The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND THE NORTH STAR
* With the publication of his autobiography,
Douglass rose to international fame­­dangerous
attention for a runaway slave.
* So, he left for a two­year speaking tour of Great
Britain, during which some friends raised enough
money to buy Douglass's freedom.
* When Douglass returned to the United States as
a free man, he founded an antislavery newspaper
called The North Star.
THE NORTH STAR:
* the most influential black antislavery paper
published during the antebellum era (founded in
Rochester, NY­­ 1847)
*it was used to not only denounce slavery, but to
fight for the emancipation of women and other
oppressed groups
* it was circulated for more than 10 years to
more than 4,000 readers in the United States,
Europe, and the West Indies
* its motto was "Right is of no Sex ­ Truth is of no
Color ­ God is the Father of us all, and we are all
brethren."
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
THE NORTH STAR:
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT
Primary Objective: Write a book review of
Frederick Douglass’s autobiography, Narrative of
the Life of Frederick Douglass, in the form of a
newspaper article from the antislavery newspaper,
The North Star.
Secondary Objectives: Create a newspaper page
(with visuals and advertisements appropriate to the
era), the focal point of which will be the book
review article.
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
THE NORTH STAR:
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT
Suggested format for article:
Intro: 3 sentences about who Frederick Douglass
is and what the narrative is about
"Refreshing and bold as ever, Frederick Douglass,
founder of The North Star, has published his new
autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass."
Body Paragraph #1: Analysis of physical realities
Body Paragraph #2: Analysis of stylistic choices
Conclusion: 3 sentences explaining why this book
is important to the world
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THE NORTH STAR:
February 29, 2016
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT
The North Star.notebook
Step 1: Write an article positively reviewing the
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.
In this review, you must:
* integrate and analyze two physical realities of
slave life that Douglass details in his autobiography
along with his responses to those realities.
* Your analysis must discuss why such details were
necessary [use "what it shows about slave life or
slaves" column of chart] for Douglass to include in
the autobiography (considering that the overall
purpose of the book was to convince people to
abolish slavery).
Additionally, you must:
* analyze how Douglass’s style was also effective at
achieving his overall purpose.
* One feature of his style must be discussed
(language, sentence structure, or figurative
language) with specific examples from the text
integrated throughout.
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
THE NORTH STAR:
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT
Step 2: Create two advertisements or
announcements that would have appeared in this
newspaper during the time this newspaper was
created and distributed.
Step 3: Find two visuals that either support the
book review or the ads.
Step 4: Use Microsoft Publisher to create a
newspaper page with the book review, ads, and
visuals formatted in traditional newspaper setup.
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
THE NORTH STAR:
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ASSIGNMENT
Other Considerations:
• the title of the newspaper must be "The North
Star,” but you can create the title of your article
(note: think about how newspaper headlines
traditionally read)
• visual appeal will be considered in the assessment
of this assignment
• mechanical accuracy will be considered in the
assessment of this assignment
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
Physical Reality:
In having never handled oxen before and having upset his cart, he "expected every moment that [his] brains would be dashed out" because he was "alone, in a thick wood, in a place new to [him]." Response to Situation:
After much effort, he fixed his cart and retrieved his entangled oxen and then "proceeded on [his] way home." What it Shows about Slaves/Slave Life:
Slaves had to be determined and resourceful when they encountered situations that were new and frightening to them.
Condensed Version for Newspaper Article:
In having upset his cart, Douglass "expected every moment that [his] brains would be dashed out," but after much effort he fixed his cart and retrieved his entangled oxen all so that he could "proceed on [his] way home."
Slaves frequently encountered situations like this that were new and frightening to them, but they were able to put aside their fear and troubleshoot the problem. In showcasing slaves as determined and resourceful, Douglass is able to prove that slavery should be abolished because....
green = connection to author's purpose!
[author's purpose should be a part of each physical reality analysis!]
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
Body Paragraph #2: Analysis of Style Device
* analyze how Douglass’s style was also effective at
achieving his overall purpose.
* One feature of his style must be discussed
(language, sentence structure, or figurative
language) with specific examples from the text
integrated throughout.
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
Body Paragraph #2: Analysis of Style Device
Based on the instructions below, choose one to analyze!
LANGUAGE: You have a language descriptor and five examples of words that support it.
Explain why those types of words would be appropriate to use given the author’s purpose (i.e. why that type of language would best persuade the reader that slavery should be abolished). [choose one word and explain why he would have used that word as opposed to another word in relation to its descriptor and author's purpose!]
SENTENCE STRUCTURE:
You have a sentence structure descriptor and two different schemes that match it.
Explain explain why that type of sentence structure would be appropriate to use given his purpose (i.e. why that type of sentence structure would best persuade the reader that slavery
should be abolished). [choose one scheme and explain why the effect of that particular scheme would persuade the reader that slavery should be abolished].
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
You have a figurative language descriptor and two examples of tropes that match it.
Explain why that type of figurative language would be appropriate to use given his purpose (i.e. why that type of
figurative language would best persuade the reader that slavery should be abolished). [choose one example of that figurative language and explain why the effect of that particular example would persuade the reader that slavery should be abolished]
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The North Star.notebook
February 29, 2016
Remember: "The North Star" was published in 1847 (and had a ten­year run)
ANNOUNCEMENTS OR ADVERTISEMENTS:
1) Public Speakers
2) "Big Events"
3) New Inventions
4) New Books
5) Health and Wellness
Stipulation:
You can't take actual advertisements from the time period and use it in your newspaper.
VISUALS:
* Find pictures that correspond to your announcement/advertisement or book review
Stipulation:
You can use a picture of Frederick Douglass or a picture of the front cover of the book, but it won't be counted as one of your visuals
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