Angela MacInnes Social Studies Methods Thematic Unit

Theme, Goals, Rationale, Standards, Objectives – 4 th Grade

Theme: The Underground Railroad

Goals: Understand what the Underground Railroad was and how Indiana had an important part in it.

Rationale: It is important for students to understand and know about the history of their state so they can know how important their state was in history and is today. The students need to know the importance of their state to be able to fully appreciate and be proud of where they live. The Underground Railroad was a big part of U.S. history and because of Levi and Catherine Coffin; Indiana was a big part of the Underground Railroad. Levi and Catherine were Hoosiers, as the students who live in Indiana are, and they should realize how important other Hoosiers were in helping slaves escape to freedom.

Social Studies Standard: History The Civil War Era: 1850­1880s 4.1.7 Explain the roles of various individuals, groups, and movements in the social

conflicts leading to the Civil War. Example: Levi and Catherine Coffin, The Underground Railroad, religious groups, the abolition and an anti­slavery groups, the Liberia colonization movement.

Objectives:

The students will understand that the Underground Railroad was a system or network of safe houses that helped slaves run away to freedom.

The students will understand the importance Indiana had in the Underground Railroad.

The students will learn about how Levi and Catherine Coffin helped over 2,000 slaves escape to freedom.

Lesson: Homemade Hoecakes – Cooking

Length about 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade

Academic Standard(s): • Writing 4.5.5 – Use varied word choices to make writing interesting. • Writing 4.5.6 – Write for different purposes (information, persuasion, description)

and to a specific audience or person.

Performance Objectives: • The students will write a descriptive letter about homemade hoecakes to their

parents with 85% accuracy.

Assessment: • The students will turn in their letters to be graded. They need to follow the five

part letter format (heading, greeting, body, closing, signature), it needs to be addressed to at least one of their parents, have at least 2­3 sentences talking about what hoecakes are and about how slaves used to eat them for lunch/dinner, and have at least 2 descriptive sentences for each of the four senses (sight, smell, touch, and taste).

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The teacher will make homemade hoecakes by following this recipe (1 cup

cornmeal, 2/3 cup water, ½ teaspoon salt, mixing bowl, spoon, heavy skillet or griddle, about 1 tablespoon cooking oil, and spatula). The recipe makes about 2­3 hoecakes so the teacher will adjust the recipe to make enough for each student to have a small piece of one.

ü Napkins to put the hoecakes on ü Notes or a short section to read about what hoecakes are and how the slaves used

to eat them at noontime. ü Have a list of descriptions about hoecakes the teacher thought of to give the

students examples if needed. ü A thesaurus for the enrichment students to use.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

o Ask the students who likes to eat a particular kind of food (for example: an apple, turkey, muffins, etc.) (Knowledge; Intrapersonal)

o Ask the students for some ways they would describe that particular kind of food (call on different students for different responses) (Knowledge; Linguistic)

o After the class has gave several descriptions about a certain food item, the teacher will tell the students they are going to learn about piece of a food called hoecakes.

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will talk to the students about how slaves used to eat hoecakes

for a noontime meal called dinner while they worked in the fields. 2. To get the students thinking about how that was for them, the teacher

might have a classroom discussion about what the students and her would have for a typical lunch or dinner. (Knowledge; Comprehension; Intrapersonal)

3. The teacher will tell the students she made homemade hoecakes for them to try and tell her students how she made them.

4. The teacher will pass out pieces of the homemade hoecakes to each student and tell them not to touch or eat it until she tells them to.

5. After the teacher is done passing them out she will tell her students to get out a piece of paper and write down some words to describe what the hoecake looks like and how it smells (if needed the teacher will give some examples of ways to describe it). (Knowledge; Linguistic)

6. Then she will tell her students to try a bite of the hoecake and then write down a couple of notes about how it tastes and feels (again the teacher will give examples if needed). (Knowledge; Linguistic)

7. After the students have written some notes about what the hoecakes looks, smells, feels, and tastes like, the teacher will ask the students who liked it or did not like it and why (call on a couple students). (Evaluation; Intrapersonal)

8. Then the teacher will tell her students they are going to write a letter to their parents, either their mom or dad or both about the hoecake. They need to first say what hoecakes are and why we tried them in class (briefly talk about what it is and how the slaves ate them for lunch/dinner in about 2­3 sentences. If needed the teacher will help the students set up this part of the letter and help them with what to say by giving ideas or by putting information on the board). Next they need to describe to their parents what it is like. The teacher will tell her students to use their notes they just wrote to help them. The teacher will tell her students they need to give at least two descriptive sentences for each of the four senses they wrote notes on. The letter needs to be in correct letter format with the five parts of a letter (the teacher will review what the five parts are and how a letter should look by talking about it and putting an example on the board). After giving the directions, the teacher will ask her students if they have any questions and if not she will tell them to start working on their letter. The teacher will write the requirements of the letter on the board for the students to look at while they work. (Knowledge; Comprehension; Linguistic)

Closure:

o The teacher will ask for volunteers who are done or close to done to share their letter with the class. (Knowledge; Linguistic)

Adaptations: For a student who is mildly mentally retarded, the teacher will have her draw a picture of what the hoecake looks like and will help her with writing 3­4 sentences about what it is and to describe it.

Enrichment: The student will use a thesaurus for having a variety of descriptive words. The student might also make their letter a persuasive descriptive letter, persuading their parents to eat or not to eat hoecakes.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students come up with different descriptions about the food talked about

in the introduction? • Did the students like the hoecakes? • Did the students use different descriptions in writing their notes? • Did the students enjoy this activity?

Lesson: Shake On It – P.E.­Fine Motor

Length about 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade

Academic Standard(s): • Listening and Speaking 4.7.4 – Give precise directions and instructions.

