LESSON PLAN

Ms. Vanessa Davila March 25, 2011

Ms. Lavasia Sexton

Mr. Juan Carlos Rivera

Mr. Demetrios Acosta

Mr. Jeff Kang

Ms. Qing Mei

Lesson Plan

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to understand the geographical features of the institution of slavery.

2. Students will identify the major geographical sources and destinations of slaves traded across the Atlantic.

3. Students will view images of the Atlantic Slave Trade in order to understand the reasoning and process of enslavement.

Aim: Students will study the Slave Ports map and the Transatlantic Slave Trade map to become familiar with the geography and process of the slave trade.

Materials: Writing Utensils, paper, handouts, images, and maps.

Do Now: Define Slavery in your own words and fill out the KW section of the KWL Chart on the topics of Slave Trade and Harriet Jacobs.

Mini Lesson:

1. Explore the origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Point out the destination of enslaved Africans as well as their origin. Make sure to point out the quantity in which other countries were importing. Also note which gender was being taken the most.

2. Focus on the process of enslavement itself. Describe the conditions of the voyages, the number of slaves on each ship, and the number of deaths. Use images to show its intensity.

3. Briefly go over the facts as to why nobody tried to stop the enslavement of Africans, who supported slavery, and the order in which countries started importing slaves.

4. For Natalie Hyde we will go in depth on the process of slavery and the slave trade by making her write out the steps on the board, and pasting the images her classmates have received. This will better increase her understanding.

Class Activities:

Students will fill out the L section of their KWL Chart, given for the Do Now. For group work each table will receive an image. They will have to analyze and determine which process of the slave trade is depicted in the image.

Share out:

1. The means of enslavement were important during the four centuries of the Atlantic Slave Trade, Why?

2. What impact did the growing demand for labor in the Americas have on the justifications of slavery?

Homework: Complete the worksheet given answering the following question, if you were Harriet Jacobs, explain what you would have done differently and how? If you wouldn’t do anything differently, please explain why? (5-8 Sentences)

**For Ms. Hyde: Do no more then 4 sentences.

Also note what you would do differently referring to slavery.

Research Homework

Slavery and it's setting in North America

 

• The growth of slavery in North America was because it became a highly profitable system for slave owners.

• As the demand for rice, tobacco, and cotton increased, so did the demand for slaves

• In the early 1700's, the population of Africans out grew Europeans

• Whipping, branding, dismembering, castrating, or killing a slave were legal under many circumstances.

• Africans eventually fought back and rebelled, leaving the white people scared of them
  

Slave Trade

• The slave trade began towards the beginning of the 15th century

• Europeans started importing slaves due to the declining population. They needed to create more products that could be exported.

• The British soon entered and dominated the slave trade.

• In order to make the slave trade seem less extreme, the Europeans claimed that they were taking Africans for the purposes of religion, therefore gaining the support of churches.

• Slaves were introduced to new diseases and suffered from malnutrition long before they reached the new world.

Plantation Life

• In the 18th century, most slaves worked on a plantation.
  

• After over planting the seeds, many of the soil's products began to die down

• As the demand for cotton grew, so did the demand for slaves

• It used to take over ten hours for just one slave to produce one clean pound of cotton

• A work day consisted of 15-16 hours a day, during harvest time and, could go on during harvest and milling for 16-18 per week 7 days a week.

Harriet Jacobs

• Harriet Jacobs was an author and an American Abolitionist

• She was born into slavery

• Her master had cruel sexual intentions

• She bore two children by an unmarried white man

• Jacobs escaped after realizing that her master wanted to put her children to work, in June of 1835.
  

Abolition Movement

• This was essentially the ending of the slave trade.

• There were many anti-slavery protests to stop the slave trade.

• Many abolitionists were interested in their cause as well as politics, most favored republicans.

• By January 1st, 1863, most states were free states.

• Its goal was to send the free slaves to Liberia and Africa. This was widely accepted in the Northern states but not so much in the Southern states.

Fugitive Slave Act/ Law

• The Fugitive Slave Act / Law was passed in 1793.

• It basically allowed the right for warrants to be made on run away slaves.

• Commissioners who actually caught and apprehended a fugitive slave, received ten dollars.

• Those who caught slaves but decided that they should be free, only received five dollars.

• This act / law also denied any fugitive to claim that they are free, a trial by jury. Under no circumstances were they allowed to collect evidence or claim their own freedom.

