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Standard:

The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes, the course,

and the effects of the American Civil War (4 – 6).

Indicator(s):

Explain the contributions of abolitionists to the mounting tensions between the

North and South over slavery, including William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth,

Fredrick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and John Brown (4-6.2).

I Can:

• I can explain the contributions of abolitionists to the mounting tensions

between the North and South over slavery.

• I can explain that the abolitionist movement developed because of the

leadership of many individual Americans.

Essential Question(s):• Why would enslaved people choose to run or stay and

what were the consequences of each action?• Why would people put their lives at risk to help slaves

escape to freedom?

Materials and Resources

Paper and pencilComputerInternet access

4 – 6.2: The True Facts of the Underground Railroad

Greetings! Today, we investigate how the work of various American leaders supported the abolitionists’ movement and the Underground Railroad while at the same time grew tensions between the North and the South over the issue of slavery.

Learning Plan

Greetings Students! Today’s e-learning will include:

All work completed during today’s lesson will be submitted to your teacher.

1. Vocabulary: Frayer Model

2. Introduction to Underground Railroad

3. Facts about the Underground Railroad

4. Journal Entry

Activities

Activity 1: VocabularyCreate a frayer model using three of the following terms associated with the Underground Railroad:• fugitive, depot, tracks, conductors, agents, station

masters, cargo, Promised Land, drinking gourd

Use the following text from pbs.org to support with Frayer Model.

The code words often used on the Underground Railroad were: “tracks” (routes fixed by abolitionist sympathizers); “stations” or “depots” (hiding places); “conductors” (guides on the Underground Railroad); “agents” (sympathizers who helped the slaves connect to the Railroad); “station masters” (those who hid slaves in their homes); “passengers,” “cargo,” “fleece,” or “freight” (escaped slaves); “tickets” (indicated that slaves were traveling on the Railroad); “stockholders” (financial supporters who donated to the Railroad); “Freedom Trails” (the routes of the Railroad); “terminal,” “heaven,” or “Promised Land” (Canada and the northern free states); and “the drinking gourd” (the Big Dipper constellation—a star in this constellation pointed to the North Star, located on the end of the Little Dipper’s handle).

Activity 2: Introduction to Underground Railroad

Read the following text about the Underground Railroad and then complete the Intro to Underground Railroad questions.

Intro to Underground Railroad Questions

Read and answer each question below using complete sentences. Record your answers to submit to teacher.

1. What was the Underground Railroad? How was it kept a secret?

2. What role did Harriet Tubman have with the Underground Railroad? Why was it important to her that no one from her group turned back?

Activity 3: Facts about the Underground Railroad

Select this option if internet access is not available.

If internet access is available, view following video.

• Review the following pages for information on the Underground Railroad.

• Watch the video entitled “The True Facts of the Underground Railroad.” While viewing the video record at least three (3) new facts about the Underground Railroad.

• After watching the video, advance to page 35.

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad • The Underground Railroad was actually an above-ground

series of escape routes for slaves traveling from the South to the North trying to gain their freedom.

• Slaves traveled by foot, wagons, boats, and trains.

• Slave runaways would usually travel by the light of night and hide during the day in places known as stations. These were safe houses owned by abolitionists.

• Approximately 100,000 slaves escaped on the Underground Railroad

• operated from early 1800s through the Civil War

Codes or Special Terms

a) conductors – people who helped guide escaping slaves to freedom

i. most famous: Harriet Tubman

b) stations – safe house (hiding places)

c) Heaven, Promise Land, Canaan – Canada

d) Passengers, Cargo – fugitive slaves

e) station masters – person in charge of the hiding places

f) Big Dipper/North Star – used to guide the way

Abolitionist

• Abolition-The movement to end slavery

• Slaves would hide in various places.

• Abolitionist – a person who believed and worked for the abolishment of slavery.

Would you take the risk???

• If the slaves were caught, they were sold or beaten with a whip; sometimes they were lynched.

Conductors

• Conductors were the people who led the runaways to freedom.

Harriett Tubman

• Harriet Tubman was born a slave in Maryland.

• When she learned that her owner was going to sell her, she decided to escape.

• Tubman made 19 journeys from the South to the North as a Conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Harriet Tubman

• Southern plantation owners offered $40,000 for the capture of Harriet Tubman.

• Plantation owners also offered rewards for the return of runaway slaves.

Routes to Freedom

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

Maps were not used . . .

– routes were passed on through songs and quilts

– Follow the Drink Gourd

Quilts

• During the time of the Underground Railroad fugitive slaves would use quilts as a means of communication.

• Quilts were used by conductors to help fugitive slaves flee the South and arrive safely in the North.

Quilt Usage in the Underground Railroad

• This quilt pattern represented the NORTH STAR.

Quilt Patterns as Secret Messages

The Monkey Wrench pattern, on the left, alerted escapees to gather up tools and prepare to flee; the Drunkard Pathdesign, on the right, warned escapees not to follow a straight route.

Quilts

• This quilt pattern was the symbol for the wagon wheel

Quilts

• This quilt pattern symbolized a log cabin.

Quilts

• This quilt pattern symbolized a crossroads.

The Underground Railroad

Activity 3: Journal Entry• Using the resources throughout the

lesson, create a journal entry summarizing your journey along the Underground Railroad.

• Your journal entry should include: Date (time Underground Railroad was used)

Why you chose to runaway?

What challenges you experienced along the way to freedom?

What help you had along the Underground Railroad

How did you feel once you reached Canada and why?

Write your responses here.