Biographies For Grades 4-8 Correlated to the Curriculum
Extend the learning through this new biography series. The Library of American Lives and Times use extensive primary resources as it brings American history to life for your students. Learn about some of the greatest players who helped in shaping America as it grew from a colony to a world super power. Through a chronological narrative, enriched with diary entries, letters, and other primary documents, students will learn about the various stages of our nation's development, as well as learning to think about history from the perspective of both individuals and society. By learning about history from a particular and unique biographical perspective, each student will learn about the following themes that form the framework for the social studies standards: Culture; People, Places, and Environments; Individual Development and Identity; Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Power, Authority, and Governance; Production, Distribution, and Consumption; Global Connections: Civic Ideals and Practices. These books are comprehensive biographical treatments of important Americans, emphasizing not just their lives, but the times in which they lived.
Frederick Douglass was the foremost American abolitionist of the nineteenth century. From his 1847 founding of the North Star, the first African-American newspaper, to his term as U.S. minister to Haiti, the story of Douglass's life makes for inspirational reading. This compelling biography will give students a deeper understanding of how slavery shaped American history.
Reviews
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Alice Fleming's story opens with an incident that took place when Frederick Douglass was a 15-year-old slave hired out to a cruel farmer, Edward Covey, who inflicted daily beatings on the young man. After six months of abuse, Douglass fought back, finding the courage to reclaim his spirit and beginning his journey from slave to statesman. Roscoe Orman's performance is spellbinding. His deep, melodious voice has authority and credibility as he relates the inhumanity of slavery and the hypocrisy of white abolitionists speaking out against slavery while still viewing blacks as less than equals. The only weakness in the production is the way notes are inserted--introduced by a tone and then read by an obviously white voice that sounds measured and condescending. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine
