A Social Studies Lesson

1
A Social Studies Lesson

• LeeAnn M. Hostler
• Education 608
• Fall 2001

2
The Underground Railroad

• Fourth Grade
• Social Studies Lesson

3
Objectives

• Students will listen to a story
• about the Underground
• Railroad
• Students will locate the path of a familys
  journey along the Underground Railroad
• Students will create a persuasive letter to
  slaves still living on plantations.
• Students will understand the purpose of
  Spirituals on the Underground Railroad
• Students will compare and contrast two
  Spirituals

4
Objectives (Cont.)

• Students will create movements to illustrate a
  song
• Students will identify what makes a person
  brave
• Students will determine how they can be brave
• Students will demonstrate their understanding
  of terms related to the Underground Railroad by
  completing a crossword puzzle.

5
Materials Needed

• The story, Journey to
• Freedom by Courtni
• Wright
• map of the United States
• map of underground
• railroad routes
• map of free and slave states
• The story, Learning About Bravery from the
  Life of Harriet Tubman by Kiki Mosher

• paper
• crossword puzzle
• music and lyrics to the songs
• Train is A-Coming,
• Hey Dum Diddle,
• Go Down Moses,
• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
• Harriet Tubman

6
Web Sites

• http//www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/tubman.html
  
• - timelines, quizzes, character sketches, poems
  and crossword puzzles
• http//exchange.co-nect.net/teleprojects
• - virtual journey on the Underground Railroad
  for students grades 4-10
• http//education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstu
  d/railroad/contents.htm
• - information, narratives, literature, music,
  maps and links
• http//xroads.virginia.edu/HYPER/wpa/wpahome.html
  
• - narratives of former slaves
• http//www.cr.nps.gov/aahistory/
• - tour of historic places that played role in
  helping slaves escape to freedom

7
Web Sites Cont...

• http//www.undergroundrailroad.org
• - current news, historical research, video
  clips, links and others resources
• by the National Underground
  Railroad Freedom Center
• http//www.appleseedrec.com/underground/sounds.htm
  l
• - provides samples of music popular with
  slaves
• during the Underground Railroad along with
  lyrics
• and notes on their meaning
• http//www.cob.motevallo.edu/student/wilsonsv/gpsi
  r.htm
• - explanation of the meaning, purpose and
  content of
• a spiritual. It features the unforgetable
  lyrics to Go
• Down Moses and the Gospel Train.

8
Activity 1

• Teacher will read aloud the book
• Journey to Freedom
• Students will map the course the family took
• from Kentucky to Lake Erie using a United
• States Map
• Students will pretend that they are Joshua and
  write a letter to the slaves that he use to live
  with in Kentucky. They will try to convince
  these slaves to run away on the Underground
  Railroad.

9
Activity 2

• Students will analyze the maps of the
  Underground Railroad routes and the U.S. free and
  slave states (see next 2 slides)
• Based on the information on these maps,
  students will plan an
• escape route along the
• underground railroad.

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Activity 3

• Introduce Spirituals to the class
• - spirituals originated during slavery as
  expressions of
• freedom and codes
  for messages
• - spirituals usually have religious meaning
  and a rhythm
• Play several songs to the class
• While listening to songs, have class clap and
  use call and response.
• Compare and Contrast the songs
• - Train Is A-Coming and Hey Dum Diddle

13
Activity 4

• Teach the Song Harriet Tubman by Walter
  Robinson to the class (see next slide)
• Teach movements that correspond with the
  chorus to the entire class
• In small groups, have students make up
  movements to the two verses

14
Harriet Tubmanby Walter Robinson

• Verse 1
• One Night I dreamed I was in slavery, bout 1850
  was the time
• sorrow was the only sign, theres nothing about
  to ease my mind.
• Out of the night appeared a lady leading a
  distant pilgrim band
• First mate, she cried pint her had, make room
  aboard for this young woman.
• Chorus
• Come on up, Ive got a lifeline
• Come on up to this train of mine
• Come on up, Ive got a lifeline
• Come on up to this train of mine
• They said her name was Harriet Tubman
• And she drove for the Underground Railroad

• Verse 2
• Hundreds of miles, we traveled onward gathering
  slaves from town to town
• Seeking all the lost and found and setting those
  free that once were bound
• Somehow my heart was growing weaker, I fill by
  the wayside sinking sand
• Firmly did this lady stand, she lifted me up and
  took my hand
• Chorus
• Come on up, Ive got a lifeline
• Come on up to this train of mine
• Come on up, Ive got a lifeline
• Come on up to this train of mine
• They said her name was Harriet Tubman
• And she drove for the Underground Railroad

15
Activity 5

• Read the story Learning About Bravery from
  the Life of Harriety Tubman by Kiki Mosher
• Discuss with class what
• makes a person brave
• Have the class write an
• essay about how they can
• be brave in some part of
• their lives

16
Activity 6

• Complete a crossword puzzle based on the words
  learned throughout the unit (see next slide)

The Levi Coffin House an important stop on the
Underground Railroad
17
Across 2) people who are owned by someone
else 4) practice of allowing some people to own
other people 5) slavery 6) time when people
fight against those in power 7) songs sung by
slaves to express freedom 8) to be beaten by a
piece of leather 9) a person who helped to free
slaves
Down 1) harmful 3) a large piece of land
where a family lives and grow crops
18
Methods of Evaluation

• 1) Class discussion of topics
• 2) Creation of a persuasive letter
• 3) Explanation of reasons behind escape route
• 4) Creation of an essay about how to be brave
• 5) Ability to compare and contrast two songs
• 6) Demonstration of movements based on a song
• 7) Completion of a crossword puzzle

19
Book List

• Mosher, Kiki. Learning About Bravery from the
  Life of Harriet Tubman. Rosen Publishing Group,
  New York, 1996.
• Wright, Courtni C. Journey To Freedom. Holiday
  House, New York. 1994