I am Frederick Douglass
From Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum · 2021
23 minK1st2nd3rd4th5thSocial StudiesReading & Writing (ELA)
Summary
Xavier learns that reading can be the key to freedom when he meets a young Frederick Douglass, who secretly taught himself to read despite laws against it. The episode (which also features Maya Angelou) shows how education and words can be the most powerful tools against injustice.
Viewer safety
All ages
Addresses slavery and freedom in age-appropriate terms.
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Frederick Douglass learned to read in secret and used that skill to fight for freedom.
- Why was it illegal for enslaved people to learn to read? Why would that be dangerous to the people in power?
- How did reading change Frederick Douglass's life?
- What rights do you have at school that Frederick Douglass didn't have?
- How can education help make the world more fair?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: abolitionist, enslaved, freedom, literacy, justice.
Try it: Write two sentences about something you learned from a book that changed the way you thought about something.