Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman Documentaries Website and Interactives
Client: Maryland Public Television
Explore the courage, strength, and legacy of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass and learn your role in the social change ecosystem. Maryland Public Television (MPT) partnered with FableVision to highlight two original documentaries: “Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom” and “Becoming Frederick Douglass,” airing nationally on PBS. The experience supplements school resources and teaches 6-10th graders about the courage, strength, and legacy of abolitionists.
Aimed at a general audience, FableVision built a modern website to house the production information and classroom learning resources. Through earthly tones and consistent color palettes, the site honors the lives of two of our nation’s greatest freedom fighters, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass.
An interactive timeline and a self-assessment activity were created as part of the Classroom Resources collection for middle and high school students. The scrolling timeline resembles a social media feed with over 70 entries that explore the life and times of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass in the context of historical milestones for American politics, culture, and war. The historical events are supported by film clips and primary sources to deepen students’ understanding, and can be filtered by date, location, topic, and historical figure.
MPT and FableVision collaborated with Deepa Iyer at the Building Movement Project to develop instructional resources based on her framework, the Social Change Ecosystem Map. “Map Your Role for Social Change” introduces students to seven 19th-century figures who created social change during the abolitionist movement. Students answer questions based on personal strengths and interests, and explore roles that work together in a social change ecosystem to learn how they can make a difference. The quiz’s results name three of the user’s top roles through a chart inspired by the North Star, alongside inspirational present-day activists who share those roles.
The website and interactives can be found on Maryland Public Television’s website at tubmandouglassfilms.org.
A Peek Inside
Product: One website and two interactives
Age Range: Grades 6-10
Related Projects: