Lesson 2
The Underground Railroad
Objectives: The students will use primary sources, internet sites, and written text to gain knowledge about the underground railroad.
Students will view primary sources from the Library of Congress.
Students will research the Underground Railroad and learn about its conductors, stations, and symbols.
Students will write journal entries describing an imaginary journey on the Underground Railroad.
Time Required: 5-7 days, 30 minutes each day
Materials: Social Studies textbook, Internet websites, written text, Images from the Library of Congress, Journal entries worksheet, pencils, crayons, and markers
Vocabulary Words: Underground Railroad, conductors, stations, symbols, quilts, fugitive, bounty hunter, slave states, free states, Civil War
Procedure and Activities: To begin the lesson, the teacher will read Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold. Then the students will look at some primary source images regarding the Underground Railroad. Students will use the trade book and images to come up with questions that they have about the Underground Railroad. The brainstorming will turn into a discussion about the Underground Railroad and its importance. The students will take their questions and do some research about the Underground Railroad. The students will work in groups of 3-4 to complete the research part of this lesson. They will browse websites, read books, and look at primary sources to help them get an understanding of what the Underground Railroad was. They will create an Inspiration web explaining and defining different aspects of the Underground Railroad. Each student will be responsible for designing and typing a part of the Inspiration web. Last, the students will take an imaginary trip on the Underground Railroad. They will view different stations of the Underground Railroad and write journal entries explaining and describing their trip.
Assessment and Evaluation: Students will be assessed on the Inspriation web and the journal entries. The students will be given a rubric with guidelines for the products.