State Standards

Kansas

  • Civics-Government
    • 5.1.1
    • 7.1.3

Missouri

  • Social Studies
    • 6D7,8
    • 7F5-8

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Lesson 1: Putting Yourself in the Picture

Background

This lesson examines the difficult position of having to make a decision about breaking a law that you think is immoral or unethical, or complying with it because it is the law. John Brown was among a group of people, mainly living in the northern states, who thought that slavery was immoral even though it was lawful in some states. These people - abolitionists - had views ranging from accepting the law and trying to change it through legal means, to advocating the abolition of the law by any means possible, including violence. Not all abolitionists advocated using violence. Frederick Douglass, a former slave and civic leader, worked with John Brown. However, while they shared similar views toward slavery, Douglass declined to participate in Brown's raid on a government armory. Douglass felt this would do more harm than good to their cause.

Students will be placed in a situation they may see as immoral or unjust because of a law and will be asked to respond to that situation.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Analyze a personal situation and take a position based on personal ethical values;
  2. Take a position on a controversial situation and justify it.

Materials

None except paper and pencil for students.

Time

2 class periods.

Procedure

  1. Announce to students, "A new law has just been passed by Congress and signed by the President. As of today, all students are now property of the state. You may live with your families, but the government will decide what else you can do. Some of you will be sent to school and some will immediately begin to work. The assignment list will come out in two weeks. For now you can keep your cell phones, iPods, computers, and other electronic devices, but after the instructions are received, all but the students who are chosen to remain in school will have to give them up."

    "Although it is not official, it has been leaked that the students who are born in the months of January through June (JJ Group) are going to be the ones that will be required to leave school and go to work." Have those students who were born in those months raise their hands.

  2. Have students immediately write what they think will be the ramifications of this new law for them personally.

    After about 10 minutes, group the students into groups of 5 or 6 students. Make sure the JJ students are together in one group. Have them share what they are thinking and feeling with each other.

  3. After 5 minutes, reshuffle the groups, making sure that at least one JJ student is in each group. Have them again talk about the ramifications of such a law. Ask them to respond to these questions:

    1) What will this law mean to you personally?
    2) Do you agree with this law?
    3) If you do not agree with it, why not?
    4) What can you do about it?

    Pay close attention to this discussion.

  4. As a whole class, have the groups summarize what they discussed. Ask them if the conversations were the same or if conversations differed from their first to their second grouping. You may find that with the JJ in the second group, there may have been some discussion that excluded this person, or put the person in a less powerful position. Some groups may also have discussed how to get around the law or reverse it.

  5. If students do not get to the point in the discussion of talking about what to do about the law, lead them by asking, "How do you feel about this law? Is it fair?" Have them justify their responses. If some students think it is unfair, have them talk about ways to rectify the injustices this law represents.

    Write all of the options students suggest on the board. When they are noted, have students group them in some kind of order. Look for the most passive to most violent groups or ranks; however, don't guide the students in their groupings.

  6. Discuss the groupings constructed by the students. Assign one group or one strategy to a small group of students. Have them decide on the pros and cons of each of these strategies. After each group reports out, have students determine which they would choose for themselves as a way to approach this law. They should write a short essay on how they chose to address this law and justify their choice.

  7. Prior to closing this lesson, take the opportunity to share with the students your observations about what went on as they were in their mixed groups. Talk about power positioning, inclusion or lack of inclusion, acceptance of diverse viewpoints, etc. Let them talk about their experiences as they were in each of these positions. This debriefing time is important for reestablishing the cohesion of the class after the division set up in this simulation.

Extension

John Brown said, "In a time of immoral laws, patriotism looks like treason." John Brown may be seen to have taken the role of parent in the issue of slavery. He saw people with little power in situations that he perceived as unfair. Have students discuss or write about how their parents or another important adult in their family would have responded to this law?

Essay Contest

Encourage your students to participate in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City Essay Contest. You can find more about it by visiting www.kcopera.org/About/johnbrowneducation/essay.

Lesson created by Martha A. Henry and Keith S. Murray, M.A. Henry Consulting, LLC.