Performance Objectives: • Working in pairs, the students will create a secret handshake with 100% accuracy. • In pairs, the students will demonstrate their secret handshake to the class with

100% accuracy. • After demonstrating their secret handshake, the students will teach their

classmates the handshake with 90% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will demonstrate their handshake and give specific step­by­ step directions and instruct their classmates how to do their handshake. The students need to have at least three different parts to their handshake. Each student needs to give at least one direction. The students need to speak clearly and help their classmates.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The short section talking about slaves and helpers of slaves using secret

handshakes for the teacher to read to the class. ü The teacher will have some examples of secret handshakes slaves and

helpers of slaves used to show the class.

ü The teacher will have the partners the students are going to work with pre­ selected.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will ask the students if they have or have ever had a secret handshake with a friend/family member that only they knew. (Knowledge; Intrapersonal)

• After getting some responses, the teacher will tell the students that slaves used secret handshakes to know whom they could and could not trust while they were escaping for freedom.

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will read a short section about how the slaves used secret

handshakes and why they used them. The teacher will also give some examples of different handshakes the slaves used.

2. After the teacher reads, the class will start with a whole class discussion about secret handshakes and the importance of them for the slaves and people who helped the slaves escape. Then they will have small group discussions (table discussion). In the discussion, the students will talk about the similarities and differences between handshakes they have had with their friends/family and the handshakes the slaves and helpers of slaves used. (Knowledge; Comprehension; Linguistic; Intrapersonal)

3. After the discussions the teacher will tell the class they are going to work with a partner and come up with a secret handshake, which they will share with and teach to the class.

4. The teacher gives the directions – the students will spend about 5­10 minutes working with their partner to come up with a secret handshake. The handshake needs to have at least 3 different parts to it. After the partners have come up with their handshake they are going to, each pair, one at a time demonstrate their handshake to the class and then teach their handshake to the class. In teaching the handshake, each student needs to give at least one set of directions and they need to be specific step­by­step directions and instructions for the other students to follow to be able to do the handshake. The other students will try the handshake they learned with their partner. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

5. After giving the directions, the teacher will ask if anyone has any questions.

6. The teacher then puts the class into pairs (the pairs have been pre­selected by the teacher ahead of time). The teacher has them get with their partner and tells them they can sit wherever they want and to start creating their handshake.

Closure: • The pairs will go up to the front of the room and one at a time demonstrate

and then teacher their handshake to their classmates. Each pair will have a chance to go. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

Adaptations: The student who struggles with hand motions and talking loudly will be put with a student who excels in the classroom. The teacher may also help give suggestions for motions to do and what direction to give the other students.

Enrichment: The students who excel will make a handout with the directions on how to do the handshake they made up. The students will use a computer to type the direction and then the teacher will make copies for each student to have one. This has the student not only instructing verbally on how to do something, but also using written language to explain as well.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students have examples/experiences they were able to share about

secret handshakes? • Did the students understand how important secret handshakes were for the

slaves and people who helped the slaves? • Did the students have good whole class and small group discussions? • Did the students work well with their partner? • Were the students able to speak clearly and give specific instructions? • Did the students enjoy this activity?

Lesson: Underground Railroad Codes ­ Writing

Length about 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade

Academic Standard(s): • Writing 4.5.5 – Use varied word choices to make writing interesting. • Writing 4.5.6 – Write for different purposes (information, persuasion, description)

and to a specific audience or person.

Performance Objectives: • Using the Underground Railroad Code Dictionary, the students will re­write the

Underground Railroad message with 90% accuracy. • Using the Underground Railroad Code Dictionary, the students will write their

own Underground Railroad message with 85% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will turn two papers. The first one is the re­written message and they need to have it re­written so it matches with the words used in the code dictionary. The second one is their message they wrote. The message needs to be at least half a page long and they need to have at least six code words used correctly.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü A handout with two different Underground Railroad messages on it.

ü An Underground Railroad Code Dictionary handout for each student.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will pass out a handout with a two messages on it. • The teacher will read the first Underground Railroad message aloud to the

students. • The teacher will ask the students what they think the message was about.

(Knowledge)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will tell the students the message had secret codes in it and it

really is about the Underground Railroad. 2. The teacher will discuss with the class about how escaping slaves and

those who helped them used secret codes for safety. (Knowledge) 3. The teacher will pass out an Underground Railroad Code Dictionary

handout to each student. 4. The class will discuss the handout and decode the message the teacher

read. (Knowledge; Application; Analysis; Linguistic) 5. The students will then, on their own, decode the second message and re­

write it. (Knowledge; Application; Analysis) 6. The students will then use their code dictionary to write their own

Underground Railroad message. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic)

Closure: The students will get with a partner and read their message to each other and discuss what they really mean. If there is time, the students will actually try to decode their partner’s message. (Knowledge; Analysis; Linguistic)

Adaptations: The student will re­write two sentences of the message. For the student’s message she will draw a picture and write 2­3 sentences talking about the picture and she needs to have at least one code word.

Enrichment: The student will decode their partner’s secret message.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students come up with different ideas about the message the teacher read? • Did the students develop an understanding of the importance code words had in

keeping slaves and those who helped them safe? • Were the students able to decode the message as a class and then individually? • Were the students able to write their own secret message using the dictionary? • Were the students able to decode what their partner’s message was, if they had

time to do this? • Did the students enjoy this activity?

Lesson: Follow the Drinking Gourd ­ Music

Length about 30 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade

Academic Standard(s): Music 4.1.2 – Match pitch and pitch patterns while singing. Music 4.1.4 – Sing memorized songs that reflect American culture as well as other cultures. Reading 4.1.1 – Read aloud grade­level appropriate literary and informational texts with fluency and accuracy and with appropriate time, changes in voice, and expression. Reading 4.2.2 – Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes.

