Primary Source Activities: John Rankin House Freedom Staircase Photograph
Author: Angie Gomez
Grade(s): 6, 7, 8
Description
Allow students, in groups or individually, to examine the primary source linked under Resources to the right, while answering the questions below in order. The questions are designed to guide students into a deeper analysis of the source and sharpen associated cognitive skills.
Level I: Description
1. What do you think these stairs were used for and where do they lead?
2. When were these stairs used and who used them?
Level II: Interpretation
1. If you were a slave, what approach would you use to find out about these stairs without giving away what you plan on doing?
2. What question would you ask in an interview with someone who used these stairs?
Level III: Analysis
1. What inference can you make about the people who built this stairway?
2. Can you predict the outcome of those people that helped the runaway slaves use this stairway?
Standards
- History 6-8, Benchmark G: Analyze the causes and consequences of the American Civil War.
- Indicator: Grade 8, GLI 9. Explain causes of the Civil War with emphasis on: a. Slavery; e. The abolitionist movement and the roles of Frederick Douglass and John Brown.
