Slavery: The People Could Fly

Focus: Understanding Perspectives

This module focuses on the autobiography of Frederick Douglass, with specific attention to understanding how he uses language in powerful ways and how he tells his story in order to serve his purpose of working to abolish slavery. Students begin by building background knowledge about Douglass and his historical context. They then read closely key excerpts from his Narrative, focusing on his message as well as the author’s craft. Finally, they select one episode from the Narrative and rewrite it as a children’s story, using Frederick Douglass: The Last Day of Slavery as a mentor text.