Dred Scott:

The Freedom To Be Free

Webquest

Written by: Antiqua Lewis,

Fourth Grade Teacher

PS175

I. Introduction:

You are an African who comes from a country off the coast of West Africa. You have been kidnapped and put onto a huge ship for weeks, to sail across the Atlantic Ocean into slavery in the South of the United States.

You are 1 in 15,000,000 Africans sold into slavery. You are made to work against your will picking cotton; you have not seen your family for weeks, and when you tried to escape, you were caught, whipped and beaten.

One day while in the cotton fields you meet a new slave named Dred Scott. The two of you work side-by-side picking cotton in silence for a while. Then, he begins to tell you his story.

Click here to read Dred Scott’s story.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2932.html

II. Task:

Now that you know Dred Scott’s story decide whether or not you agree with him. Should he be free because he lived, for a time, in a free slave state or remain a slave for the rest of his life?

To share your opinion on whether Dred Scott should be freed or not you must complete three assignments

III. Process:

Assignment One: Slavery

Describe, in your own way, the meaning of slavery in the Southern United States, after looking at the websites in the resource section below.

Then create one of the following to share all that you have learned:

a. Make a collage (using materials of your own choice)

b. Create a play

c. Write a news article

Assignment Two: Being Dred Scott

Imagine, that you are Dred Scott and express how you would feel living the life of a slave. This can be done through one of the following:

a. Write a letter to your family back home

b. Write a slave spiritual

c. Write a diary entry

Assignment Three: Make a Decision-Slavery or Freedom

Should Dred Scott gain his freedom or remain a slave? Using the information you have gathered from assignments one and two make a decision. Your opinion can be shared through one of the following tasks:

a. An art project of your choice.

b. The construction and performance of a play.

c. An informational booklet.

Resources:

IV. Resources:

*Lester, Julius. (1968). To Be A Slave. NY: Scholastic Inc.

http://www.maxewll.syr.edu/plegal/scales/dredfacts.html

PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/search/search_results.html?neighborhood=%2523&q=dred+scott&btnG.x=6&btnG.y=14

*Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html

*Silver, Strong and Perini. (2000). So Each May Learn: Integrating Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences. NY: ASCD

IV.Evaluation:

Each assignment will be evaluated by the teacher based upon your understanding of the concept, your ability to share what you learned and your ease in relaying the information in their project and presentation based on the following:

	4	3	2	1
Assignment One: Slavery	Student displayed an in-depth knowledge of the meaning of slavery.	Student was able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the concept of slavery.	Student was able to convey some idea of the concept of slavery.	Student was not able to gain an understanding of the concept of slavery.
Assignment Two: Dred Scott	Student had thorough knowledge about the life of Dred Scott.	Student had a good understanding of Dred Scott and his life as a slave.	Student had a vague concept of what Dred Scott’s life was like.	Student did not have an understanding of Dred Scott or his life as a slave.
Assignment Three: Decision	Student was able to make a clear, concise decision and support it with their findings.	Student was able to state a decision and adequately support it with their findings.	Student was able to state their position but was unable to support their decision with findings.	Student was not able to state a clear reason for making a decision.
Presentation	Student was articulate, engaging, interesting and interactive with audience.	Student was articulate, engaging and interesting.	Student was able to present information to the class adequately.	Student was not able to present their information to the class.

IV. Standards:

Social Studies:

Standard One: History of the United States and New York.

Standard Two: World History

Standard Five: Civics, Citizenship and Government.

English Language Arts

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E4a: Involve conventions of Standard English.

E7a: Utilize and analyze public documents.

V. Conclusion:

After having completed this project you will have an in-depth, personal look into the life of Dred Scott. You will have worked independently on the project using the internet, other materials and by working with your peers. Finally, you will have given a presentation to your peers sharing all of your findings.