LESSON DAY 12:
TITLE:
The Battle With Mr. Covey
SUBJECT:
American Literature and Composition
GRADE:
10th
QCC(s):
2, 9, 29, 30, 41
GENERAL
OBJECTIVES: (IRA/NCTE standards for the English Language Arts)
Students will:
• Students read
a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of
themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire
new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the
workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and
nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. (No. 1)
• Students read
a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an
understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic)
of human experience. (No. 2)
• Students apply
a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate
texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other
readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their
word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features
(e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
(No. 3)
SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVES: (Georgia’s Quality Core Curriculum)
Students will:
•
Read critically, ask pertinent questions, recognize assumptions and
implications, and evaluate ideas. (Topic: Core Skills – L.A. 9-12 No. 2)
•
Acquire new vocabulary through reading and listening; demonstrate progress
through speaking and writing. (Topic: Core Skills – L.A.
9-12 No. 9)
•
Read, discuss, and analyze American literature representing diversity (e.g.,
gender, ethnicity). (Topic: Reading/Literature – L.A.
9-12 No. 29)
•
Write and speak critically about literature. (Topic: Reading/Literature – L.A. 9-12 No. 30)
•
Engage in discussion as both speaker and listener, critically and
constructively interpreting, analyzing, and summarizing ideas. (Topic:
Speaking/Listening – L.A. 9-12 No. 36)
•
Write in narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository modes with emphasis
on exposition. (Topic: Writing/Usage/Grammar – L.A.
9-12 No. 41)
PROCEDURES/TEARCHER
NOTES:
Daily Writing
Prompt:[10
minutes]
As
students enter the class each day they will be given a new expository prompt either
in a handout, written on the board or projected by an overhead. Students will
respond to the text by writing a paragraph.
Prompt:
MY GUILT
Maya Angelou
My guilt is "slavery's chains," too long
the clang of iron falls down the years.
This brother's sold. This sister's gone
is bitter wax, lining my ears.
My guilt made music with the tears.
My crime is "heroes, dead and gone"
dead Vesey, Turner, Gabriel,
dead Malcolm, Marcus, Martin King.
They fought too hard, they loved too well.
My crime is I'm alive to tell.
My "hanging from a tree"
I do not scream, it makes me proud.
I take to dying like a man.
I do it to impress the crowd.
My sin lies in not screaming loud.
Question
the students will answer: Think about
what you have just read. Write an expository paragraph to turn in explaining
your response to the text.
Quick
Write: Students will create a fast response paragraph as quickly as possible.
When the students have finished their fast response, they should place it in
their class folder, put their pen/pencil down and remain quiet.
Overview of
main lesson:
The teacher
will introduce
the students to, “The Battle With Mr. Covey” a selection from Fredrick
Douglass’ autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. The class
will explore how Douglass battled against the oppression of slavery.
Step
1: [5 minutes]
Introduction
– This story, “The Battle With Mr.
Covey” a selection from Fredrick Douglass’ autobiography, The Narrative of the
Life of Fredrick Douglass. At the time of the story Douglass, was 16 years old.
He was owned by a man named Thomas who had rented Douglass for a year to a man
named Covey.
Step
2: [5 minutes]
Before
the class begins to read the story, the teacher will instruct the students on
keeping an event-prediction-outcome chart. The teacher will write an example of
the chart on the board:
Event
in the Story Prediction
About Outcome Actual
Outcome
The
teacher will then inform the students that each time Douglass acts to assert his
human rights, they should write down the event and their prediction, or fear
about what might happen to him as a result of his actions. Then as they
continue to read along with the class they need to write down what actually
happens to Douglass.
Step
3: [35 minutes]
The
teacher will take volunteers from the class to take turns reading the story
aloud.
As
the story is being read the teacher will break in at appropriate points with
questions to stimulate discussion. Possible questions to engage the students
with the text might be:
1)
What does Douglass suggest about the importance to Covey to
the overall course of his life?
2)
How do you think a person could be “made a slave?”
3)
Why does Douglass decide to walk seven miles in his
condition?
4)
Do you think it will help him to complain?
5)
What traits of character are shown by Douglass in this
journey to his master?
6)
What might motivate someone to side with a person who is so
obviously an oppressor?
