A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass

This text is geared toward an elementary audience. It is a quite comprehensive look at Douglass' life. It could easily be used to illustrate that slaves did not only work on plantations in the south, but in cities hired out as laborers. It would be an excellent introduction for the abolitionist movement and other events leading to the U.S. Civil War. Students enjoy being read to from these types of texts, but remember to give them something to do while listening. Have students complete an undated timeline of his life. Then utilize these timelines to discuss the main ideas of the text with students. (Possibly using the timeline notes graphic organizer from Jim Burke's Tools for Thought

A great book with which to incorporate children's literature with social studies instruction. Political Science is just one discipline of the social studies and as such can be taught effectively in early childhood classrooms. Books like this one about Frederick Douglass demonstrate how individuals sought to secure rights for all people and were willing to violate unjust laws in the process.