Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmarks of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore the impact of the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, students read slave accounts and discuss the details of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. Students consider the impact of anti-slavery efforts in Boston and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Henry's Freedom Box

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students explore the Civil War by reading a children's book in class. In this underground railroad instructional activity, students read the story Henry's Freedom Box and discuss the plot, settings and characters. Students create their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Literature for Lesson 2 - The UnderGround Railroad

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the use of the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students determine the meaning of the word slavery. They study the Underground Railroad through the use of literature and Internet websites. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students research and learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson plan, students take 2 weeks to research an individual, complete journal writings, read passages in small groups, list major events, and more.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Landmarks of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. For this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Students answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about Harriet Tubman and develop vocabulary lists.  In this Underground Railroad instructional activity, 4th graders find similarities and differences in primary and secondary sources, create a timeline and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad: Henry "Box" Brown

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students build Henry's box. In this historical perspective instructional activity students listen to the story Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine about an escape using the Underground Railroad. Students also read and discuss The...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art -- The Secret to Freedom

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders create a coded message in a quilt. In this art instructional activity students demonstrate the communication used by the Underground Railroad. Students work in a group to make a quilt with a code in it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet Tubman: An Informative and Impressionistic Look

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine artwork depicting Harriet Tubman. In this Harriet Tubman lesson, students review her life and how she impacted the Underground Railroad. Learners view impressionistic artwork showing her life. Students then create their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music-Follow the Drinking Gourd

For Teachers 4th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners examine the work of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. In this Social Studies lesson, students use a true/false handout and worksheet to explore an Internet site about the Underground Railroad and its heroes. Learners...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners explore the Underground Railroad.  In this U.S. history and technology lesson, students research an assigned topic related to the Underground Railroad, such as "abolitionist," "conductor," or "station houses." ...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Follow the Drinking Gourd

For Students 3rd
In this literature activity, 3rd graders refer to the book entitled Follow the Drinking Gourd.  Students respond to 15 short answer reading comprehension questions.  
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Freedom Quilts

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create a Freedom Quilt and learn how many African Americans escaped to freedom.  In this Underground Railroad lesson, 5th graders complete a KWL chart on the Underground Railroad, read a book about the Underground...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Building a Memorial to the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students examine the attributes and function of the Underground Railroad in order to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Voyage to Freedom - What Does It Mean?

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the Underground Railroad by creating a quilt.  In this U.S. History instructional activity, 5th graders discuss the history of slavery through a class "word splash" and by reading an Underground Railroad...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students navigate the Scholastic Underground Railroad site and listen to journey of the Underground railroad.  In this Underground Railroad lesson, students use maps and compare and contrast the differences between the North and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drawing Conclusions - Is This a Map of the Underground Railroad?

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students complete activities to study potential maps of the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad activity, students watch a video about map collector Anne Zorela's Underground Railroad map. Students complete a graphic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet Tubman Integrated Unit: Lesson 3

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore African spirituals. In this slavery lesson, students listen to and analyze the spiritual song "Wade in the Water" line by line. Students share their interpretations with their classmates.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quilting Through the Civil War and Underground Railroad

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students design a quilt. In this Civil War and Underground Railroad lesson plan, students discuss the Civil War and Underground Railroad. Students look at quilts from the Civil War and discover how they were used to help slaves escape....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underground Railroad- People Get Ready...There's a Train a Comin'

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Civil War and slavery lesson, students discuss how successful slaves would be moving around at night, learn the secret vocabulary used for escape routes and review background about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The House of Dies Drear

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students read The House of Dies Drear and understand how he filled a need and helped people. In this philanthropy instructional activity students understand how the people who helped on the "Underground Railroad" filled a need and helped...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Harriet Tubman

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students investigate Harriet Tubman. In this African-American lesson, students read the book A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman and discuss how she was a conductor of the Underground Railroad. Students identify the leadership qualities she...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Runaway Indentured Servants

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students compare and contrast indentured servants and slaves. In this US history slavery lesson, students discuss the owners' perceptions of indentured servants and slaves, then view ads for runaway slaves to support their opinions....