Performance Objectives: • After reading Follow The Drinking Gourd, the students will sing the song

”Follow the Drinking Gourd” 1 out of 2 times. • After singing the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” the students will reread the

book Follow the Drinking Gourd with 90% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will sing, “Follow the Drinking Gourd”. The first time they will listen to a tape, and then they will sing along with the tape, and for the third time they will sing the song without the tape. After listening and singing the song, the students will reread the story in partners and the teacher will walk around listening to the students read.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The teacher needs to have at least one example of using a song to help remember

how to do something to share with the students. ü The book Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter ü A tape or cd with the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” ü A tape or cd player ü Copies of the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” for each student ü Copies of the story Follow the Drinking Gourd for each pair ü The teacher needs to practice singing the song with and without the tape. ü The teacher needs to have the pairs already selected before the lesson.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will ask her students if they have a song they sing to help them remember how to do something. If needed the teacher will give an example to help the students think of one. The teacher will call on students to share what song they sing and what does it help them remember (Knowledge; Intrapersonal)

• The teacher will read aloud Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter.

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will pass out a sheet of paper with the words to the song

“Follow the Drinking Gourd”. 2. The teacher will play a tape or cd with the song on it for the students to

listen to. (Musical) 3. The students will use their paper with the words of the song to follow

along with the tape or cd. (Application; Musical) 4. The teacher and students will use their paper and sing along with the tape

or cd. (Application; Musical) 5. The teacher and students will sing the song for a second time without the

tape or cd to follow along with. (Application; Musical)

Closure: • The teacher will put the students into pairs and give each pair a copy of

the story Follow the Drinking Gourd. The pairs can move to where they would like and will read the story together. While the students are reading, the teacher will walk around to listen. While rereading the story the students will sing the parts the characters sang in the story (the parts of the song are in italics in the story). (Knowledge; Application; Musical; Interpersonal)

Adaptations: The student will listen to the tape or cd with headphones so they can clearly hear the song. The student will be a partner with a student who excels in reading during the closing part of the lesson.

Enrichment: The student who excels in reading will be a partner with a student who struggles in reading for the closing part of the lesson.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students have examples of songs they sing to help them remember

how to do something? • Did the students like the story? • Did the students like listening to and singing the song? • Were the students able to sing the song without the tape to follow along

to? • Did the partners work well together in rereading the story? • Did the students actually sing the parts of the song while reading the

story? • Did the students enjoy this activity and working in pairs?

Lesson: Levi Coffin – Social Studies

Length about 45 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade Academic Standard(s):

• History 4.1.7 – Explain the roles of various individuals, groups, and movements in the social conflicts to the Civil War.

• History 4.1.15 – Using primary source* and secondary source* materials, generate questions, seek answers, and write brief comments about an event in Indiana history.

Performance Objective(s): • The students will use the Internet to answer questions about Levi Coffin with 85%

accuracy. • After answering the question, the students will write the name of the website they

looked at with 80% accuracy. Assessment:

• The students will turn in an information sheet they filled out after looking up information about Levi Coffin online. The information sheet needs to be filled out with at least 85% of the questions answered correctly. The students will write down the name of the website they looked next to the answer they wrote down for each question. Even if they only looked at one website, they still need to write down the name of the website for each question.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü Have an information sheet handout of questions for the students to

answer about Levi Coffin. ü Look up information online and in books to come up with questions

about Levi Coffin to put on the handout. ü Have a special handout for adaptation ü Reserve a computer lab in the school for at least every 2 students to

have a computer.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation: • The teacher will ask the students if they have looked stuff up on the Internet

before. If they know how to use the internet, like using the internet to find information, etc. (Knowledge; Intrapersonal)

• The teacher will ask the students if they know who Levi Coffin is. (Knowledge)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will give the students the handout with questions about Levi

Coffin.

2. As a class, we will go through the questions on the handout (Knowledge) 3. The teacher will tell the students they will be working either individually or

with a partner, depending on the number of computers, to use the Internet to find answers to the questions on the handout. Students will be responsible for writing their own answers on the handout.

4. The students will line up and go to the computer lab (Bodily­Kinesthetic) 5. While at the computers, the teacher will help get the students started by asking

the students if they have any ideas how to find information about Levi Coffin. The teacher will give the students some suggestions on how to get started and how to find information. (Knowledge; Application)

6. The teacher will tell the students they need to write the name of the website they used to find the information for each question. Each question should have an answer and then a website name after the answer. The website (URL) needs to be written correctly. The teacher will give an example of how to write one. (Knowledge; Application)

7. The students will work either individually or in partners to search the Internet and answer the questions. The teacher will walk around to help the students. (Knowledge; Application; Interpersonal)

Closure: • About five minutes before the lab time is up, the teacher will tell the

students to finish the question they are working on and then close all the boxes that are opened and log off the computer. The teacher will have them get all their stuff and line up at the door. If students finish before they time is up, they can look up more information online (teacher might give suggestions of things they can look up if they do not have an idea already). (Knowledge; Application; Bodily­ Kinesthetic)

Adaptations: The student will partner with a student who excels. The student will be given a different handout with only a few questions to answer.

Enrichments: A student who excels will use a variety of websites to find the answers to the handout. The students will also be able to use the Internet to look up other topics about the Underground Railroad after they have finished the handout.

Self­Reflection: • Were the students able to use the Internet to find information? • Did many students already know how to use the Internet? • Did the students know about Levi Coffin before this lesson? • Did the students use a variety of websites to answer the questions? • Did the students like using the computers and Internet to learn about

Levi Coffin?

Lesson: Storytelling – Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby

Taken from the book The Last Safe House, by Barbara Greenwood

Length about 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s): • Language Arts 4.7.9 – Engage the audience with appropriate words, facial

expressions, and gestures. • Language Arts 4.7.11 – Make narrative presentations that:

• Relate ideas, observations, or memories about an event or experience. • Provide a context that allows the listener to imagine the circumstances

of the event or experience. • Provide insight into why the selected event or experience should be of

interest to the audience. Performance Objectives:

• After listening to the story of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby, the students will share a narrative story of their own in a community circle with 75% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will tell their story in a community circle to the rest of the class. The teacher will use a rubric as an assessment and the rubric will focus on for 4 specific things: v Did the students write a list of 5­6 parts or steps of their story? v Could I actually visualize the story? Did the students give a specific setting to

help in the visualization? v Did the students use facial expressions, different voices, and different sounds

while telling their story? v Did the students use an attention getting the beginning of the story and a specific

closing at the end? The rubric will be out of 4 points total and to go along with the objective, the students should get at least 3 out of 4 points total.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The teacher will practice reading the story Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby and will

focus on using different voices, facial expressions, and sounds while telling the story.

