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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1)

Objective

Chapter 1

Henry Townsend, a freed slave who is also a slaveholder, has just died. Discuss the historical and moral aspects of Henry's choices.

Lesson

1) Class Discussion: Henry Townsend, a freed slave, owns slaves. Discuss with students the idea of a black man, who was once a slave himself, owning slaves. Discuss how often they believe this might have really happened and present them with some statistic that reveal how often it really did happen. Allow students to express their opinions about this practice and reveal any personal biases that might affect how students view the characters within this novel.

2) Theme: Discuss Henry Townsend. Ask students to list Henry's known character traits and what about these traits might have suggested Henry could own slaves. Discuss what motivates Henry to own a plantation and to have slaves. Discuss Henry's personality and his attitude toward the slaves. Discuss how...

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