7)
Do you agree that Douglass only has two choices: to go back
and be beaten or stay in the woods and starve?
Step
4: [25 minutes]
The
teacher will have the students break into pairs to share their charts. They
need to discuss which events, details or results surprised them. They need to
record their surprises on their own individual papers below their chart. They
also to record on their individual papers if they chose the same and/or
different story events to chart as their partner. Once they are finished they
will turn in their work to the class tray.
Step
5: [10 minutes]
The
teacher will write the following vocabulary words from the story on the board:
intimidated interpose curry singular expiring
comply render solemnity attributed afforded
She
will ask the students to chose 4 of the
words and for each chosen vocabulary word they write a sentence that shows its
meaning.
CLOSING:
The
teacher will ask students to think about the following. In The Crucible
oppression was meant passively. The accused did not rise up and overthrow the
Witch Trials. In this story Douglass physically fight back the against Mr.
Covey’s oppression. Are victims of oppression responsible for helping
themselves or do those not affected bare responsibility too? –A responsibility
as great as the victims, more responsibility, less responsibility?
MATERIALS:
copies of Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American
Slave, dry eraser
markers
ADDITIONAL
TEACHER NOTES: An important point for students to discover in the discussion is
the idea that you can be a slave in spirit or simply a slave in reality as
Douglass discovers in his transformation due to this battle. If not brought up
by the students the teacher must lead them to this in wrapping up the
discussion.
SUPPLEMENTARY
MATERIALS: Students will need to have paper, pen/pencil.
EVALUATION:
Discussion:
The in-class discussion will show the level of understanding the students are
reaching.
Classwork:
The event-prediction-outcome chart the students complete and turn in will illustrate
their understanding of the events of the story, will allow them to use their
critical thinking skill in predicting and the concept of cause and effect.
ACCOMMODATIONS: See accommodation sheet
REFERENCES:
Angelou,
Maya. "My Guilt." Poems by Maya Angelou. 22 Nov. 2001
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/1360/mayaangelou.html
Douglass,
Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Boston, 1845.
New York: Diver Publications, Inc,
1995.
By Frederick Douglass
I have already intimated that my condition was much worse, during the first six months of my stay at Mr. Covey's than in the last six. The circumstances leading to the change in Mr. Covey's course toward me form an epoch in my humble history.
You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a
slave was made a man. On one of the hottest days of the month of August, 1833,
Bill Smith, William Hughes, a slave named Eli, and myself were engaged in
fanning wheat....The work was simple, requiring strength rather than intellect;
yet, to one entirely unused to such work, it came very hard. About three
o'clock of that day, I broke down; my strength failed me; I was seized with a
violent aching of the head, attended with extreme dizziness; I trembled in
every limb....
Mr. Covey was at the house, about one hundred yards from the
treading- yard where we were fanning. On hearing the fan stop, he left
immediately, and came to the spot where we were. He hastily enquired what the
matter was. Bill answered that I was sick, and there was no one to bring wheat
to the fan. I had by this time crawled away under the side of the post and
rail- fence by which the yard was enclosed, hoping to find relief by getting
out of the sun. He then asked where I was. He was told by one of the hands. He
came to the spot, and after looking at me awhile, asked me what was the matter.
