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During the week of July 16 through July 20, 2001, The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut hosted an intensive Teacher Institute, entitled, "This Question of Slavery": Perspectives From Primary Sources. The purpose of the Institute was to introduce Connecticut middle and high school teachers to the extensive archive of primary source documents at the Stowe Center on the subject of slavery and to assist them in creating challenging and relevant lesson plans using primary source documents.
Twenty teachers from all corners of Connecticut including urban, rural and suburban school districts attended the Institute. Daily lectures by scholars specializing in African American, Antebellum and Stowe history provided participants with an understanding of the enormous complexities and controversy that fueled the fervor of abolitionists, politicians and pro-slavery advocates in America before the Civil War. Activities developed by an Education Consultant and a Master Teacher of Social Studies and History introduced teachers to:
- Innovative methods of utilizing primary source material in the classroom that:
- Give historical events a voice and provide students with a first-hand understanding of the passions surrounding historical conflicts;
- Fulfill numerous objectives of the Content and Performance Standards of the Connecticut Social Studies Curriculum Framework;
- Provide students with CAPT writing skills;
- Are applicable to all levels of classes from basic to Advanced Placement and from middle school to high school.
- A wealth of university, public and private archives on slavery that are available on-line.
In addition, Institute participants received a packet of comprehensive resource materials prepared by the Education Consultant that included copies of primary source documents, a bibliography of digitized collections and a CD containing primary source documents for classroom use.
During the last two days of the Institute, teachers selected a topic related to slavery and applicable to their own instructional goals and, using resources provided at the Institute or from other collections, developed lesson plans incorporating primary source documents. The eighteen lesson plans illustrate the enormous creativity and enthusiasm generated by the Institute participants and demonstrate innovative ways in which all students can become engaged in the study of history.
The following resources are available from the July, 2001 Teacher Institute:
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