Works Cited:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1narr5.html
http://africanhistory.about.com/od/slavery/tp/TransAtlantic001.htm
http://cghs.dadeschools.net/slavery/antebellum_slavery/plantation_slave_life/health.htm
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&tbs=tl:1&q=abolition%20movement%20fa&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=158f5021afbf0802&pf=p&pdl=3000
http://www.nationalcenter.org/FugitiveSlaveAct.html

QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Characters
- Protagonist / Antagonist? - what is the Boss up against in the person of Bartleby? Does Bartleby represent a force beyond himself as an individual?
Major / Minor (Who are the major players in the story? What do we know about them? Are they likable?
Sympathetic? Realistic? What's the function of the story's minor characters?)

Dynamic / Static-Who changes? Who stays the same? Is the story about growth or change? 
Round / Flat-Who is the round character? Who are the flat characters?

In Bartleby the Scrivener, I feel that the protagonist is the boss, seeing as though all he wants is a reliable employee where as Bartleby is the antagonist because all he does is nothing really. The boss has to deal with a defiant, stubborn man named Bartebly. In the beginning, Bartelby did the work that was asked of him, as long as it involved him sitting down copying papers. But as the story progressed, we saw that Bartebly was doing less than what his initial work load was. It came to a point where he wasnt doing much of anything but sleeping in the bosses office and saying, "I prefer not to" to any request asked of him. I dont know if Bartelby represents a force beyond himself as an individual but there is definitely something not right with that man. The major characters in this story are the Boss and Bartelby, that leaves the minor characters to be Turkey, Nippers, and Ginger Nut. As stated above, the major characters are the ones who really set the whole tone and mood for the story. The boss is the one who runs the office and makes final decisions on employees and work stuff. Bartelby is an employee who is very disobedient, yet the boss cant seem to phathom being mean or rude to him. In my opinion, the boss is likeable but the rest of the characters are questionable. However, the minor characters are more realistic when it comes to Bartelby than their own boss is. The minor characters main function is to be instigators. They do not mix well with Bartelby and call him out on his wrongdoings. I feel that the only person who changed in this story was Bartelby, he did work in the beginning, and then he did nothing but become a nuisance. Throughout the story, the boss was always sympathetic to Bartleby, allowing him to do as he pleases. Even being nice enough to move his office and all his employees because he did not want to forcibly remove him or call the police. I do not necessarily believe that the story is about growth or change. Bartleby comes into this man's life, makes him look at things in a different perspective, and then dies. It is never told why he never did anything, or accepted anything, or listened to anyone. He just dies. I believe that there aren't really any flat characters. Almost all are round characters. Being that they are necessary to the story and help make it better.

QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Point of view
: Who tells the story? - the first person narrator, who is flawed but human…He's reliable, we trust him. His actions
definitely support what he tells us about himself; especially the part about being a man who likes to take the "easy" way. What else is
gained by telling this story from the Boss's perspective? Why not Bartleby's perspective? Why not one of the other clerks?

This story is written in first person point of view by the boss. As stated in the question above, his actions do support everything he tells us. For example, in the story the boss says that he did not want any other boss or office to take in Bartleby and in a way, abuse him. Proving his sensitivity and how sympathetic he is. He kept to his word when he allowed Bartleby to live in his office and do absolutely no work. The benefit of having the story told in first person point of view, especially when that person is a major character, the boss, is that it allows us to understand his thoughts, feelings, and actions while his very own employee makes his office his home and ignores every request that is asked of him. It would make it a bit more interesting to have it written in Bartleby's point of view because then we would know why he does not want to anything others ask him to do. But I guess it is better in someway because it leaves us to ponder questions as to why he acts the way that he acts. I think that by the story being told in a major characters point of view rather than the other clerks, who are the minor characters, it makes us understand the story better and understand why they do what they do. Also, the other clerks seem immature and to leave the story in their hands would be kind of foolish.

QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Plot
Exposition:-what background information does the narrator relate that gives us a greater understanding of the events unfolding?
Why does the information about Bartleby's previous employment come at the end of the story rather than at the beginning?
Complication-
how does the Boss react when Bartleby repeatedly refuses to perform his duties? How does his reaction intensify? What is the Boss's
dilemma?
Climax-Where do you feel the events reach their pinnacle? Where is the conflict most intense, the clash most "explosive"?

Resolution-What's the outcome of the explosion? 
Epiphany-who has gained insight in this story, Bartleby or the Boss, or anybody?

