Ready-Set-Tech: On the Run - What was necessary to plan an escape from slavery in 18th century America?
Marion Peluso, P.S. 101,
Brooklyn, New York
Grade Level
6 - 8
Subject
Social Studies
Background
Most educators steer away from
topics such as slavery due to its sensitive nature. Nevertheless,
it is a part of our country’s history. It is important for
students to recognize the attempts and sacrifices made by people
under the most dire of circumstances. It is important for students
to then connect within themselves the power to fight the
injustices of our world today.
Objectives
Identify characteristics of runaway slaves in the 18th
century.
Construct a plan of how a slave might be successful in running away.
3. Then have students select any 5 advertisements from the Virginia Runaways Digital Project (searchable database
of newspaper announcements of runaway and captured slaves
from 18th-century Virginia newspapers.) and fill out
the On The Run worksheet.
4. Have students construct a plan for running away from captivity.
In order to make this activity meaningful students will need some
context for which to develop their plan. The context will take the
form of a story with characters, setting, and a plot.
Evaluation
Have students write a short
journal entry that describes a slave's plan to run away. This
journal entry should include information about what a slave would
need to be successful, such as: clothes, tools, skills, and
language proficiency, or friends. In addition, the description
should include an indication of the best time to run away and a
general description of how a run away could travel from place to
place. The description could take the form of a plan or an
anecdote or could be more detached and general. Students'
descriptions should be narrative and not a list.
