Unit 4: "Freak Shows"

Grades

• 6-8
• 9-10
• 11-12

Subjects

• History
• Social Studies
• Sociology

Overview of Lesson Plan

• Charles Sherwood Stratton (1838-83), American entertainer, was known to the American public as Tom Thumb. Stratton was a curiosity due to his size. Born in Connecticut in the 1830s, Tom Thumb was a person of short stature or a little person. Stratton's parents were of usual size. He appeared normal at birth, but stopped growing before he was a year old. At four years of age he was 25 inches tall.

  In 1842, P.T. Barnum exhibited Tom Thumb at Barnum's American Museum, a showcase for curiosities in New York City. Stratton became world-famous through his work with Barnum.

  This lesson highlights Stratton's story. The activities are focused, in particular, on Stratton's life as a celebrity and his fame. Students are asked to consider how differences have been viewed historically and to reflect on how Stratton is perhaps a "product of his times."

Standards

• 1. Apply an understanding of culture as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns. 2. Apply ideas, theories, and modes of historical inquiry to analyze historical and contemporary developments, and to inform and evaluate actions concerning public policy issues. 3. Analyze the role of perceptions, attitudes, values, and beliefs in the development of personal identity. 4. Describe the various forms institutions take, and explain how they develop and change over time.

Objectives

• 1. To analyze the role of popular culture in American history. 2. To understand the ways images of people with differences were manipulated in freak shows and related venues to arouse public interest and curiosity. 3. To analyze the making of a celebrity. 4. To examine the ways people with disabilities or physical differences have been perceived, treated, and labeled over time.

Questions to Consider

• 1. Should "human curiosities" or "freaks" have been considered celebrities or exploited victims of manipulative showmen or both?
• 2. How were the images of people who are different or have disabilities managed to arouse public interest?
• 3. What are the parallels between the freak shows and popular culture today?

Resources and Materials

• NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites.
  1. Robert Bogdan, "Exhibiting People for Money: Terminology." 2. Robert Bogdan, "P.T. Barnum's American Museum." 3. Robert Bogdan, "Love in Miniature: Mr. and Mrs. Tom Thumb." 4. Visual stills: "Tom Thumb," "General Tom Thumb and Lady," "The Promenade," "The Reception," and "Mr. And Mrs. Tom Thumb with P.T. Barnum, Commodore Nutt and Minnie Warren." 5. "Sketch of the Life…Charles S. Stratton,"1863 (paragraphs 2-5, 7-9, 11-25). 6. "The Life of P.T. Barnum" (paragraphs 184-191, 488-496).

Activities and Procedures

• 1. Ask students to share any information they have about people of short stature and other physical differences (e.g., those who use wheelchairs, those who are deaf, conjoined twins, those with albinism) and impressions they have of how those with physical differences are viewed by society.  Then ask students to break into groups of 3-4 and have them name individuals or groups of people who have become famous for their physical differences (e.g., munchkins in "Wizard of Oz").  
• 2. Bring the group back together and introduce students to the story of Charles S. Stratton.  Have students read or, for younger grades, read them Bogdan's "Love in Miniature," (also the essays  "P.T. Barnum and the American Museum" and on "Terminology" if Lesson 1 was not used),  "Sketch of Life…Charles S. Stratton," and "The Life of P.T. Barnum."  Then show the visual stills.  Again, ask students to return to small groups and discuss the passages from "Sketch of Life" and "The Life of P.T. Barnum" and the visual stills: What can be learned about Stratton from these materials (e.g., social class of Stratton, beliefs and norms of the time period)?  Have one or two members from each group report on their discussion to the entire class.
• 3. Break class into small groups. Each group will work with a different part of the "Sketch of the Life…Charles S. Stratton" and "The Life of P.T. Barnum." Assign each small group a few paragraphs of the document.  Groups are responsible for presenting their passage to the rest of the class in some way.  Allow them to use any of the following methods to share their passage with the rest of the class: perform a skit, do a dramatic reading, make a piece of impromptu art (e.g., collage, colorful timeline), or engage in some type of storytelling.
       Give students time to prepare their presentation and offer support and ideas as they work. Have students present Tom Thumb's (Stratton's) story to each other in chronological order (e.g., courtship, wedding).  Offer clarifying comments as the story is presented.
       After the presentations ask students to consider Stratton's story and present the following questions in a teacher led discussion: How was Tom seen, perceived, and labeled by the public? By those close to him? By himself?  Did Tom Thumb have a disability?  Was Tom Thumb a celebrity?  What makes someone a celebrity?  How is celebrity achieved today?  Was Tom Thumb exploited by Barnum?  Did Tom Thumb think of his work with Barnum as exploitation?  
• 4. Have students discuss Stratton's story in a historical and political context.  Have them go back to their small groups and answer the following questions: Why was "Sketch of the Life" written?  What can be learned about the mid-1800s from Stratton's story?  What were the entertainment options for people at that time?  What was happening during this time period in America?  How was Tom Thumb a product of the times?
• 5. Have students write a letter from Stratton (Tom Thumb) to those critics who believe he was exploited by Barnum. What would Stratton say to these critics?  Students can choose to write to critics from Stratton's time or from those living today.
• 6. Have students design a project that compares Tom Thumb's work with Barnum to a situation today.  For example, students might compare Barnum's display of Tom Thumb to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) or a "reality" television program. Students might compare the two by creating a Power Point presentation, presenting a photo essay, writing a persuasive essay, or designing a collage or painting.

Eras

• 1810-1865
• 1866-1920

Disability

• Physical Disabilities

Topics

• Freak Shows
• Media
• Museum

Copyright

• ©Syracuse University, 2002-2004.  All rights reserved.

Author(s)

• Paula Kluth, Ph.D. and Steven J. Taylor, Ph.D.

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