ALL ABOARD!

To celebrate Black History Month we will be studying
the Underground Railroad!

For the next two weeks we will be learning about the history, geography, events and important individuals who influenced this time in American History.

While most of our work will be done in class together, some of it will be done individually on the computer.

By the end of this unit you will need to complete the following two assignments on our classroom blog:

1) written narrative (diary) from the perspective of a young escaped slave
2) map assignment

Detailed instructions for both of these assignments will be included in future posts on our class blog.

In the meantime, feel free to visit the various UGR (Underground Rail Road) weblinks I have included to help you better understand this time in history.

Questions to think about as we begin exploring the Underground Railroad. . .

WHAT IS FREEDOM and WHAT IS IT WORTH TO YOU?

Explore the activities on the links below to better understand the dangerous journey the taken by the slaves. Answer the questions following each web-based activity.

You Are a Slave on the Underground Railroad Activity

Decide if you would have stayed as a slave on a plantation or if you would have put your safety into the hands of strangers to gain your freedom. Why?

Secret Code/Quilt Activity

Follow the Drinking Gourd/Big Dipper Code

Explain how secret codes and quilts helped the slaves find their way to freedom? What was your favorite code? Why?

Post your answers to these questions (i.e. instructional wrappers )here as a comment under his post.

Diary of a Slave Assignment

Put your self on the road to freedom. Describe in detail your day as a slave on the Underground Railroad. Post your diary entry here under this post.

Be sure to include these details in your diary entry:

1) time of day
2) season
3) how you are dressed/disguised
4) important geographic (map) features and how you use them
5) challenges
6) feelings
7) signs and secret codes you find along your journey
8) people you meet along the way
9) your slave name and where you came from


Question: What would have been more dangerous, to stay a slave or find your way to freedom?

Map Assignment

For your map assignment you need to find and post answers to the following questions. Use the link below help you find your answers. Be sure to number each answer and remember the mapping skills we reviewed in class.

1) name two major landforms along the freedom trail

2) name a body of water found on the freedom trail

3) how did these geographic elements aid the slaves on their road to freedom?

4) name one of the Southern (slave) states

5) name one of the Northern (free) states

6) what was the name of the border (line) that seperated the North and the South?