The Frederick County Public Schools Public Affairs Department is sponsoring a systemwide Black History Month Writing Contest, encouraging students to write and submit entries about the contributions of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. Contest rules vary by grade levels with different writing prompts for primary grades kindergarten through two, intermediate grades three through five, middle school grades six through eight, and high school grades nine through twelve.
Each school is encouraged to submit entries from no more than two students for the contest by Monday, February 10. A team of volunteers will evaluate the entries from all schools and determine the two winners per level. The Public Affairs Department will video the final two winners from each level as they read their entries at their school the third week of February. Videos will air on FCPS TV and YouTube channels and via FCPS Maryland social media the fourth week of February.
Primary students are encouraged to write a sentence about Frederick Douglass or Harriet Tubman. Intermediate students are encouraged to write a one- to two-paragraph essay entitled Who Was Frederick Douglass? or Who Was Harriet Tubman? Middle school students are encouraged to write a one-page essay entitled If Frederick Douglass Were Alive Today, What Message Would He Bring to Us? or If Harriet Tubman Were Alive Today, What Message Would She Bring to Us? High school students are encouraged to write a one- to two-page essay in response to one of the following questions: In his book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Douglass expresses his belief that education will set him free. What does he mean by this? Explain how education today can set you free. or Harriet Tubman was a leader in freeing slaves via the Underground Railroad. Write three historical facts about Harriet Tubman. Explain why the facts are important and explain their differences or similarities with the life experiences of African Americans in the United States today.
Schools have additional information including their deadlines.