The Process

You are to take on the role of William Henry Carney and write a  letter to Robert Gould Shaw's parents telling them of the events that led to his death at the 1863 Battle at Fort Wagner. You are to include supporting details from the following links in your letter. Extra points will be awarded for being creative in your letter.

To accomplish the following task, follow these outlined steps:

1. You will watch and take class notes on the movie Glory.

2. You will examine and take notes from the following web links. You take notes on the Note Taking Worksheet.

         Emancipation Proclamation

          Robert Gould Shaw

           54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

        54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry

            William Henry Carney             1863 Fort Wagner Battle

3. You will assume the role of William Henry Carney. As William Carney, you will write a persuasive letter to Robert Shaw's parents persuading them that their son Robert died for a noble purpose. Be sure to include the  events in history leading to Robert Shaw's death at Fort Wagner in July 1863. Be sure to include the following answers to the questions below in your letter.

• Who  is writing the letter?
• Why are you are writing the letter?
• The time and place of the letter.
• The events of the Battle of Fort Wagner that led to Robert Shaw's death.
• Why was the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry formed?
• The significance of the Battle of Fort Wagner for African Americans.

Refer to the notes you have taken on your  Note Taking Worksheet and the guidelines in writing a persuasive letter. Here is a letter format to help you write your letter. Fill out the graphic organizer, write your  draft copy, and then publish your final draft following your teacher's instructions.  Remember to check your grammar and punctuation! Please do not plagiarize!

Good Luck!