Freedom & Captivity Primary Source Sets
Investigate incarceration through historic images, documents, artifacts, and sound recordingsCreated by a collaboration between the Maine Department of Education, Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, and Maine State Museum.
What's in the packets?
The topics are designed for different grade levels, ranging from 3-12. Each packet includes:
- A Teacher guide with recommendations on setting up the activity
- An introduction with background information, recommended activities and reflections
- Themed sets of Maine-based primary sources (documents, artifacts, sound recordings, and images)
- Analysis Worksheets to guide students through working with primary sources
What are the themes?
Choose one or more big ideas to investigate with your students:
-What Kinds of People are in Prison?
-Life in Prison
-Captivity Outside of Prison
-Working in Captivity
How to get started
Quick Lesson Summary
(Learn more in our Teacher Guide) Use the introductions for each theme to pick the topic and age level that you think will be a good fit for your students. Then:
- Present whatever historical context from the introduction you think is necessary.
- Give students a primary source (or allow them to choose one) to work with.
- Students fill out an analysis worksheet without any information but what they can gather from the source itself.
- Talk in groups or as a class about what they think the sources are, and how they relate to the topic.
- Give students the source labels so they can learn more about each item.
- Use the class reflection questions and optional activities in the introduction.
Additional Resources:
Statewide “Freedom & Captivity” Background – National and Maine-specific Information
Timeline of Incarceration in the U.S. and Maine
Learning for Justice – Teaching about Mass Incarceration
Smithsonian Learning Lab – Japanese American Incarceration
Learning for Justice – The School to Prison Pipeline
DownEast article – Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Documents too advanced for your class? Copy/paste the text into Rewordify.
The Four Packets
What Kinds of People are in Prison?
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording or Image
Life in Prison
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording or Image
Captivity Outside of Prison
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording or Image
Working in Captivity
Grades 3-5
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 6-8
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording, or Image
Grades 9-12
- Introduction
- Primary Sources
- Source Labels
- Analysis Worksheets: Document, Artifact, Sound Recording or Image
Trouble getting started?
Let us help in your classroom
Our educators are ready to provide you with any help you need as you work with your students. The video below provides an introduction to these materials and how to use them in the classroom.
Recorded Teacher Webinar – Freedom & Captivity
Contact:
Credits
Project Interns:
-Devon Berkeley, Colby College
-Stella Margarita Gonzalez, Colby College
Content Editor:
-Misa Beltran-Guzman, Colby College
Partner Organizations: Maine Department of Education, Maine State Archives, Maine State Library, Maine State Museum