I told him as well as I could, for I scarce had strength to speak. He then gave
me a savage kick in the side, and told me to get up. I tried to do so, but fell
back in the attempt. He gave me another kick, and again told me to rise. I
again tried, and succeeded in gaining my feet: but, stopping to get the tub
with which I was feeding the fan, I again staggered and fell. While down in
this situation, Mr. Covey took up the hickory slat with which Hughes had been
striking off the half- bushel measure, and with it gave me a heavy blow upon
the head, making a large wound, and the blood ran freely; and with this, again
told me to get up. I made no effort to comply, having now made up my mind to
let him do his worst. In a short time after receiving this blow, my head grew
better. Mr. Covey had now left me to my fate. At this moment I resolved to go to
my master, enter a complaint, and ask his protection. In order to [do] this, I
must that afternoon walk seven miles; and this, under the circumstances, was
truly a severe undertaking. I was exceedingly feeble; made so as much by the
kicks and blows which I received, as by the severe fit of sickness to which I
had been subjected. I, however, watched my chance, while Covey was looking in
an opposite direction, and started for St. Michael's. I succeeded in getting a
considerable distance on my way to the woods, when Covey discovered me, and
called after me to come back, threatening what he would do if I did not come. I
disregarded both his calls and his threats, and made my way to the woods as
fast as my feeble state would allow; and thinking I might be overhauled by him
if I kept the road, I walked through the woods, keeping far enough from the
road to avoid detection, and near enough to prevent losing my way. I had not
gone far, before my little strength again failed me. I could go no farther. I
fell down, and lay for a considerable time. The blood was yet oozing from the
wound on my head. For a time I thought I should bleed to death, and think now
that I should have done so, but the blood so matted my hair as to stop the
wound. After lying there about three quarters of an hour, I nerved myself up
again, and started on my way, through bogs and briers, barefooted and
bareheaded, tearing my feet sometimes at nearly every step; and after a journey
of about seven miles, occupying some five hours to perform it, I arrived at
master's store. I then presented an appearance enough to affect any but a heart
of iron. From the crown of my head to my feet, I was covered with blood. My
hair was all clotted with dust and blood, my shirt was stiff with briers and
thorns, and were also covered with blood. I supposed I looked like a man who
had escaped a den of wild beasts, and barely escaped them. In this state I
appeared before my master, humbling entreating him to interpose his authority
for my protection. I told him all the circumstances as well as I could, and it
seemed, as I spoke, at times to affect him. he would then walk the floor, and
seek to justify Covey by saying he expected I deserved it. He asked me what I
wanted. I told him to let me get a new home; that as sure as I lived with Mr.
Covey again, I should live with but to die with him; that Covey would surely
kill me- - he was in a fair way for it. Master Thomas ridiculed the idea that
there was any danger of Mr. Covey's killing me, and said that he knew Mr.
Covey; that he was a good man, and that he could not think of taking me from
him; that should he do so, he would lose the whole year's wages; that I
belonged to Mr. Covey for one year, and that I must go back to him, come what
might; and that I must not trouble him with any more stories, or that he would
get hold of me. After threatening me thus, he gave me a very large dose of
salts, telling me that I might remain in St. Michael's that night, (it being
quite late,) but that I must be off back to Mr. Covey's early in the morning;
and that if I did not, he would get hold of me, which meant that he would whip
me. I remained all night, and according to his orders, I started off to Covey's
in the morning (Saturday morning) wearied in body and broken in spirit. I got no
supper that night, or breakfast that morning. I reached Covey's about nine
o'clock; and just as I was getting over the fence that divided Mrs. Kemp's
fields from ours, out ran Covey with his cowskin, to give me another whipping.
Before he could reach me, I succeeded in getting to the cornfield; and as the
corn was very high, it afforded me the means of hiding. He seemed very angry,
and searched for me a long time. My behaviour was altogether unaccountable. He
finally gave up the chase, thinking, I suppose, that I must come home for
something to eat; he would give himself no further trouble in looking for me. I
spent that day mostly in the woods, having the alternative before me,- - to go
home and be whipped to death, or stay in the woods and be starved to death.
That night, I fell in with Sandy Jenkins, a slave with whom I was somewhat
acquainted. Sandy had a free wife, who lived about four miles from Mr. Covey's;
and it being Saturday, he was on his way home to see her. I told him my
circumstances, and he very kindly invited me to go home with him. I went home
with him, and talked this whole matter over, and got his advice as to what
course it was best for me to pursue. I found Sandy an old adviser. He told me,
with great solemnity, I must go back to Covey; but that before I went, I must
go with him into another part of the woods, where there was a certain root,
which, if I would take some of it with me, carrying it always on my right side,
would render it impossible for Mr. Covey, or any other white man, to whip me.
He said he had carried it for years; and since he had done so, he had never
received a blow, and never expected to, while he carried it. I at first
rejected the idea, that the simple carrying of a root in my pocket would have
any such effect as he had said, and was not disposed to take it; but Sandy
impressed the necessity with such earnestness, telling me it could do no harm,
if it did not good. To please him, I at length took the root, and, according to
his direction, carried it upon my right side. This was Sunday morning. I
immediately started for home; and upon entering the yard gate, out came Mr.