ü The teacher will make the rubric

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will ask the students if they like to tell stories or if they know someone who likes to tell stories. (Knowledge; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal)

• The teacher will talk to the students about how slaves told others about their hopes and fears through storytelling. Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will read the story of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby aloud to the

students. 2. The teacher will tell the students they are going to share a story with the class.

She tells them to each think of a story. The story can be an experience they or someone they know had or it can be a story they make up. (Knowledge; Application; Intrapersonal; Linguistic)

3. The teacher will pass out the rubric to each student and will go over it so they students know what is expected of them.

4. The teacher has the students take out a piece of paper and tells them to organize their story by listing five to six steps or parts of the story in the order they are going to tell it. The teacher gives the example of the six parts of Brer Rabbit. The teacher mentions the students should try and use action words to make their stories more interesting. For example use the story used fling and pitch instead of throw. The teacher also mentions for the students to use sound effects and have different voices for different characters. They should also use different facial expressions. We should be able to visualize the story you are telling us. It might be helpful to give us a specific setting for the story. Lastly try to use attention getting phrases for the beginning and end of your story; such as “Once upon a time,” “Long ago and far away” and end with “And that’s how . . . came to be,” or “Snip, snap, snout, my tale’s told out.” (Knowledge; Application; Intrapersonal; Linguistic)

Closure: • The class will sit together in a community circle and the students will

take turns telling their story to the rest of the class. (Application; Linguistic; Intrapersonal)

Adaptations: The student will draw pictures of the steps or parts of the story instead of writing them down. The student will tell her story by talking about her pictures. Enrichment: A student who excels will help students who need extra help. The student will use different actions words to make the story more interesting. Self­Reflection:

• Do the students like to tell stories or know someone who does? • Did the students understand why storytelling was so important for

slaves and during the time of the Underground Railroad? • Did the students like the story of Brer Rabbit and Tar Baby? • Did the students follow most of the points on the rubric in telling their

story? • Did the students like telling their story to the class in a community

circle?

Lesson: Art – Make a Paper Quilt Block

Length about 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s):

Performance Objectives: • After listening to Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, the students will decorate a

quilt pattern block with 100% accuracy.

Assessment: • The students will turn in their decorated quilt pattern block so the teacher can put

them altogether to make one big classroom quilt. The students will receive full credit for their pattern block as long as they put effort into it, used the squares and triangles of colored paper, were at least close to the specific pattern they chose to do, and wrote the name of the pattern they followed on the paper they turned in.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The book Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, by Deborah Hopkinson ü Practice reading the book aloud ü Have supplies ready (copies of the different quilt patterns, many different

colored scraps of paper cut into 2 in squares, and extra markers)

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will read aloud the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, by Deborah Hopkinson. The teacher will tell the students to really pay attention to the story and to think about how important quilts were during the time of the Underground Railroad. (Knowledge; Comprehension)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will have a brief discussion about the importance quilts had during

the time of the Underground Railroad. (Knowledge; Comprehension; Linguistic; Interpersonal)

2. The teacher will discuss about the different quilt patterns used during the time of the Underground Railroad (Monkey Wrench, Wagon Wheel, Carpenter’s Wheel, Bear’s Paw, Crossroads, Log Cabin, Shoofly, Bow Ties, Flying Geese, Drunkard’s Path, North Star, and Tumbling Blocks). (Knowledge; Spatial)

3. The teacher will tell the students they are going to each create their own quilt block. (Synthesis; Spatial)

4. The students will choose one of the patterns the teacher talked about. Using a ruler, the students will draw an 8­inch square on a piece of white construction paper. The students will then, using their ruler, divide the square into 16 2­inch

squares (4 squares across the top and 4 along the side, creating a grid). (Knowledge; Synthesis; Spatial)

5. The students will use many squares of already cut 2­inch by 2­inch colored paper to make their patterns. The students can use the whole square or they might need to cut the square in half diagonally to make them triangles, depending on their pattern they are using. (Synthesis; Spatial)

6. The students will be given a print out of different patterns for them to follow in making their own. They use the colored squares and triangles to create their quilt block pattern on the white grid. They will glue the pieces of paper onto their white paper using the print outs to help them in making a specific pattern. (Synthesis; Spatial)

7. The students will write their name on the paper with the name of the pattern they used and turn it in. (Knowledge) Closure:

• When all the students are done, the teacher will cut the 16­inch pattern blocks out and put them together to make one big classroom quilt to put up in the room or out in the hall for others to see. (Synthesis; Spatial)

Adaptations: The student will be given a specific print out to glue the squares and triangles onto.

Enrichment: The student will look at the different patterns to create their own and give an explanation for their pattern.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students like the story? • Did the students develop an understanding of why quilts were so

important during the time of the Underground Railroad? • Did the students like creating their own quilt pattern block? • How did the final quilt turn out? Did the students like it?

Lesson: Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky – Reading Lesson

Taken from http://www.courses.dsu.edu/eled360/publish/wendys.htm#wsliterature

Length About 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s): • Reading 4.2.2 – Use appropriate strategies when reading for different purposes.

Performance Objectives:

• Working in groups, the students will each create a K­W­L chart on what they know about Harriet Tubman accurately.

• As a class, the students will decide what they want to know about Harriet Tubman accurately.

• After reading Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, the students will summarize what they learned on their K­W­L chart accurately.

