Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 10, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 10, Lesson 2: Life on the Plantation (pp. 290-295)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture Life on a Southern plantation was a complex combination of both slave and white customs and beliefs.

Review the self-contained nature of a plantation and the variety of work that was necessary for the functioning of the plantation. Identify the responsibilities of the planter, the plantation mistress, and the slaves, reviewing details of slaves' treatment.

Present the ways in which slaves maintained their African identity and customs, and in some cases, combined them with white customs. Talk about the ways in which slaves resisted slavery, both individually and daily, and in larger rebellions.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have each student pretend to be a newspaper reporter researching slave resistance. Ask each to write a two-paragraph newspaper account of an example of resistance. Remind students that resistance was both passive and active, by individuals and groups.
Have each student copy the diagram of the Middleton Plantation on page 291, labeling the various buildings and grounds. Ask each student to write who would be working in each location. When complete, have students share their diagrams and discuss.

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