Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad

The term “Underground Railroad” may seem to suggest an actual railroad. However, the term has a much deeper meaning and was an essential component that shaped U.S. history. The Underground Railroad was the passageway where enslaved Africans would travel to escape the perils of slavery. Though it was neither underground nor a railroad, it represents the many places that enslaved Africans would hide to reach the North. Many people risks their lives to help Africans reach their freedom using the Underground Railroad. At the heart of this covert network are the core values of justice, peace, and freedom. As you complete your tasks, think about all that was sacrificed to help others and how you may can also help people that are disadvantaged in today's society. Before you begin, take a moment to view the documentary that details the history of the Underground Railroad. 

[video:https://youtu.be/H1NzFuunWO8 align:center autoplay:1]

State Standard: Understand major social problems and domestic policy issues in post-reconstruction American society.

Objective: Students will enhance their understanding of historical injustices and develop critical thinking as citizens of the global community.

• The goal of this assignment is to pretend you are either an escaped African or individual helping slaves. Choose 1
• Task 1: Review this link to find out more about the Undeground Railroad. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/…
• Task 2: Write a journal entry as a slave thinking about escaping or as a person helping who is considering helping them escape. What are your thoughts, feelings, and fears? Use information from the site above to support your statements.
• Task 3: Research travel routes for the Underground Railroad. Use the map below to trace travel route. 
• 

• Task 4: Research important people involved in the Undeground Railroad. Choose one and write a short biography for the individual.
• Task 5: Create a Power Point presentation using the information you learned to explain the significance of the Underground Railroad. Include a slide on what does this history means to you. Presentation must be 8-10 slides not including title or reference pages. 

For the tasks, use Google to search key terms to find additional information as necessary. 

The journal entry should be between 1-2 pages and represents an accurate depiction of the era. 

The teacher will provide a print out of the map to complete. 

The biography should be 1 page.

The Powerpoint can be created using Microsoft, Prezi, or any other online presentation tools. It should include pictures and/or video clips. 

Resource List - Use these resources for your research in addition to others you locate. 

http://mississippi-demographics.com

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/the-secret-history-…

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html

http://www.historynet.com/underground-railroad

http://www.ushistory.org/us/28c.asp

http://freedomcenter.org/enabling-freedom/history

Task 1 - 10 points

Task 2 - 20 points

Task 3 - 20 points 

Task 4 - 20 points

Task 5 - 30 points

Total - 100 points

Teacher is looking for accurate information (names, dates, places, etc.)

Work should be free from grammactical errors.

You have reach the end of your Undeground Railroad. I hope you have learned valuable information about an important aspect of U.S. History. Use this information to think about how you can contribute to society and make it better for future generations. 

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Teaching Reading in the Secondary Schools

Tony Roach

Mississippi State University