Assessment: • The students will turn their individual K­W­L charts they created as a group. The

chart needs to have at least 4 things they Know, at least 4­5 things they Want to learn, and at least 3­4 things they Learned. As long as the students have this completed they will receive the full points. The students will also receive participation points for working as a group and for participating in the whole class discussion.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The book, Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, by Faith

Ringgold. ü The groups will be pre­determined ü Have an over­head transparency ready to use or the chalkboard ready to

use to write the K­W­L chart the class comes up with on. Procedure:

Introduction/Motivation: • The teacher will have the students work in groups of 3­5 and will ask them to

each get out a piece of paper. The teacher will have the students turn their paper so it is horizontal and have them draw a K­W­L chart (Knowledge; Logical­ mathematical). As a group the students will work together to come up with what they know about Harriet Tubman and put it in the Know part of their chart (Knowledge) The students will work together but they are each responsible for filling in their own chart. Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will have a K­W­L chart ready to write on either an overhead

transparency or on the board. The teacher will ask each group to give one thing they put down in their Know column and have them come up, one at a time, and write it on the board (Knowledge; Bodily­Kinesthetic). After each group has given one answer, if they have a different answer that is not on the board the teacher will let them write it on the board. While this is going on the students should be filling in what is on the board if it is not already written down.

2. The teacher will tell the students they are going to read the book Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, by Faith Ringgold. The teacher will ask the students what they want to know about Harriet Tubman (Evaluation; Interpersonal). The teacher will let each group give a response so they have at least 4 things written down. After each group has gone, the teacher will accept any other responses to add to the chart. The students will be filling in the Want part of their chart as the teacher fills it in on the board.

3. The teacher will read aloud Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, by Faith Ringgold.

4. The students will work in their groups to fill in the Learned part of their chart. What did they learn about Harriet Tubman from reading the story?

(Comprehension; Interpersonal)

Closure: • A student from each group, different from the one before, will come up one at a

time and fill in one thing they learned on the Learned part of the chart (Comprehension; Bodily­Kinesthetic). Again after each group has given one response, the teacher will let any other students who had something other than what was on the board come up and write their response on the board.

• The class will have a discussion about the chart, the book, and what they learned from the story (Knowledge, Comprehension; Evaluation; Linguistic; Interpersonal)

Adaptations: The student will be put in a group of students who excel to help her. The student can draw a picture in the columns of what they know, want to know, and learned and then write one or two words to go along with each picture, instead of writing full sentences.

Enrichment: The student who excels will use other references, such as other books in the classroom or Internet to find out what the class wanted to know about Harriet Tubman. They will specifically look for the information that the book did not tell us what the class wanted to know, but they can also look for information we did find out from reading the story to compare if they would like.

Self­Reflection: v Did the students know what a K­W­L chart was before this lesson? v Did the students know how to fill out a K­W­L chart and did they do so correctly? v Did the students know a lot about Harriet Tubman before this lesson? v Did the students work will in groups and help each other to fill in the parts of the

chart? v Did the students like the book? v Was the book helpful in finding out information about Harriet Tubman? v Did the class learn a lot of the information they wanted to know about Harriet

Tubman?

Lesson: Levi Coffin Math Problems – Math

Taken from http://www.waynet.org/nonprofit/levicoffin/upperelem.htm

Length About 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s): • Math 4.7.4 – Use a variety of methods, such as words, numbers, symbols, charts,

graphs, tables, diagrams, tools, and models to solve problems, justify arguments, and make conjectures.

Performance Objectives: • Using their knowledge about math, the students will solve math story problems

about Levi Coffin with 3 out of 5 correct.

Assessment: • The students will work out the problems on a separate sheet of paper and will turn

it in. The students are required to show all their work and put a box or circle around their final answer. If the students show their work of how they got their answer they will receive partial credit even if the answer is incorrect. They will receive partial credit if the answer is correct but they did not show their work. They will loose either ½ a point of a full point if they do not put a box or circle around their final answer. If the student gets the answer correct, shows how they got that answer, and puts a box or circle around their final answer they will receive full credit for the problem.

.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü The teacher needs to have a copy of the Levi Coffin Math Problems for each

student ü The teacher needs to have some example problems to review with the students on

how to set up and find solutions for story problems.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will ask the students who Levi Coffin is and what he did (Knowledge; Linguistic)

• The class will have a brief discussion about Levi Coffin (Knowledge; Linguistic) • The teacher will review with the students some of the different ways to set up and

find a solution for a problem story. The class will work together to solve 1 or 2 problems the teacher gives them and the teacher will write what the students tell her on the board (Knowledge; Mathematical)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will tell the students they are going to work either individually or

with the people in their table groups, depending on what they would prefer, to solve some story problems about Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad.

2. The teacher tells them they will need a blank piece of paper and pencil to solve these problems on. They will be given a paper with different story problems on them. The students will read the problem carefully and they work to solve it.

3. The teacher tells the students they need to show their work for each problem and then asks them what they could do so the teacher knew which answer was their final answer (Knowledge; Mathematical) After the students give an answer such as circle it or put a box around it the teacher will tell the students in order to receive full credit for their answer they need to put either a box around it or a circle around it so she knows what they want their final answer to be..

4. The teacher will have a volunteer student pass out the papers with the 4 story problems to each student and after the students get their paper they are free to move to anywhere in the room to work on the problems (Bodily­Kinesthetic)

5. Individually or in groups the students will work on the story problems (Knowledge; Application; Mathematical)

Closure: • The teacher will have the students turn in their completed paper with their work

and the answers in the bin that is labeled math papers. What they do not finish they need to take home and finish. The teacher will have the student(s) share with the class the story problem(s) they made up about Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad as an enrichment activity and the student will either show the class how to solve it or they will have the class solve it. The teacher will let the student(s) decide what they would like to do (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Mathematical)

Adaptations: The student will be given similar problems but with easier numbers or have more simple mathematical ideas involved in solving the problem. The teacher will make the problems more agreeable with the student’s mathematical abilities.

Enrichment: The student(s) who excels in math will be given the challenge or coming up with their own story problem that has to do with Levi Coffin and the Underground Railroad to present to the class. They will decide to either present the problem and how to solve it or they can present the problem and have one classmate or their whole class solve his/her problem. It will be up to them on how much they want to do.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students remember who Levi Coffin was? • How did the discussion about Levi Coffin go?

• Were the students able to give good suggestions on ways to go about setting up and finding solutions for a story problem?

