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In this middle school lesson, students will learn the incredible story of Frederick Douglass, one of the leading human rights leaders of the 19th century. His actions and powerful words continue to inspire social justice movements advocating for equal rights for all.

In this lesson, students will understand how unjust legal systems impacted economies, using a mock‐​trial activity. Students will explore why the colonists believed fair legal rights were the key to protecting both their freedom and their finances and why they felt jury trials helped protect these.

The final lesson asks students to consider the ways The Crucible serves as an allegory, revealing the tension between unalienable rights and the social pressure to conform. After participating in learning activities that help them identify and explain elements that enhance the allegorical meaning of The Crucible, students have an opportunity to come to their own conclusions about whether or not The Crucible is relevant to our current moment.

In the second lesson, students consider the principle of “the consent of the governed” from the Declaration of Independence in relation to the dynamics and character development in acts 2 and 3 of The Crucible. After identifying how the symbols in acts 2 and 3 contribute to understanding of the key themes, students will develop a well‐​written essay that explores how literary elements in The Crucible affect the audience’s engagement with the play.

In this opening lesson, students warm up with an anticipation guide, learn about the key components of a Greek tragedy, and get to know the characters in act 1. This foundational knowledge sets the stage for the rest of the play, so students can better understand how The Crucible grapples with the principle that “all men are created equal” outlined in the Declaration of Independence.

The final lesson in this unit helps students understand the role of situational irony and how Twain uses this literary device to add meaning to the message he conveys in the novel. At the end of this lesson, students will write a synthesis essay that explores the novel’s major themes in relation to the principles of equality and liberty as intended by the Founding Fathers.

In lesson three, students read chapters 16–30 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and consider the tension Twain develops between performative and authentic language. Through a series of scaffolded learning activities, students reflect on how Twain’s language shapes the story’s meaning, keeping an eye on the Declaration’s principle that “all men are created equal,” while understanding America’s historical difficulties in universally applying this principle to everyone.

The second lesson of this series explores the role of realism in developing a space for democracy in American literature. Students will consider the extent to which both art and literature can reflect democratic principles and societal norms, and they will critically analyze how Twain uses realism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.