Introduction

With the help of runaway slave advertisements,  slave narratives, and photographs you will better understand:

• the brutality of slavery
• the desperation and hope among slaves for escape
• how slaveholders developed a legal way to recapture runaway slaves

You will use primary sources such as runaway slave advertisements, slave narratives, and photographs to reconstruct the past, understand certain aspects of slavery, and write an essay on the slaves' experiences based on interpretation of the primary sources.

1. First, read some of the runaway slave advertisements from the Savannah Georgia Gazette.  These can be found at Slavery and Runaway Slaves.
2. Next, read some of the slave narratives and view the photographs of former slaves at Slave Narratives.
3. As you read, jot down some ideas to respond to the question "What was slavery like for those who lived it?"
4. Meet with other students in groups of three to develop a collective list of ideas to answer the question "What was slavery like for those who lived it?"  Each group member should contribute at least three ideas to the list.
5. Look back at the runaway slave advertisements and slave narratives to find evidence in the documents that support the ideas you have generated.
6. Write an essay to respond to the question "What was slavery like for those who lived it?"  You MUST cite evidence from the runaway slave ads and narratives to back up your statements.
7. As an alternative, you may write a fictional, first person account about life as a slave or about a slave's attempt at escape.

Your essay will be assessed individually based on the criteria below.
 
 

	Exemplary 4	Accomplished 3	Developing 2	Beginning 1	Score
Written Essay	Well organized, demonstrates logical sequencing and sentence structure	Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing or sentence structure	Well organized, but demonstrates illogical sequencing and sentence structure	Weakly organized
Information Gathering	Information is gathered from two electronic sources and cited properly	Information is gathered from two electronic sources	Information is gathered from one electronic source	No information is gathered
Interpretation	Excellent interpretation of events through perspectives of those living in that setting	Some interpretation of events through the perspective of those living in that setting	Little interpretation of events through the perspective of those living in that setting	No interpretation of events through the perspective of those living in that setting
Punctuation, Capitalization, & Spelling	Punctuation and capitalization is correct.	There is one error in punctuation and/or capitalization	There are two or three errors in punctuation and/or capitalization	There are four or more errors in punctuation and/or capitalization
Use of Language	Student's language enhances essay	Student's grammar is effective	Student's grammar is somewhat effective	Students fails to use language effectively

After completing this webquest you should have a deeper understanding of life as a slave and the chances for escape many hoped for.  If you are interested in learning more about slavery, visit the sites listed below.

Text
     Slavery and Runaway Slaves    http://uiowa.edu/
     Slave Narratives                       http://xroads.virginia.edu
     Freedom Train                          www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us 

Clip Art
      Understanding Slavery             http://school.discovery.com
                                                     /schooladventures/slavery