teachers may choose either activity or offer both.
• Teachers should additionally differentiate as needed based to student capabilities and learning needs.