In the Classroom

Primary sources are the basic building blocks of history and are an essential component in K-12 History/Social Studies Education. Very few primary sources exist that allow students to understand the challenges faced by families in slavery.  Shorter and more direct than slave narratives--which were often filtered through white interlocutors--these Information Wanted Ads are unique in this regard.  The lesson plans that follow allow K-12 educators to make use of these ads in the classroom where using these sources can help students deepen their knowledge of this history and practice the skills that historians use in their work.

These lessons and resources are free to use!  If you choose to use these lessons, please share your feedback so that we can continue to make available the best resources for our teachers.

These lesson plans were made possible with the support of the Graduate School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Department of History at Villanova University.

Elementary
(Prek-4)

Middle (5-7) High (8-12)

History's Cold Cases

Using Timelines to situate Information Wanted Ads

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Information Wanted Ads as Oral History

Using the "grapevine" activity to demonstrate how people spread information Wanted Ads

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Deconstructing a Primary Source

Using the SOAPS acronym to understand all the components that make a primary source

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Vocabulary and Discussion Prompts and Questions

Using language cues and discussion questions to situate vocabulary used in Information Wanted ads in a historical context

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Tweeting the Past and Thinking Historically

After reading and analyzing an assigned Information Wanted ad, students will be able to craft an informative Tweet with a historical question for social media.

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