Project B.A.S.I.C. Child Development Specialist and Child Care Consultation
Better Attitudes and Skills in Children
Little kids often have very big feelings, and need help expressing them. A set of social emotional lessons provide tangible ways for young elementary learners to visualize their emotions, focus on clear communication, and channel their...
PBS
Racial Equality: How Far Have We Come and How Far Do We Have To Go?
Is everyone treated fairly in America? The culminating fifth instructional activity from a series of five has pupils explore racial inequalities from the 1960s and decide whether or not society has changed over time. The instructional...
Curated OER
Slavery
Fifth graders complete a short unit on slavery and the U.S. Civil War. They read and analyze the book, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," compose their own secret song, complete an Abraham Lincoln crossword puzzle, and dramatize a historical...
Curated OER
Bridges for All
Pupils describe how the brave word of one female Quaker served as a lifeline for fugitives before the Civil War. In this research instructional activity, students research several examples of the philanthropic work of individuals and...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Underground Railroad
Students role-play as escaped slaves making their way from North Carolina to Canada, stopping in Indiana. They track their journeys on maps and include a stop at Harriet Tubman's. Students write three paragraphs about how Tubman aids...
Curated OER
Decisions That Changed Our Lives: A Look At the African American Quest for Freedom and Rights
Students are introduced to the goals of abolitionists throughout history. In groups, they use the internet to discover the purpose of the Underground Railroad and why there were bus boycotts in the 1960s. They compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Counting the Miles To Freedom
Students research Harriet Tubman via an Underground Railroad website in cooperative groups. They identify Tubman's first route to freedom and organize information gleaned from the research in a visual display (created in KidPix.)
Curated OER
Hidin' Out
Fourth graders draw three major Underground Railroad routes crossing Indiana on an outline map and include habitats and towns. They produce an oral history involving at least three natural habitats and one human habitat.
Curated OER
Choose Your Own Adventure
Students investigate the historical underground railroad. They also access technology to conduct research and write stories with the railroad as part of the historical fiction. The cumulative assessment is the creation of a book that...
Curated OER
1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Middle schoolers discover philanthropic acts of the Civil War era. In this service learning lesson, students research Underground Railroad literature, Reconstruction Amendments, and acts of philanthropy during the Civil War era.
K12 Reader
African American Inventors: Elijah McCoy
What do a folding iron board, lawn sprinklers, and a device for oiling engines on trains all have in common? They were all invented by Elijah McCoy, an African American inventor with 57 patents to his credit. McCoy is the subject of...
Curated OER
Make a Choice
Students investigate the Underground Railroad to determine the choices that people made. To help, to stay, to do nothing, to break the law to enforce the law, to feed runaways are some of the choices that made a difference. This...
Curated OER
1856-1865: Abolitionists and the Civil War
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this abolition lesson, students watch "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and discuss the philanthropic acts they witnessed in the film. Students also complete an activity that requires them to determine...
Curated OER
Runaway Ads
Fourth graders distinguish between primary and secondary sources while creating an underground railroad presentation. In this underground railroad lesson, 4th graders research the underground railroad using copies of primary and...
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman
Students study the contributions of Harriet Tubman. In this service learning instructional activity, students explore the work of Harriet Tubman as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Curated OER
History Through Picture Books and Photographs
First graders become familiar with historical figures central to the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery.
Curated OER
Mapping the Many Underground Railroads
Students determine the beginning and the end points of the enslaved person's journey to freedom, noting landmarks mentioned along the way such as cities, towns, rivers, mountains, and other geographic features.
Curated OER
John and Mary Jones and the Importance of Oral History
Students examine the role of John and Mary Jones in the abolitionist movement. Using primary source documents, they discover the importance of an oral history and take notes on the Jones' role. They write a summary of the data to...
Curated OER
Heroes and Heroines of the Underground Railroad System (UGRR)
Fourth graders choose one leader, either Tubman or Coffin, and write a persuasive summary paragraph that explains why the leader displays the character traits of a hero/heroine in the UGRR
Curated OER
Take a Ride on the Underground Railroad
High schoolers explore the issues of American slavery, the abolitionist movements, and the pursuit of freedom that is found in art, literature, and music from that period in American history. Students determine the major personalities...
Curated OER
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
Third graders read the story, "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" and discuss slavery. After answering questions about the story, 3rd graders sing "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" and explore the clues in each verse that allowed the slaves to...
National Park Service
Lesson 2: Hope
There's hope in music. Pupils discover what gave enslaved people hope by examining lyrics and music during their time of bondage. A series of prompts helps individuals investigate songs of enslaved people. The cumulative assignment...
Curated OER
Images of Slavery
Students analyze the ways slavery shaped social and economic life in the South after 1800, methods of passive and active resistance to slavery; escaped slaves and the Underground Railroad, and the ending of the Atlantic slave trade.
Curated OER
Escape to Freedom
Students read 'They Called Her Moses," create a wanted poster for Tub man, compose a journal entry imagining they are William Still, and in groups, create a newspaper depicting the incident of the runaway slaves and events from the time...