Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to slavery in America. Each cell will contain a term, its definition and an illustration that depicts the meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
Slavery: A condition in which one human being is owned by another. An enslaved person was considered by law as the property of their enslaver. An enslaved person had their human rights denied and was forced to work for another person.
Plantation: In the 1700s, a large farm usually found in the Southern colonies on which cash crops are grown most often with the labor of enslaved people.
Overseer: A person who was in charge of the work of enslaved people and could punish them for disobeying.
Slave Trade: The business of kidnapping, transporting, and selling people as slaves in exchange for goods.
Triangular Trade: The exchange of enslaved people and goods between Europe, the Americas, and West Africa, using shipping routes across the Atlantic Ocean.
Middle Passage: The voyage of slave ships across the Atlantic Ocean, from West Africa to the West Indies and the American continents. The conditions on slave ships were so horrific that many people died of malnourishment, disease, or even by suicide.
Slave Auction: A public sale in which people were sold like property as slaves to the highest bidders.
Fugitive Slave: Also known as a runaway slave. An enslaved person who escaped their enslaver in an attempt at freedom. Many tried to reach territories or states where slavery was banned.
Abolish: To put an end to. The Abolitionist Movement aimed to end slavery in the United States. Abolitionists were people who believed that the institution of slavery was immoral and should be abolished or ended.
Underground Railroad: The Underground Railroad was a term used for a network of people, homes, and hideouts that slaves in the Southern United States used to escape to freedom in the Northern United States and Canada.
Free state: A state in which it was not legal to own slaves.
Juneteenth: A holiday celebrated on the 19th of June to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
13th Amendment: The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by the required 27 of the then 36 states on December 6, 1865.
Indentured servant: Indentured servants signed a contract to work for a certain number of years, often in exchange for passage to the colonies and a plot of land at completion of the contract. Indentured servants might have suffered harsh treatment, but they were not enslaved. They had the possibility of being freed from their servitude after a period of time which was not possible for enslaved people.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a storyboard that demonstrates your understanding of different words.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Must have 3 terms, correct definitions and appropriate illustrations for each that demonstrate your understanding of the words.
Guide students thoughtfully through challenging terms by setting clear expectations for respectful dialogue. Model empathy and encourage questions so all students feel safe exploring complex topics.
Choose books, articles, and videos that match your students' reading levels and maturity. Preview materials to ensure accuracy and sensitivity, making the learning experience both meaningful and respectful.
Invite students to share their thoughts and feelings about new terms using journals, exit tickets, or small groups. Validate their perspectives and provide space for honest, thoughtful responses.
Support vocabulary retention by using images, storyboards, or anchor charts alongside definitions. Visuals help clarify difficult ideas and make abstract concepts more concrete for younger students.
Help students relate new terms to their own experiences or familiar concepts. Use analogies, comparisons, or simple scenarios to deepen understanding and foster empathy.
Key vocabulary includes terms like slavery, plantation, overseer, slave trade, triangular trade, Middle Passage, abolish, Underground Railroad, free state, Juneteenth, 13th Amendment, and indentured servant. Understanding these helps students grasp the history and impact of slavery in the Americas.
Use visual vocabulary boards or storyboards where students define, illustrate, and discuss each term. This hands-on activity builds comprehension and retention, especially for grades 3-6.
Enslaved people were owned as property, denied freedom and rights for life. Indentured servants signed contracts to work for several years, often for passage or land, and could eventually gain their freedom.
The Middle Passage was the transatlantic journey that transported enslaved Africans to the Americas. It was infamous for its brutal, deadly conditions and symbolizes the horrors of the slave trade.
Juneteenth marks the day enslaved people in Texas learned of their freedom in 1865. Students can illustrate it with scenes of celebration, freedom, or the arrival of Union soldiers sharing the news.