Power and the Pen

How do words change the world? How do leaders lead? In this expedition, students explore the nonfiction voices and leaders that shaped U.S. history, from founding documents and abolitionist speeches to environmental warnings and poetic calls for justice.

Introduction

How do words change the world? How do leaders lead? In this expedition, students explore the nonfiction voices and leaders that shaped U.S. history, from founding documents and abolitionist speeches to environmental warnings and poetic calls for justice. Through powerful texts by writers like Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Rachel Carson, and Martin Luther King Jr., students will analyze how nonfiction writing has been used to fight injustice, inspire action, and define the American identity. We will explore American history through the voices of real people who made tough decisions, challenged injustice, and changed the course of the nation. We’ll read speeches, letters, and nonfiction accounts to understand how power is used — and who gets to use it. Blending U.S. history with American nonfiction literature, this expedition strengthens students’ skills in analysis, research, and persuasive writing. Students will critically examine real historical texts and connect them to the present, ultimately discovering that the power to speak out and spark change isn’t just for people in textbooks. It’s something they can do, too. This expedition will have reading requirements.

Essential Questions

• What were the causes and consequences of slavery and westward expansion in shaping the American experience?
• In what ways do current events reflect the unfinished work of historical movements for justice and equality?
• How can diverse voices and perspectives from the past and present deepen our understanding of democracy and identity?
• How can writing—both expository and creative—be used as a tool for social activism and change?

Learning Objectives

• To identify and understand the causes and effects of the Civil War and how it changed the nation
• To demonstrate understanding how art can be a powerful political tool by applying their knowledge to a creative project
• To understand and describe the meaning of the emancipation proclamation
• Analyze the social and economic conditions of Southern and Western populations (including enslaved people, free Black Americans, Indigenous peoples, and settlers) from 1800 to the mid-1800s.
• Evaluate the strategies and impact of abolitionist movements, using primary and secondary sources to understand different viewpoints.
• Compare historical activism with modern movements, analyzing how the goals and methods of activists have evolved and what challenges persist today.
• To identify and effectively use nonfiction literary elements and devices
• Write a persuasive essay or speech advocating for a historical or current social justice issue, drawing parallels between past and present.
• Create a fictional or creative nonfiction narrative that explores the lived experiences of individuals during the slavery, westward expansion, or abolition era.