William Still: An African American Abolitionist

These classroom activities and resources for use by Middle School and High School teachers were created by Dr. Diane D. Turner and Aslaku Berhanu of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University Libraries, along with educators from the Constitution High School in Philadelphia.  The goal of these activities and resources is to provide information for K-12 teachers and students about the abolitionist movement, the Underground Railroad, the experience of African-Americans living in 19th Century Philadelphia and the African-American participants in the American Civil War.  All of the resources focus upon helping students to increase their skills in historical research and critical thinking.

• William Still and the Underground Railroad Lesson Plan

  Students will learn about the experience of both free and enslaved Africans and the role of the Underground Railroad and other forms of resistance to slavery.

  • Supplemental Resources: Negro Spirituals

    Students will study the lyrics of Negro spirituals to discover the coded messages contained within them.

• A Voice for Freedom: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Lesson Plan

  Students will learn about the role of author Frances Ellen Watkins Harper in the Underground Railroad, the Abolition Movement and other forms of resistance to slavery through her poetry.

  • Supplemental Resources: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Poetry

    Students will study the text of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's poetry in relation to the Abolition Movement.

  • Supplemental Resources: Frances Ellen Watkins Harper Poetry Analysis Sheet

    Students will use this sheet to analyze the text of selected poems by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper.

  • African Americans in Philadelphia Choiceboard

    Students will use this choiceboard to select a classroom activity related to African American life in Philadelphia before the Civil War.

• Black Abolitionists Classroom Activity

  Students will learn about the growth of the antislavery movement and the role of black and white abolitionists in promoting the abolition of slavery.

• African Americans in the American Civil War Classroom Activity

  Students will learn about the issues and outcomes surrounding African Americans during the United States Civil War.

• Life in 19th Century Black Philadelphia Classroom Activity

  Students will learn about the issues and outcomes surrounding African Americans living in Philadelphia during the Nineteenth Century.

• Tips and Tricks for using primary sources and this site

  Here are tips and tricks for finding and utilizing the primary sources found on this site.