• Did more of the students work individually or in groups and did the work of students who worked individually compare at all to the work of students who worked in groups?

• Did the students follow directions and do everything they were asked in solving the story problems?

• How did the enrichment activity go? • Did the students understand how these problems and what they are learning about

the Underground Railroad are related?

Lesson: The Big Dipper – Science

Taken from http://www.funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/bigdipper.htm

Length About 30 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s): Social Studies 4.1.7 – Explain the roles of various individuals, groups, and movements in the social conflicts leading to the Civil War.

Performance Objectives: • Following the directions given, the students will create a glow­in­the­dark poster

of the Big Dipper accurately. • After learning about the Big Dipper, the students will write a short paragraph

about the importance the Big Dipper had on the Underground Railroad with 85% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will be assessed informally and formally. The informal assessment will be on their participation during the discussions about the video and passage. Did they pay attention during the video and did they listen to the passage while it was being read aloud. The Formal assessment will be of their final Big Dipper Poster with the 3­4 sentences about the Big Dipper and the Underground Railroad. The student will receive full credit if they have at least 3 sentences, their punctuation is correct, and the sentences need to be about how the slaves used the Big Dipper to head north for freedom (they need to have something they learned from the video or passage in their sentences)

Advanced Preparation by Teacher:

ü The teacher needs to have the video “Underground Railroad: Connections to Freedom and Science” From NASA Education, ready to show. The teacher will only show certain parts of the video because it is made for above 4 th grade level. The teacher will pick out specific parts that are appropriate and the teacher needs to get the video approved ahead of time.

ü The teacher needs to find a short passage that talks about the Big Dipper/North Star and the Underground Railroad.

ü The teacher needs to have all the materials for each student to make a Big Dipper Poster including an example the teacher has made before hand to show the students. Materials include: black construction paper (medium to large) for each student, a glow­in­the­dark marker for each table group (the students will share), and at least 7 stick­on glow­in­the­dark stars for each student.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• The teacher will ask the students how they think the slaves knew if they were headed in the correct direction or not (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic)

• The teacher will show the students parts of the video “Underground Railroad: Connections to Freedom and Science” from NASA Education.

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher will lead the class in a small discussion about what they saw in

the video (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic) 2. The teacher will then read a short passage that talks about how the Big Dipper

was used by escaping slaves to point the way northwards to freedom. 3. The teacher will have another whole class discussion to discuss what the

passage said (Knowledge; Comprehension; Application; Linguistic) 4. The teacher will tell the students they are going to make their own glow in the

dark poster of the Big Dipper and she will show them what her example looks like.

5. The teacher has students pass out the needed materials to each student (Bodily­Kinesthetic)

6. After the students all have their materials, the teacher will give them the instructions and then the students will create their Big Dipper poster – Looking at a picture of the Big Dipper, copy the shape onto your construction paper. Mark each of the major stars with your stick­on glow­in­the­dark stars, and trace a thin line connecting each of your points.(Knowledge; Application; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

Closure: • When most students are almost done with making their poster the teacher will

tell them to write a short paragraph (about 3­4 sentences) on a separate sheet of paper about the Big Dipper and North Star and why they were important to the slaves when they were escaping on the Underground Railroad (Knowledge; Comprehension; Application; Linguistic)

• The students will cut out their paragraph and tape it onto the bottom of their poster with their name on it and turn it in.

• The teacher will take all the posters and put them up either in the room or in the hall for others to see.

Adaptations: The student will only be required to write a sentence or two about the Big Dipper and the Underground Railroad to put at the bottom of their poster. The teacher or a student helper will ask the student what they want to write and about it and they will help the student with spelling and how to write it by putting lines for each letter and have the student fill the lines with the correct letters.

Enrichment: The student will pick out specific topics from the video and passage to bring up during the class discussions.

Self­Reflection: • Did the students now about the slaves using the Big Dipper/North Star before this

lesson? • Did the video and passage help the students understand why the Big Dipper was

so important for the slaves while traveling the Underground Railroad? • Were the class discussions productive? Did students participate and have good

questions/ideas to bring up? • Were the students able to follow directions in making their Big Dipper poster? • Did the students develop an understanding about the importance the Big Dipper

had on slaves and the Underground Railroad?

Lesson: Traveling the Underground Railroad ­ P.E. Gross

Length 40 minutes

Age or Grade Intended 4 th Grade

Academic Standard(s): • Physical Education 4.1.1 ­ Demonstrate mature movement patterns in loco motor

(traveling actions), non­loco motor (movement in place) and manipulative (throw, catch, strike, swing, push, pull) skills.

• Physical Education 4.5.1 ­ Work cooperatively with others to obtain a common goal.

Performance Objectives: • Working in groups of 5­6, the students will complete the given Underground

Railroad course successfully.

Assessment: This will be assessed informally. The students will be given participation points for working together to get everyone safely to freedom and for participating in the class discussion at the end.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü Plan and make up the Underground Railroad Courses. ü Set up the actual course (there will be a different course for each team) ü Plan ahead and make sure to have permission to do this either outside or in

the gym depending on weather. ü Have discussion questions planned out to get the students started to have a

full class discussion. ü Have all the materials and supplies needed for the course set up and ready

to go, including the cards with the different directions. ü Have the groups pre­determined. ü Make or have a special treat ready for the students to enjoy after they

successfully make it to freedom.

Procedure: Introduction/Motivation:

• Review what they students have learned about the Underground Railroad and talk about the different obstacles the slaves came across and had to overcome to make it safely to freedom. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic)

• The teacher will tell the students they are going to go outside (to the gym if weather is not nice enough to go outside) and play a game. The game is they are going to be slaves traveling the Underground Railroad. They are going to work in groups of 5­6, which will be their family, to complete an obstacle course the teacher made to make it safely to freedom.

