Daily Life on a Southern Plantation 1853 - Informational Text Picturebook

Erickson, P. (1997). Daily Life on a Southern Plantation: 1853. New York: Puffin Books.

This is a more advanced picture book (similar to the DK eyewitness books) that contains a myriad of photographs  diagrams, illustrations, and maps to tell about life on a Southern Plantation from two perspectives.  There is the perspective of the slave (Daddy Major) and the family of plantation owners (The Hendersons).  This combination of the two perspectives give an interesting twist on the information presented.  The book contains everything from daily life to getting the family ready, to schoolwork and where everyone sleeps.

Informational Picturebook for children in grades 4-6.  The book primarily has photography of how artifacts or places look today or how they look restored.  There are plenty of diagrams and maps to aid in learning as well as illustrations of what the family may have looked like.

I always love the DK eyewitness books because of the layout and ease of reading selected parts.  There is not an apparent sequence to this book so it allows one to skip and jump from section to section.  It lends itself very well to reading from both points of view and discussing the use of slavery from both the white owners side and the slaves side.

Because of the great discussion points that this book brings up, it is a great one to allow students to respond to the text.  It will allow students to look at an issue from a point of view that they don't often read about and take a stance.  The information provides within the text, allow the reader to substantiate their stance with evidence which is so vital in teaching informational literature!