Using the family stories of a famous comedian and singer-songwriter, learners consider what life was like for African Americans who were enslaved and free before the Civil War. To complete a concluding activity, they write about the similarities and differences.

Concepts

slavery, causes of the civil war, civil war, colonial america, african american history, african americans

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use videos from Finding Your Roots to consider the personal histories of African Americans before emancipation
• Discuss personal family histories after exploring the materials

Classroom Considerations

• One of a series of resources from PBS exploring the lives of African Americans

Pros

• Lesson includes videos that are curated and easy to use
• Step-by-step directions make implementation simple
• Famous people showcasing their families' stories engages students

Cons

• At least one resource link is no longer working

Common Core

RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.5 RH.9-10.6 RH.9-10.7 RH.9-10.8 RH.9-10.9 RH.9-10.10 RH.11-12.1 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.5 RH.11-12.6 RH.11-12.7 RH.11-12.8 RH.11-12.9 RH.11-12.10