• The teacher will tell the students their teams and then have them line up at the door. (Bodily­Kinesthetic)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. Once they are at the course, the teacher will explain the directions and go through

what each of the courses are and what they will be doing. 2. If the students have no questions, the teacher will tell them to all go stand where

at their specific course at the start, which says slavery. (Knowledge; Bodily­ Kinesthetic)

3. The teacher will tell the students when to start by blowing a whistle, or some other way for them to know to start without upsetting the students and so they all know when to begin.

4. In the course there will be different areas the students go to and at each area there will be a card the gives a specific direction on what to do to get to the next stop. An example would be to take these balls and walk with your family to Levi Coffin’s house. While you are walking throw the ball back and forth, make sure

you catch it because if you drop it or throw too far you might draw too much attention to yourself and take a chance of being caught. Each area of the course will have supplies and directions and they will all be different. There will also be one that tells the students to use the given clothes and accessories to disguise themselves to make it safely to the next station. Each of the stations will be labeled for the students to see and so they know where to go next. Their goal is to safely make it to freedom, which will also have a sign with a treat for the students. (Knowledge; Application; Bodily­Kinesthetic; Linguistic; Interpersonal)

Closure: • When the students make it safely to freedom there will be a treat waiting for them. The students will be able to enjoy the treat while they wait for the rest of the teams to successfully make it to freedom. • After everyone has made it to freedom, we will have a class discussion about the different obstacles they faced, what was easy or difficult, how they felt and how they think it was for the slaves. The teacher will guide the students in the discussion, but it will mostly be for them to talk about what they want to share. The teacher will ask each person to say one comment about the course and activity so everyone has a chance to talk. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal) • After the discussion the teacher will ask the students to help her pick up the courses and then line up at the door. (Bodily­Kinesthetic)

Adaptations: The student will work in groups with students who can help him or her to be successful. There might be specific set of directions to fit the student’s needs. The teacher will pick the specific courses for each group to make sure the students who need extra help or modifications will have them so everyone can be successful.

Enrichment: The student will be given the role of the head of the family and with this role they have the main responsibility of helping each of their family members.

Self­Reflection: • How did the review about what the students have learned so far about the Underground Railroad go? • Was the course too easy or difficult for the students to successfully complete? • Did the teams/families work well together? • Did the courses give the students a good idea of the different obstacles the slaves faced while traveling the Underground Railroad? • How did the final discussion go? • Did the students enjoy this activity? Was it successful?

Lesson: If You Traveled on The Underground Railroad

Length about 3­4 days – 40 minutes each

Age or Grade Intended 4 th grade

Academic Standard(s): • Listening and Speaking 4.7.17 – Make descriptive presentations that use concrete

sensory details to set forth and support unified impressions of people, places, things, or experiences.

• Writing 4.5.2. – Write response to literature that o Demonstrate an understanding of a literary work o Supports statements with evidence from the text

Performance Objectives: • Using the information from past lessons on the Underground Railroad and the

book, If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad, by Ellen Levine, the students will create a script to act out in groups of 4­5 with 85% accuracy.

• Working in groups of 4­5 the students will present their script to the class with 90% accuracy.

Assessment: The students will be assessed formally by using two rubrics. The first rubric will be for the script. I will look for things like did they have a specific situation, does each person have a specific role and at least one vocal part, is it organized, did they use information from past lessons and the book to help them in writing it (is it obvious they looked stuff up or did they just make something up). The second rubric will be for the actual presentation. I will look to see if they, for the most part followed their script, did each person follow their role in the presentation, did they all say their specific vocal parts, and was it interesting, did they really act like the characters or did they just read off the script. They can use the script to help them because I don’t expect them to memorize it but they need to act like they are the character by using different voices, facial expressions and actions.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: ü Enough copies of the book …If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad by

Ellen Levine and Illustrated by Larry Johnson for each group to have one. ü The papers and activities from the other lessons all ready for the students to use

and look at. ü An example presentation to write up and demonstrate to the students. ü The rubric for the script and the presentation written and copies for each

student/group Procedure:

Introduction/Motivation: • The teacher will review with the students what they have learned about the

Underground Railroad and what activities/lessons they have done so far. (Knowledge; Linguistic)

• The teacher will tell the students they are going to take everything they have learned and use it for this next activity. The teacher will act out a short script she created that has to do with the Underground Railroad for her students to give them an example of what they are going to be doing. (Knowledge; Application)

Step­by­Step Plan: 1. The teacher tells the students they are going to work in groups of 4­5 to come up

with a script for them to act out for the class. The students need to use their papers from the past activities and lessons they have done to get ideas. They will also be using the book …If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad, by Ellen Levine to come up with ideas of what to say and do in their script. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

2. The teacher tells the students they groups they are going to work with and tells them to go sit with their group members. (Knowledge; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

3. Once the students are in their set groups, the teacher will give them their specific directions. The directions are to write a script that should be about 3­4 minutes long. The students will present these scripts to the class and everyone in the group needs to have a part and some sort of vocal part (If they are an animal, they need to make the sounds of an animal). The students can choose to be runaway slaves, helpers, slave catchers, dogs after the slaves, or a slave owner. Each person needs to have a part and more than one person can have the same kind of part but they need to have different lines. The students need to use the information they have learned to come up with a specific script that might have happened during the Underground Railroad. The teacher will tell the students to keep in mind the secret code messages they wrote, the quilt patterns, the handshakes they made, what they learned about the big dipper, Levi Coffin, the struggles and obstacles the slaves went through, the distances they traveled, and other ideas or information they have learned from this unit. The teacher also tells the students to use the book as a reference to come up with ideas or specific situations for them to write their scripts about. (Knowledge; Application; Analysis; Synthesis; Linguistic; Bodily­Kinesthetic; Interpersonal; Intrapersonal; Spatial)

4. If there are no questions the teacher will tell the students to start working and they will be working on this for a few days. Depending on how they do in the next couple days the teacher will set the due date for them to present their scripts.

5. While the students are working, on the first day, the teacher will pass out the two rubrics she will be grading them on. The first is on the actual script and the second is on their presentation. This way they will have the rubrics to look at to know what the teacher expects and will have a great chance of succeeding.

