Popular culture genres of the mid-nineteenth century--the anti-slavery almanac, dime novel, panorama, and propaganda play--provide secondary school teachers with an historical medium to help students understand the conditions of slavery. Following an introduction to the uses of these genres in teaching, separate sections contain historical background and a major student project related to each genre. Teaching procedures, student directions, layout guidelines, and evaluation questions and techniques are provided for writing an anti-slavery almanac, writing a dime novel, creating a panorama, and creating and performing a propaganda play. Diagrams and figures help students visualize the design for each project. (LP)