Lesson Plans for the Online Exhibit: Radical Equality: 1842-1846
Grades 3-7
Lesson 1: Through the Eyes of Sojourner Truth: Introduces use of primary sources. Students/class examines a picture of abolitionist leader, Sojourner Truth. They read a brief biography of her to give them a context for the image. Then they examine a letter about Sojourner Truth from a girl who knew the leader. Students compare what they learn from the picture with what they learn from the letter.
Lesson 2: Setting the Rules: Students/class will examine the founding constitution of the NAEI, an abolitionist utopian community of the 1840s. They will also examine a letter from James Stetson seeking to convince his wife that the family should join the NAEI. Students will compare the purpose, and rights and responsibilities between the NAEI constitution and the major founding documents of the nation. They may develop their own class rules in part to experience the process