The narrator gives us background information on his office. He describes his office, saying that he works on Wall Street. He describes his employees and gives reasons for their names as well as telling us how Bartleby came to working with him. With this information, we can then see what the story would be about. He also says that one of his most oddest Scriveners was Bartleby, so that puts a little bit of suspense into the short story. I think the information comes at the end of the story rather than the beginning because if it did come in the beginning, the readers would know why he says that he would prefer not to and why he acts the way he does. Readers, in my opinion, would not get the same reaction that they do, had the piece of information about him been given in the beginning. Also by putting it at the end, it doesn't leave us wondering why Bartleby acted the way he did. Instead of just letting our minds wander on the subject, it gives us sort of a direction to follow. I think that because Bartleby says that he prefers not to in such a calm, almost comforting manner, it makes the boss feel pity for him, rather then wanting to reprimand him. Throughout the whole story, Bartleby constantly refuses to do any type of work other than copying. And each time Bartleby refuses, it shocks the boss because never has anyone told him no, or rather they would prefer not to. At one point, the boss wonders if he is in the wrong for asking him to do work. But after talking to the other Scriveners, they assure him that he is not. After the first few times of Bartleby refusing, the boss finally asks why he does not prefer to do any work and if he has the right to say no. When Bartleby responds with no answer, he just accepts it. I think the boss's dilemma is that he wants to get rid of Bartleby because essentially, he is a liability, but at the same time, the boss admires him and pity's him so much that he just can be cruel or mean and fire him. I think the climax is when the boss asks Bartleby to pack his belongings and leave and Bartleby refuses. Therefore making the boss pack up and move his office, on account of Bartleby. This is when the boss finally loses his temper and doesn't have much sympathy for Bartleby. The outcome of this explosion is that the boss leaves Bartleby in his office and moves his business elsewhere. I do not think that anyone gained insight really. I just think that the boss gave up on Bartleby once it started affecting his business and realized that he isn't worth his time.

QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Meaning (Theme) : 
Does the story leave you thinking anything? Feeling anything? What do you make out of it all?
Passive aggressive
people are difficult to accommodate, difficult to ignore.
Passive resistance is a radical form of rebellion. 
Offices, where Americans spend
the greater part of their lives, are not democracies.
Have a life outside work! Don't expect your occupation to bear the burden of your
existence.
What other ideas does the story suggest to you?


This story makes me very aggravated. If I had to deal with an employee who did not do anything in my office but instead wanted to make it his home, I would go bananas. The fact that he never agreed to do anything for the boss really annoyed me. But in a way, his defiance is really what drives the story to its intensity. I think the story really points out the kindness that people really have. Coming from New York, where people just do not have enough patience, I do not think anyone would really put up with Bartleby's nonsense. The story also suggests that regardless of ones situation, a lot of people really put their lives into their jobs. Many people even take their jobs home. The boss was willing to find another job for Bartleby, make sure he gets the best food in jail, and even open up his home to him but Bartleby refused. Bartleby is a very anal person and if he were to be hired in modern times, he would get fired after the first, " I prefer not to." I believe that this short story had to be somewhat autobiographical or somehow related to how the author, Melville, felt at the time. From my understanding, this short story is one of the most difficult to interpret. I agree with that because not much information is given on Bartleby, the boss, or the other minor characters. It is hard to understand the important relevance of almost everything in the story but I think it was well written.

QUESTIONS FOR CLASS DISCUSSIONS

Irony
: The Boss doesn't recognize that his own passiveness is as persistent and frustrating as Bartleby's. Or that his gentle, self-interested interest in Bartleby is leading to no good.
Can you think of other ironies?


The one irony that comes to mind is the boss's profession. The boss works in a field related to Wall Street. And as we all know, Wall Street is a work place that is based on rules, regulations, serious business, and if anything, it deals with the defending of ownership. So the boss is a man who owns and runs his own office. He hires his employees, he makes final decisions, he gives orders and tells others what to do and when to do it. But yet, when it comes to Bartleby, he never has anything to say to him. Yes, he is appalled by the response Bartleby constantly gives him but at the same time he accepts his response. He allows Bartleby to say no to his requests, to move in to his office and live there, to do absolutely no work at all, to stay after he is asked to leave. It comes to the point where the boss does not want to be rude to Bartleby so he packs up his own office and moves to another location. I mean to be a man who works in a strict type of work field, and to allow yourself to be moved out of your work place by a man that barely says anything, seems a little ironic to me.