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, 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

Look for Patterns: Quilts in Two Faith Ringgold Stories

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Author Faith Ringgold uses quilts to illustrate her books Tar Beach and Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad. In this integrated trio of activities, young scholars read stories, identify and create patterns, and design quilt squares of...
Lesson Plan
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Making the Connection With Quilts

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders engage in a lesson which integrates the study of the Underground Railroad in Indiana with a Language Arts unit on quilts. They write a book report on one of the quilt books read in class and design a quilt block for the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Quilts of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders work as a class to create a quilt mapping a route on the underground railroad. Each student create one quilt block using quilt symbols to contribute to the quilt.
Lesson Plan
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The Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in a literature circle after reading a book about the Underground Railroad. They discuss their selected book with their literature circle group, and complete a handout about their role in the circle. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Integrated Social Studies and Art Lesson

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the Civil War and the Underground Railroad. In groups, they create coded quilts like those used in the Underground Railroad. They review secret codes used, plan a phrase they would like to use, and paint quilt...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hidden in Plain View: History Standard Two and the Underground

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders create a quilt based on the Underground Railroad quilt code from the book Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad.
Lesson Plan
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Art -- The Secret to Freedom

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders create a coded message in a quilt. In this art lesson 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
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Quilting: The Story of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore quilting. They read and discuss the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They research African American quilting traditions on the Internet and name three common qualities in quilts. They create a quilt...
Lesson Plan
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Music: Follow the Drinking Gourd

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders use movement to express a concept. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 4th graders listen to the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd, which demonstrates the types of 'communication' used by slaves traveling the Underground...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Class Quilt

For Teachers 1st
First graders engage in a lesson which promote acceptance of diversity within the classroom through the creation of a class quilt. They evaluate the final product to find commonalities with other students.
Lesson Plan
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Guide Me "Home"

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars find how freedom quilts helped free slaves.  In this American History lesson, students read the story Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt and discuss the Underground Railroad.  They use their map skills to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early American Quilt Patterns

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the history and purpose of quilts in early America. They create and name their own unique quilt blocks. Students combine their quilt blocks with other students in the class to create a class quilt.
Lesson Plan
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Silent Signals

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders discuss the frustrations of navigating the Underground Railroad and list the symbols and signs used to communicate on the Underground Railroad.
Lesson Plan
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Quilts: Patterns of Our Past Leading Us Into Our Future

For Teachers K - 6th
Young scholars examine the history of quilt making. They explore the pattern, designs, and color schemes of the quilt. Students read stories about quilting. They create a story to further develop into a story quilt. Additional cross...
Lesson Plan
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Music-Follow the Drinking Gourd

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd." In 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

Quilt Codes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students list criteria to evaluate credible historical sources and defend their criteria in an essay. In this historical sources lesson plan, students review information of historical sources as well as the facts and pictures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Master Spy

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explain that a code is a system of symbols, letters, words, or signals that are used instead of ordinary words and numbers to send messages or to store information. They practice deciphering a variety of secret codes used in...