Language Arts to Teach Race and the Catto Story

Modeling and providing tools and techniques for students to confidently engage with often complex primary and secondary texts that help bring an understanding of the intricacy of history is crucial in the development of lifelong learners. Many of the techniques that are frequently employed in language arts classes can be profitable for use by social studies teachers and others. This section contains suggestions and activities are especially geared toward enhancing student engagement and enriching their understanding of the reading Octavius V. Catto, Remembering a Forgotten Hero.

We welcome your feedback on these activities and hope that you will share with us your success stories on helping students negotiate historical texts.

• Excerpts from Freedom’s Children
• Excerpts from The Resurrectionist
• Language_Arts_Suggested_Readings about Catto and His Times

These are suggested readings for students. The reading will not only grow students’ interests using storytelling, but inspire the use of historical documents to create their own original stories.

• Language_Arts_Timeline Around the Lifetime of O.V. Catto, 1839-1871
  A useful timeline that focuses in on the years of Catto’s life that can be used as a classroom handout. A more comprehensive timeline looking at Catto through the historical lens of the American Civil Rights story can be found at the Catto Timeline.
• Strategies to Support Readers of Supplemental Classroom Readings about Catto and His Times.
  Presentation originally given on August 31, 2017 at the National Constitution Center, introducing the School District’s year-long social studies professional development