There's more to music than a memorable tune. The songs of those who were enslaved reveal the harsh realities of their lives. Using both songs and slave narratives, historians uncover this hidden history. The lesson incorporates a variety of activities, including listening exercises and writing prompts. 

Concepts

slavery, african american history, american music, primary source analysis, primary sources, slave narratives

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use as an introductory activity to talk about the lives of enslaved people in America

Classroom Considerations

• First in a six-part Freedom is Coming series
• Lesson requires use of a mentioned CD set or other recordings of the songs in the activity

Pros

• Lesson integrates a number of skills
• Primary sources focus on the words of enslaved people

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.9-10.3.a W.9-10.3.b W.9-10.3.c W.9-10.3.d W.9-10.3.e RH.9-10.1 RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.3 RH.9-10.4 RH.9-10.10