Teaching students about the history of slavery is a real challenge. Not only is it an uncomfortable subject, but it is a truly heartbreaking part of our American history.

I believe that the subject of slavery needs more attention and should be taught more in detail so students have a better understanding of the topic.

Why students need to know about slavery

Our students deserve to know the truth about the history of slavery and it’s a topic we shouldn’t avoid. Discussing any type of sensitive topic isn’t easy, but it’s critical that the topic isn’t avoided.

If we avoid the topic, we are impacting our students’ understanding of the foundation of America. We cheat students out of a comprehensive education about the United States if we skip this subject even to elementary students. The earlier that students are taught about slavery, the better.

Teachers need to educate themselves on how to teach slavery

Teachers are overwhelmed and have a lot of pressure. We all know schools prioritize language arts and math over other subjects because at the end of the day, it’s what we test students on. But times are changing for the better and teachers know how important topics such as slavery are.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much staff development and training on the topic. Teachers will have to educate themselves and find practical ways to incorporate the topic into the classroom.

The best website that I have found so far that is comprehensive about how to teach this topic is learningforjustice.org. They have professional development resources and lessons geared toward elementary students. I highly recommend reading their framework which has 20 “essential Knowledge” sections.

Watch your language

Calling people “slaves” dehumanizes people. Instead you should use “enslaved people” or “people who were made slaves”. There is a movement to stop referring to enslaved people as “slaves”. I recently was searching for a video about Harriet Tubman on Youtube, and she was referred to as a “freedom fighter”, which really describes the true essence of who she was. The words we choose to describe people to our students matters!

How to Incorporate this hard topic in your curriculum

Highlight important historical figures, like Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglas, or Dred Scott, who have fought against slavery.
Teach your students about Juneteeth, which is a holiday where we recognize the end of slavery.

If you teach your students about the constitution, discuss the preamble. Ask students what they think about the quote “all men were created equal” when slavery still existed during that time?
During Presidents weekend, discuss Abraham Lincoln’s role in abolishing slavery and how this was an issue that caused the civil war.
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, discuss the role that MLK played in combating racism and discrimination in our country. Even though slavery no longer existed when MLK was alive, segregation continued and the effects of institutionalized slavery still continued.
Check to see what your reading curriculum offers. For example, in 5th grade Benchmark Universe, there is a close reading passage about how Dred Scott fought for his freedom.

What you need to teach about slavery that history books may not

Students need to know that Africans came to the colonies with traditions, culture, and skills. They were kidnapped and taken away from their families and friends. In the Scott Foresman Social Studies book that my school district was using last year (2022), it states that slaves were “ brought” to the English colonies. Let’s be honest and transparent with our students- slaves were kidnapped, and not just “brought” over to the colonies.

I think many publishers need to be more clear about what really happened in the past. My school district is adopting a new Social Studies curriculum and I hope that it is more historically accurate.

Another aspect of slavery that is important to teach is the fact that many enslaved people fought back and resisted their bondage. Whether that means they tried to escape, refused to work, or revolted, these acts of courage should be taught to students.

If you need a high interest activity that will teach students about the topic of slavery, please check out my Reader’s Theater skit “The Injustice of Slavery”. This skit is part of my Early Colonies Reader’s Theater resource. Although most skits are meant to be funny, the skit “The Injustice of Slavery” is not. It is meant to teach students about the history of slavery following social justice standards. These standards can be found on learningforjustice.org.

I hope that you now have a better idea about how to teach elementary students the truth about slavery. You got this!