Lesson Title: Forming Identity

 

By:  Mary Thomas and Natalie Wilson, Teacher Consultants, WRWP

 

Burning Question:

What are the challenges of forming identity and what role does literacy play in the formation of identity?

 

Objective/Introduction:

Students will explore what they know about their own identity and compare their findings to what African American slaves, particularly Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, knew about theirs

 

Context:

This lesson helps junior high school students understand the challenges slaves faced in forming their own identity. Many students also face challenges. The narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs demonstrate how identity can be formed and thrive despite challenges and difficulties.

 

Materials:

• Bulleted biographies of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs
• Foreign Language Reading
• Writing supplies for students
• Whiteboard or chalkboard for group discussions

 

Time Span:

One 45-minute class period with extension possibilities.

 

Procedures:

1. Students will describe in list form, using 10 words or less, what they think they know about a person through observation. Discuss the limits of what you can know about a person just by looking at them.
2. Students will then write one or two paragraphs that describe who they are. Some questions for students to answer in this paragraph would be: Where were you born and what is story is told about your birth? Who are your parents and what do they do for a living? What are your favorite things to do your free time? What are your favorite foods? What are your likes and dislikes?
3. Discuss how slaves were often limited in forming their identities as human beings. Often they did not know their birthdays or who their parents were. Many were sold multiply times. It was against the law to teach a slave to read and write. Discuss what slaves might have used to form their identities – work, cultural expressions such as songs and stories, preserved African traditions such as names and ceremonies.
4. Have students attempt to read a foreign language reading. Discuss what role literacy plays in forming your identity. Literacy allows us to make choices and understand the society we live in. Have students list all of their daily experiences that would not be possible for them if they were not literate. (Examples: Driving, email, texting, shopping ads, job application.) Have students write a reflection on how they felt after trying to read a text in Japanese script and then being told an English translation.

 

Extensions:

o   Students could write a “Who Am I” paper exploring more in depth about themselves, how they view their own identity through family ties and relationships. (Possible question for paper are attached.)  Students could also compare their own family history with that of Frederick Douglass or Harriet Jacobs.

o   Students could form small groups and each receive one of the following quotes from Frederick Douglass or Harriet Jacobs and write a reflection on them and then discuss in small groups and then share with the class as a whole. (Possible quotes are attached.)

o   The Underground Railroad,  An Interactive History Adventure by Allison Lessieur would be a fun activity to have the students read and then choose different characters to follow through a slave escape situation.

o   Using the Biography on Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs compare and contrast their early lives and their experience forming identity.

o   Have students create a “family tree” spanning one to three generations. They should pick several relatives to interview in order to increase their awareness of their family history. Students should present their research to the class as a whole, or in small groups. The final reflection paper should focus on their reactions to what they have discovered about their families and the role of families in developing identities. What role did literacy play in their efforts? How did their knowledge compare to what Douglass and Jacobs knew about their families?

o   In our modern consumer cultural, our identities are often expressed by what we purchase, Have the students bring ads for various products to class. They should present the ads in small groups, answering a few basic questions. 1. What is being sold? 2. What is the method used to sell it (appeals to emotion, logic, shared values, etc.) 3. Would you buy this product? Why or why not?   Next, have students examine the ad/runaway notice place by Dr. Norcom for the capture of Harriet Jacobs. 1. What is the ad requesting? 2. What method is used to encourage people to return Jacobs to Norcom? 3. How is Jacobs described? Is she described as a human being or a “product/possession”? 4. Do you think white northerners would react favorably to this ad? Why or why not? Give specific examples from the ads to support your ideas.

 

 

Rationale:

Students will hopefully understand all that goes into forming our identities and how other people attempt to create identities for us.

 

 Resources:

• From the National Humanities Center, are resources about “The Making of African American Identity, Volume Two, 1865-1917”: http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai2/identity/identity.htm.
• An example of the scholarship about the role of spirituals in expressing identity for African Americans is “Black Spirituals: A Theological Interpretation,” by James H. Cone, Theology Today, 1972; James H. Conehttp://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/apr1972/v29-1-article5.htm.
• From Voices Education Project, are resources about African American resistance strategies and formation of identity http://www.voiceseducation.org/content/african-american-resistance.
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,aAn American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah.
• I Was Born a Slave, The Story of Harriet Jacobs by Jennifer Fleischner.
• The Underground Railroad,an Interactive History Adventure by Allison Lessieur.
• PBS program “Slavery and the Making of America” with accompanying lesson plans, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Curriculum Unit, The Center for Learning, ISBN:978-1-56077-818-9

 

Quotes to use for reflection activity as an extension

 

1.      “I was born a slave; but I never knew it till six years of happy childhood had passed away. My father was a carpenter, and considered so intelligent and skillful in his trade, that, when buildings out of the common line were to be erected, he was sent for from long distances, to be head workman. On condition of paying his mistress two hundred dollars a year, and supporting himself, he was allowed to work at his trade, and manage his own affairs. His strongest wish was to purchase his children; but, though he several times offered his hard earnings for that purpose, he never succeeded. In complexion my parents were a light shade of brownish yellow, and were termed mulattoes. They lived together in a comfortable home; and, though we were all slaves, I was so fondly shielded that I never dreamed I was a piece of merchandise, trusted to them for safe keeping, and liable to be demanded of them at any moment” ( Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 125)

 

