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Total Duration:
31 to 60 Minutes
Materials and Resources:
Each student will require:
a copy of SSC3 "The Way I See It" (see attachment)
a copy of A Schoolprimary document (see page 4 of newspaper)
a copy of A SchoolTranscript and Vocabulary (see attachment)
highlighter
pencil
colored pencils
Technology Resources Needed:
Document camera, if available
Laptops to view documents and complete graphic organizer, if available
Background/Preparation:
Students should be familiar with the educational opportunities available to children in the early-nineteenth century. For example, many rural students, whose families farmed the land, were not able to attend formal schools. Children did not have access to town schools and were often needed to assist on the farm.
Girls and boys were generally not given the same opportunities for learning. Girls often concentrated on more "womanly" tasks like sewing and other household needs. Boys often were allowed to stay in school longer. Very few minorities were able to attend desegregated schools. The families had to pay for the schooling; tutors were often paid if schools were not available.
Students should be familiar with reading primary documents and understand the language. They should be able to highlight specific details within a newspaper article.
For more information on nineteenth century education in Alabama, see the Encyclopedia of Alabama article.
For additional information about early Alabama education and Huntsville, Alabama, see Alabama Education attachment.
Before:
Review the educational opportunities available to children in the early 1800s.
Review terms such as rural and urban, tutor, tuition, and board.
During:
Distribute copy of A Schoolnewspaperarticle and transcript to students.
Display newspaper article under document camera, if available.
Read article aloud and discuss well.
Explain terms as needed.
Allow students to re-read the article and highlight the different people mentioned in the article.
Allow students to use the "Think, Pair, Share" strategy while discussing the following points:
Discuss how the Leverts might be related and their various roles in the school.
Discuss the subjects that would be taught and by whom.
Discuss why the boys and girls would have been separated.
Discuss why students would have been required to provide their own bedding and candles.
Discuss how the Leverts would have had different perspectives of the school than that of the students.
Introduce or review The Way I See It graphic organizer.
Allow students to re-read the article silently and select 3 of the people mentioned in the article: Mr. Levert, Miss Levert, Mrs. Levert, a male student, or female student.
Allow time for students to complete the talk bubble for the selected individuals (Be sure the students label each one).
If time allows, ask students to illustrate each character appropriately.
After:
Allow students to share a talk bubble after giving a few minutes to begin working. This may spark some ideas for those that are struggling.
After most students have finished, allow students time to share talk bubbles.
Assessment Strategies
Formative:
Students should highlight passages that refer to Mr. Levert, Miss Levert, Mrs. Levert, and the male and female students. Some students may also select to give a parent's perspective and include inferences supported by the text.
Students should participate in partner and whole group discussions.
Summative:
Students should include information that is explicitly detailed in the article as well as appropriate inferences when completing "The Way I See It" graphic organizer.
Acceleration:
Students may read from the Alabama Republican to learn more about the events occurring in January, 1819 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Students may read another article from the same newspaper and complete the graphic organizer describing different perspectives.
Intervention:
Additional vocabulary words may pre-taught, if needed.
Students may be paired with stronger readers.
Provide examples of completed graphic organizers to encourage complete talk bubbles and illustrations.
View the Special Education resources for
instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations
for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.