Curated OER
John Brown's Passion to End Slavery Leading Up to and Including the Rain at Harpers Ferry
Sixth graders investigate John Brown's fight to end slavery. In this slavery instructional activity, 6th graders read Harpers Ferry, The Story of John Brown's Raid and then research his life as well as the life of slave Osbourne Perry...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad (Fugitive Slave Act of 1850)
Students read and discuss the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. They listen to the story of Reverend John Rankin, a reverend who openly broke the law to help free escape. They evaluate and debate the morality or immorality of breaking the...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Students research the underground railroad and create a journal as if you were either a slave running away or the "railroad operator". They then draw a map detailing the escape routes and stops of African-American slaves on the...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad Code Words and Phrases
In this Underground Railroad worksheet, students read a list of code words and phrases used during the time of the Underground Railroad, 26 total.
Curated OER
Underground Railroad Research Report
Fourth graders complete a research paper on the Underground Railroad. They use internet and traditional resources to gather information from a list provided by the instructor. They use their information to write their paper. Students...
Curated OER
Traveling Along the Indiana Underground Railroad
Students develop a deeper understanding of the role that Indiana played in the Underground Railroad while exploring Indiana Geography.
Curated OER
Underground Railroad
Students research and discuss the use of the Underground Railroad by fugitive slaves. They debate the actions of abolitionists and slave owners according to the laws of the time, create drawings and write narratives.
Curated OER
Simulated Underground Railroad Experience
Fourth graders participate in a simulation activity that culminates their study of the Underground Railroad. They climb on obstacles while bells rings and older students act as conductors. They work in a darkened area with only one light...
Curated OER
Hidden in Plain View: History Standard Two and the Underground
Eighth graders create a quilt based on the Underground Railroad quilt code from the book Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad.
Curated OER
Underground Railroad-Coded Messages
In this worksheet on The Underground Railroad, students are instructed to "use the code word and phrases sheet" in order to decode a set of 10 messages. Word and phrases sheet not included on this worksheet.
Mr. Nussbaum
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is the focus of an interactive that challenges scholars to read an informational text and answer 10 questions about her.
John F. Kennedy Center
Harriet Tubman: Retelling History Through Dance and Drama
Scholars listen to several pieces of music in preparation for a discussion about how instruments and lyrics convey emotions. With Harriet Tubman as the focus, small groups create an original song or dance. A reflection piece concludes...
Facing History and Ourselves
Defining Freedom
The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the Confederate states. The Thirteenth Amendment banned slavery in the United States. However, neither document defined freedom. The second lesson in the Reconstruction Era series examines...
Digital Public Library of America
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Any classroom study of Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved requires careful planning and scaffolding. A primary source set that includes a video, illustrations, photos of artifacts, and a broadside of the Fugitive...
Center for History Education
Slavery and Civil Disobedience: Christiana Riot of 1851
When is it a moral obligation to disobey the law or to fight back? Using primary sources that document the "Christiana Riot" of 1851, learners consider these questions. The firsthand accounts tell the story of the riot, which happened...
Curated OER
Music-Follow the Drinking Gourd
Fourth graders study the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd." For this dance lesson, 4th graders listen to the book by the same name, listen to the music, and in small groups create a short dance illustrating a stanza from the song.
Curated OER
Follow the Drinking Gourd
In this literature activity, 3rd graders refer to the book entitled Follow the Drinking Gourd. Students respond to 15 short answer reading comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Spirituals
Fourth graders realize the significance in the Negro spirituals concerning the Underground Railroad. They choose a position, either for helping slaves or ignoring the slaves. They describe, in a paragraph, their position.
Curated OER
I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends
Eleventh graders "walk a mile" in a person's shoes who had a role in the Underground Railroad and examine the risks and complications of the Underground Railroad.
Curated OER
INTRODUCTION AND WEEK ONE
Eleventh graders use a variety of resources to research and compile information on the Underground Railroad. They work in small groups and individually, to discuss and exchange ideas as they construct the exhibit that they display in...
Curated OER
Go Down Moses
Fifth graders investigate the workings of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, 5th graders read personal accounts from slaves, examine secret codes of the Underground Railroad, and play a board game based on the trip many...
Curated OER
How Far to Freedom?
Students research the life of William Parker to learn about the Underground Railroad. In this US history activity, students research William Parker and the Underground Railroad. Students research the Christiana Resistance and map routes...
Curated OER
Quilting: The Story of the Underground Railroad
Students explore quilting. They read and discuss the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They research African American quilting traditions on the Internet and name three common qualities in quilts. They create a quilt block...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad Newspaper
Third graders write an Underground Railroad Newspaper. In this writing lesson students collaborate with their classmates to create an Underground Newspaper. Students each write a different portion of the paper: ads, feature articles,...