2.      “According to the Norcoms’ way of thinking, Harriet was a pampered slave. She still had her grandmother, brother, and other relatives, including aunts and uncles, who helped to look after her. Unlike a plantation hand, she lived in the Norcoms’ house, sleeping in a room with here great-aunt Betty, and her duties often included playing with the young Norcom children. And she had never been whipped. But Harriet’s view of her situation was entirely different She would rather have been a starving pauper than a slave.” (I Was Born a Slave The Story of Harriet Jacobs , 24)

 

3.      “My brother was a spirited boy; and being brought up under such influences, he early detested the name of master and mistress. One day, when his father and his mistress both happened to cal him at the same time, he hesitated between the two; being perplexed to know which had the strongest claim upon his obedience. He finally concluded to go to his mistress. When my father reproved him for it, he said, “You both called me, and I didn’t know which I ought to go to first.” “You are my child,” replied our father, ‘and when I call you, you should come immediately, if you have to pass through fire and water.”(Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 129)

 

4.      “I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their age as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. A want of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood…The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me.” (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 17)

 

5.      “The ties that ordinarily bind children to their homes were all suspended in my case. I found no severe trial in my departure. My home was charmless; it was not home to me; on parting from it I could not feel that I was leaving any thing which I could have enjoyed by staying. My mother was dead, my grandmother lived far off, so that I seldom saw her. I had two sisters and one brother, that lived in the same house with me; but the early separation from our mother had well nigh blotted the fact of our relationship from our memories. I looked for home elsewhere…”(Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 39).

 

6.      ‘Though conscious of the difficulties of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read”(Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 44).

 

7.      “ My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place; and I now resolved that, however long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact” (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, 74-75).

 

Questions to consider for “Who Am I?” paper

1.      What is the story of your name? Why did your parent(s) choose that particular name? Does the name suit you? Why or why not?

2.      Do you have any siblings? Describe your place in the family.

3.      What is the story of your birth?

4.      List 5 things you know about your parent(s).

5.      List several of your likes and dislikes. What would surprise someone to learn about you?

6.      What do you know about your grandparents? What have you learned from them?

7.      What are your favorite children’s books? Who read them to you?

8.      List 3 of your talents, favorite books, activities.

9.      What do you like most about yourself?

10.  Name one person (or animal or thing) that is important to your identity. Explain.

11.  Draw a picture of yourself 10 years from now. How will you have changed?  Describe your plans for the future.

12.  Douglass valued literacy and promoting the welfare of former slaves. What are your values? Why is the value important to you? 

Timeline of identity issues for Douglass and Jacobs

 

Frederick Douglass (1818-1895)

• Douglass was the son of a slave woman and an unknown white man (possibly his master)
• He did not know his birth date. This information was frequently denied slaves.
• He only saw his mother, Harriet Bailey, four to five times in his life.  She had to walk 24 miles round trip to see him. Douglass only saw her at night, when her work was done.
• Douglass experienced the hardships of slavery from an early age, including witnessing brutal beatings of slaves.
• At the age of eight, Douglass was sent to live with a ship carpenter named Auld. Mrs. Auld began to teach Douglass to read, until she was forbidden to continue. Mr. Auld told her it was illegal to teach a slave to read. His words made Douglass more determined to learn.
• After spending seven years in Baltimore, Douglass was given to a cruel “slavebreaker” named Covey. Douglass was savagely beaten and given little to eat. Eventually, he fought back and regained his “long-crushed” spirit.
• Douglass escaped on September 3^rd, 1838, fleeing to New York City.
• He continued to educate himself, and became involved in the abolitionist movement.
• Douglass became an effective orator, and gave speeches for anti-slavery societies. He also published his autobiography and a weekly paper called North Star.
• Douglass devoted his time to improving the lives of African-Americans. He was also an advocate of rights for women.

 

Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897)

• Jacobs was the daughter of Delilah Horniblow and Elijah Knox. Unlike Douglass, she lived with her parents in her earliest years. Her grandmother was an influential person in Jacob’s life. At the age of six, after the death of her mother, Jacobs learned for the first time that she was a slave.
• Jacob’s first mistress (also her mother’s) taught her to read and sew. After the death of her mistress, Jacobs became the property of the Mistress’s niece (age 3). For all practical purposes, she belonged to Dr. Norcom, the father of her mistress, and a cruel, willful individual.
• For many years, Jacobs resisted the sexual advances of Dr. Norcom. He prevented her from marrying the man of her choice (a free African-American) and continued to pursue her after she became involved with another man, a white attorney named Sawyer. She gave birth to a son (1829) and daughter (1833).
• Jacobs ran away from the plantation where she had been sent. Norcom offered $300.00 for her capture. Jacobs went into hiding in her grandmother’s house, in a small crawlspace. She lived there for six years. In 1837, she persuaded Sawyer to purchase her brother and children.
• Jacobs escaped slavery in 1842 and was reunited with her daughter Louisa in New York.
• Jacobs’s biography published in 1861.
• She published a series of articles explaining the suffering of her fellow slaves, still in captivity. Jacobs and her daughter opened a free school for black children in Alexandria , Va.

 

Text written in Japanese and English

これを読むことができるおよび正午によるオフィスへの応答は学校を今朝早く去ることは許されるどの学生でも。 彼らはまた週の残りのためのあらゆる宿題から免除されている。

Any students who can read this and reply to the office by Noon will be allowed to leave school early today. They also will be exempt from any homework for the rest of the week.  

Runaway notice for Harriet Jacobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

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