Classroom Guides
Lesson One: School Days Teacher’s Guide
Introduction
The African Free School was established by the New York Manumission Society in the late 1780s and operated until it became a part of the New York public-school system in 1834. During the years of its operation, the school educated hundreds of boys and girls from New York City's African American community, many of whom went on to hold positions of great importance. In this unit, students will be introduced to the African Free School and its organization, curriculum, and expectations.
Grade Level
9–12
Time Allotment
Five to nine class sessions
Subject Matter
American History, New York History, African American History, History of Education
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Read, ask questions of, and draw conclusions from primary documents
- Compare and contrast historic and contemporary educational systems
- Better understand life for African American children in early-nineteenth-century New York City
Preparation
The teacher will need to do the following before beginning this lesson:
- Thoroughly review the Examination Days Web site, with special attention paid to the essay regarding the African Free School and its curriculum
- Review the materials from the African Free School Collection listed below
- Print out and make copies of the Primary Documents PDF for your students
Primary Documents
Documents available on the Examination Days Web site
Pages from the African Free School Collection, New-York Historical Society, v. 4.
"John Burns. Inspector General of Reading"
"The New York African Free School"
Documents available in the Primary Documents PDF
Charles C. Andrews, "School Exercises," in The History of the New-York African Free-Schools, from Their Establishment in 1787, to the Present Time . . . (New York: M. Day, 1830), 71–75.
Charles C. Andrews, "Lines on the Manner of Conducting a Monitorial School, Spoken at a Public Examination," in The History of the New-York African Free-Schools, from Their Establishment in 1787, to the Present Time . . . (New York: M. Day, 1830), 139–43.
"Education of Children," in An Address to the Parents and Guardians of the Children Belonging to the New-York African Free School, by the Trustees of the Institution (New York: Samuel Wood, 1818), 13–20.
Learning Activities
Activity 1: Welcome to Our School.
(two to three class sessions)
Activity 2: Students Teaching Students—The African Free School Method
(two to three class sessions)
Culminating Activities
(one to three class sessions)