Covey on his way to meeting. He spoke to me very kindly, bade me drive the pigs
from a lot near by, and passed toward the church. Now this singular conduct of
Mr. Covey really made me begin to think that there was something in the root
which Sandy had given me; and had it been any other day than Sunday, I could
have attributed the conduct to no other cause that the influence of that root;
and as it was, I was half inclined to think the root to be something more than
I at first had taken it to be. All went well till Monday morning. On this
morning, the virtue of the root was fully tested. Long before daylight, I was
called to go and rub, curry, and feed the horses. I obeyed, and was glad to
obey. But whilst thus engaged, whilst in the act of throwing down some blades
from the loft, Mr. Covey entered the stable with a long rope; and just as I was
half way out of the loft, he caught hold of my legs, and was about tying me. As
soon as I found what he was up to, I gave a sudden spring, and as I did so, he
holding to my legs, I was brought sprawling on the stable floor. Mr. Covey
seemed now to think he had me, and could do what he pleased; but at this
moment- - from whence came the spirit I don't know- - I resolved to fight; and
suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey hard by the throat; and as
I did so, I rose. He held on to me, and I to him. My resistance was so entirely
unexpected, that Covey seemed taken all aback. He trembled like a leaf. This
gave me assurance, and I held him uneasy, causing the blood to run where I
touched him with the ends of my fingers. Mr. Covey soon called out to Hughes
for help. Hughes came, and, while Covey held me, attempted to tie my right
hand. While he was in the act of doing so, I watched my chance, and gave him a
heavy kick close under the ribs. This kick fairly sickened Hughes, so that he
left me in the hands of Mr. Covey. This kick had the effect of not only weakening
Hughes, but Covey also. While he saw Hughes bending over with pain, his courage
quailed. He asked me if I meant to persist in my resistance. I told him I did,
come what might; that he had used me like a brute for six months, and that I
was determined to be used so no longer. With that, he strove to drag me to a
stick that was lying just out of the stable door. He meant to knock me down.
But just as he was leaning over to get the stick, I seized him with both hands
by his collar, and brought him by a sudden snatch to the ground. By this time,
Bill came. Covey called upon him for assistance, Bill wanted to know what he
could do. Covey said, "Take hold of him, take hold of him!" Bill said
his master hired him out to work, and not to help to whip me; so he left Covey
and myself to fight our own battle out. We were at it for nearly two hours.
Covey sat length let me go, puffing and blowing at a great rate, saying that if
I had not resisted, he would not have whipped me half so much. The truth was,
that he had not whipped me at all. I considered him as getting entirely the
worst end of the bargain; for he had drawn no blood from me, but I had from
him. The whole six months afterwards, that I spent with Mr. Covey, he never
laid the weight of his finger upon me in anger. He would occasionally say, he
didn't want to get hold of me again. "No," thought I, "you need
not; for you will come off worse than you did before."
This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning- point in my career as a
slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a
sense of my own manhood. It recalled the departed self- confidence, and
inspired me again with a determination to be free. The gratification afforded
by the triumph was a full compensation for whatever else might follow, even
death itself. He only can understand the deep satisfaction which I experienced,
who had himself repelled by force the bloody arm of slavery. I felt as I never
felt before. It was a glorious resurrection from the tomb of slavery to the
heaven of freedom. My long- crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold
defiance took its place; and now I resolved that, however long I might remain a
slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact. I
did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to
succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me.
From this time I was never again what might be called fairly
whipped, though I remained a slave four years afterwards. I had several fights,
but was never whipped.
It was for a long time a matter of surprise to me why Mr. Covey
did not immediately have me taken by the constable to the whipping- post, and
there regularly whipped for the crime of raising my hand against a white man in
defence of myself. And the only explanation I can now think of does not
entirely satisfy me; but such as it is, I will give it. Mr. Covey enjoyed the
most unbounded reputation for being a first- rate overseer and Negro- breaker.
It was of considerable importance to him. That reputation was at stake; and had
he sent me- - a boy of sixteen years old- - to the whipping- post, his
reputation would have been lost; so, to save his reputation, he suffered me to
go unpunished.
Source: Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass, An American Slave (Boston, 1845).