(Recorded Course) Uncle Tom’s Cabin with Kevin O’Brien

Did you know that it is reported that upon being introduced to Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1862, Abraham Lincoln fondly commented she was "the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war." Register for this course and learn why Uncle Tom’s Cabin remains a classic of American literature and history, showing 19th century America and the institution of slavery from the inside.

How to get the most out of Uncle Tom’s Cabin with Kevin O’Brien:

  • First, read the course materials below before the first class meeting.

  • Then have a notebook ready and available for class notes each live session.

  • Read assignments before class meetings

  • Watch that week’s recording if you need to revisit information from our live session.

  • Do the assignments, quizzes, and any extra work assigned for that week.

  • Once the course is completed to the parent's and professor’s satisfaction, there is a Certificate of Completion at the end to be filled in for your records.

Special Notes: This course includes a writing component. Mr. O’Brien has recorded an audiobook version of this novel, which he will make available free to students.

Total classes: 12 

Duration: 45 minutes per class

Prerequisite: None

Suggested grade level: 7th and 8th grade

Suggested credit: One full semester Literature or American History

Instructors: Kevin O’Brien

Instructor Email:  kevin@classeswithkevin.com

Course Description:  Learn about literature, slavery, and history from this classic novel! Literature brings history to life in a way that textbooks never can! In this course, we will work our way through the classic anti-slavery novel that helped inspire the abolitionists and that helped pave the way for the Civil War.

IMPORTANT!  Note that Harriet Beecher Stowe uses the “N word” throughout this book, as she is presenting, in her fictional dialogue, the way people used to talk about Blacks (and sometimes, sadly, still do). This word appears many times in the novel (and in the audiobook production of the novel), and is shown, in context, to be ugly and racist. Be aware that your child will be exposed to this word.

Course Outline:

  1. Introduction

  2. Chapters 1-4

  3. Chapters 2-8

  4. Chapters 9-12

  5. Chapters 13-16

  6. Chapters 17-20

  7. Chapters 21-24

  8. Chapters 25-28

  9. Chapters 29-32

  10. Chapters 33-36

  11. Chapters 37-40

  12. Chapters 40-45

Course Materials: This book is in the public domain and is available at various places on the internet, or you may purchase a copy - Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - ISBN-10: 1508480125 / ISBN-13: 978-1508480129 (https://amzn.to/33yV7sF). Mr. O’Brien will make his audiobook performance of this novel available on Moodle.

Homework: The homework for each class will include the reading assignment