Closure: • After a few days of working on their scripts, when the students are ready,

they will present their scripts to the whole class. (Knowledge; Application; Linguistic; Bodily­Kinesthetic)

• We will have a conclusion discussion after all the presentations. We will talk about the presentations and the unit. (Knowledge; Analysis; Evaluation; Linguistic)

Adaptations: The student who struggles will be put in a group of students who excel to help him or her out. The person will be given the role of a dog or a baby so they are not required a lot of speaking during the presentation.

Enrichment: The person who excels will be given a large role, like the head of the family or some person in the presentation who has a lot of speaking parts. The person will also help assist the other students in his or her group with their parts.

Self­Reflection: • How did the review of the unit discussion go? Did it help get the students thinking

about how and what to do in their script? • Did the example the teacher gave help the students understand what was expected

of them? Did the rubrics help? • Did the students work well in their groups? • How many days did it take? Did the students use the time in class wisely? • Was their variation in the roles and situations the groups used for their

presentation? • Was this a good way to end the unit?

The Underground Railroad (Pre­Post Assessment)

Multiple Choice Questions: Please circle the correct answer

1. The Underground Railroad was

a. The first subway system b. A system of safe houses to help slaves escape to freedom c. A train system d. None of the above

2. Abolitionists wanted to

a. End slavery b. Call a meeting c. To have a war d. None of the above

3. Levi and Catherine Coffin were

a. Slaves who escaped to freedom b. Slave owners c. Hoosiers who had a safe house in Indiana d. None of the above

Essay Question: What part did Indiana play in the Underground Railroad? Please write in complete sentences.

The Underground Railroad – Children’s Literature Books

1) . . . If You Traveled On The Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine and Illustrated by Larry Johnson

2) Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

3) Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter

4) The Underground Railroad for Kids: From Slavery to Freedom by Mary Kay Carson

5) Escape To Freedom: The Underground Railroad Adventures of Callie and William by Barbara Brooks Simon

6) Bright Freedom S Song: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Gloria Houston

7) North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Katherine Ayres

8) Harriet Tubmam Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry

9) Barefoot: Escape On The Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards

10) The Last Safe House by Barbara Greenwood

11) Dear Austin: Letters From the Underground Railroad by Elvira Woodruff

12) Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

13) Many thousand gone: African Americans from slavery to freedom by Virginia Hamilton and pictures by Leo and Diane Dillon.

14) A Place Called Freedom by Scott Russell Sanders and Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen

15) Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

16) The Patchwork Path: A Quilt Map to Freedom by Bettye Stroud and Erin Susanne Bennett

17) Escape from Slavery by Doreen Rappaport

18) A Good Night for Freedom by Barbara Olenyik Morrow (Auburn, IN)

Technology Plan for The Underground Railroad Unit

There are different ways I plan to incorporate technology throughout my unit on

the Underground Railroad. In my unit I will be using a CD or tape player, the Internet,

and a TV with a VCR for different lessons. I will be using the CD or tape player for my

music lesson. We will listen to the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” and sing along

with the tape or CD. Listening to a tape or CD of the song will help my students and I

know the correct way to sing it and the correct tune. I will be using the Internet for my

Social Studies lesson plan. For this lesson my students will be working in pairs or

individually, depending on the number of computers available, and will look up

information about Levi Coffin using the Internet. I will help them get started by showing

them how to search about a particular topic and how the Internet can help them. Lastly, I

will be showing parts of a video for my Science lesson plan. The lesson is on the Big

Dipper and the video talks about the Underground Railroad and the Big Dipper. I use my

knowledge of technology to have it all ready to show only the parts I want my students to

see. I will also be using the computer and Internet throughout the unit to make handouts

and to look up interesting ideas and activities for my students to learn.

Unit Field Trip Plan

We will be going to the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana. It only costs

fifty cents for pre­scheduled school groups. Levi and Catherine Coffin are famous for

helping many former slaves escape to freedom in the North. In fact, Levi has been

referred to as the President of the Underground Railroad. Levi and Catherine helped more

than 2,000 slaves reach safety during the 20 years they lived in Newport. This eight­room

Federal style brick home in Newport (Fountain City), Indiana, became a safe haven for

the thousand of escaping slaves on their journey to Canada. Once the escaping slaves

were in the house, they could hide for up to several weeks, until they gained enough

strength to continue their journey. The Coffin house was so successful that not a single

slave failed to reach freedom. The State of Indiana purchased the Coffin house in 1967. It

has been restored and opened to the public in 1970. It is now a registered National

Historic Landmark and is operated by the Levi Coffin House Association.

Before we go we will read some of “Eliza’s story” which is told in Uncle Tom’s

Cabin. Eliza was one of the many slaves who hid in the Coffin home. We will make notes

of specific things to look for in the house that Eliza talked about. We will also review the

information about Levi Coffin the students found to have a better idea of who he was and

what he did before we go. We will be taking a tour of the Levi Coffin House. In the tour

we will see the different rooms of the house and where the slaves would hide. This house

is an important part of Indiana history and it will be a great opportunity for the students to

see it.

Parent Letter Date

Welcome aboard parents,

Your child and I are going on a journey. We are going to travel the Underground

Railroad. This is going to be a fun unit. The Underground Railroad was a big part of

Indiana history. I will be teaching your child about the Underground Railroad and the

importance Indiana played in it. Please help me in getting them excited about this great

experience. There are many activities we will be doing throughout this lesson.

Some of the things we are going to do are . . .

• Write our own secret code messages

• Make our own Underground Railroad quilt

• Learn about Levi Coffin and visit the Coffin house for a field trip.

• Learn about and make our own Big Dipper

• Play the role of someone on the Underground Railroad.

• Eat Homemade Hoecakes.

• Learn and experience what it was like for the escaping slaves.

This is a great opportunity for your students to learn about a major part of Indiana

history. I am excited and I hope you and your child are as well. Please feel free to contact

me if you have any questions of if you are interested in volunteering for this unit. It will

be a lot of work but it will also be a lot of fun

Your Conductor,

Miss MacInnes