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Inquiry Modules

Inquiry Modules

Powered by historical material and compelling documentary footage, these film-based inquiry modules are designed to enhance learning on a variety of topics. Students practice historical thinking to examine various sources that spark students’ curiosity and build students’ content knowledge.

Teachers can guide students in grades 6-10 to use the RISE Analysis Tool and the RISE Analysis Guide to apply reflection, inquiry, and self-awareness while building empathy by actively using primary sources. The RISE Analysis Tool, developed by Barat Education Foundation and DePaul University with funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Program, provides the process of engagement to examine equity and civic action.

As a result of engaging with these resources, students will:

Apply strategies for analyzing primary sources to gain insights from the past, make connections to the present, and generate questions for further investigation
Identify elements of emotion and cognition that influence thoughts and beliefs
Reflect on the historical impact and significance of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass related to their own lives and social change

HARRIET TUBMAN: VISIONS OF FREEDOM

Engage students in critical analysis of Harriet Tubman's activism and influence on the abolitionist and suffrage movements as they examine her lifelong pursuit of freedom and equality. From the harsh treatment she endured as a child to her self-emancipation from Maryland's Eastern Shore, and the critical role she played as a military leader in the Civil War, Harriet Tubman repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from the bondage of slavery and social injustice.

The following modules are designed using video clips from MPT's documentary film and historical materials primarily from the Library of Congress.

Sensitive: These resources contain material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether these resources are suitable for their class.

EASTERN SHORE

How does our childhood, environment, and experiences help shape who we are?

COTTON IS KING

How did the rapid growth of the cotton industry impact enslaved people in Maryland and their families?

VISIONS

How does Tubman resist oppression and find opportunities when faced with extreme hardships and adversity?

THE ESCAPE

How do oppressed people empower themselves to achieve freedom?

THE ORIGINAL ABOLITIONISTS

How can an individual's beliefs and actions impact a community?

WADE IN THE WATER

What qualities or characteristics influence a person’s role to create social change?

GENERAL TUBMAN

How are people motivated to change their society?

BECOMING FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Engage students in critical analysis of Frederick Douglass's life and his impact as a gifted writer, a powerful orator, and an influential voice in the fight for equality and freedom. From his self-emancipation from enslavement to his rise as a prominent statesman, Frederick Douglass was a well-known leader of the abolitionist movement and continues to influence social activism today.

The following modules are designed using video clips from MPT's documentary film and historical materials primarily from the Library of Congress.

Sensitive: These resources contain material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether these resources are suitable for their class.

YOUNG FREDERICK

How did literacy provide a “gateway” for Frederick Douglass? Where did the gateway lead?

BATTLING THE SLAVE BREAKER

How were enslaved people active in their resistance to enslavement and their fight for freedom, and the abolition of slavery?

ANNA MURRAY

How does life in Baltimore transform Douglass’ personal and spiritual life?

THE ABOLITIONIST

How does Frederick Douglass use his celebrity and fame to aid the cause of abolitionism?

THE NORTH STAR

Why is telling stories from different perspectives an important tool for social change?

FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND THE PHOTOGRAPH

How does media and technology influence public opinion, and impact individual beliefs and attitudes?

THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW

How did the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 accelerate the country towards war?