Day 4 and 5: Sojourner Truth Homes

Standards

P1.2 Differentiate between primary and secondary source documents

4 – H3.0.1 Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of Michigan’s major economic activities from statehood to present.
4 – G4.0.3 Describe some of the movements of resources, goods, people, and information to, from, or within the United States, and explain the reasons for the movements.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.7
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Objectives

Students will be able to use informational tools (books/internet) to find information and data on the history and creation of the Sojourner Truth Housing Project.

Students will be able to use primary and secondary sources and pull interesting/important facts on the topic at hand.

Instructional Activity

Learning more about Sojourner Truth (the person)

Read the book Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney aloud to the class. 

Consider asking students questions like: 

• How would you feel if you were separated from your family?
• What did abolitionists believe?
• What did freedom mean/look like for Belle?
• Why did Belle change her name to Sojourner?

Then share the video "The Electrifying Speeches of Sojourner Truth"

Learning more about Sojourner Truth Homes

Explain that when people are inspiring, like Sojourner was for Belle, buildings are sometimes named for them. In this case, there was a public housing project meant to house hundreds of Black families during WWII, when there were not enough homes for all the new families in the Detroit area. Sojourner Truth Homes is a public housing site in 2024. 

Explain the difference between primary and secondary sources. 

Guide students through the early stages of looking for primary sources about the Sojourer Truth Homes. Consider: 

12th Street Detroit, Special Focus: Sojourner Truth Homes

Library of Congress: Images of Sojourner Truth Homes in 1941 and 1942

If you allow students use Google more broadly, talk through what they are finding. Investigate the citations on sources like Wikipedia. Guide students toward primary sources that are contextualized by reputable organizations. 

Ask students to create bookmarks to remember where they saw useful sources

To end day 4, consider asking  questions such as:

• Was Sojourner someone you knew of before today? If not why do you think this is?
• Why do you think it is important to know about Sojourner Truth as a person, prior to learning about Sojourner Truth Housing Project in Detroit?
• Ask students how they think Sojourner’s personality was? What do they admire?

Day 5: Completing research and presentations

Individually or in pairs, ask students to prepare a 3-5 minute presentation of primary sources related to Sojourner Truth Homes. How do these sources help them understand what life was like for people in 1941 and what motivated them? 

At the end of class, bring students together to discuss 1-2 questions. Options include: 

• How do you think families felt moving into the housing? What sources make you think so?
• As a 4th grader during this time how would you have felt?
• What is something different you learned about Sojourner or the housing project you would like to share?