Title
Expanding
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky
Objectives
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Appreciation and understanding of risks taken and sacrifices made by those involved in the Underground Railroad.
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Ability to research data on topics suggested in
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky
.
Ability to create an imaginative folktale based upon the pupil’s fantasy and the concrete facts of history.
As has been mentioned previously, many folktales can provide additional insights into topics covered in our social studies curriculum. This is particularly true regarding the historical roots of African Americans in Africa and their history here in the United States. Besides the concrete knowledge they can develop, these tales often help to establish personal feelings of empathy with the past, along with a personal pride for what was accomplished. This is especially important for the pupils I teach. Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky is a prime example of such a tale. (A brief summary is available under “Unit Six—Flights”.)
During Cassie’s fantasy trip along the Underground Railroad many topics are presented in print and through picture which could easily motivate further pupil investigation:
“What was life like as a slave sailing from Africa?”
“How were slaves sold and how did they feel during such an ordeal?”
“Describe a slave wedding.”
“Did slaves really want to learn how to read and write?”
“How did slaves escape?”
“Who hid them along the way?”
“What was their actual route?”
These and other points developed in the tale, including the specifics of Harriet Tubman’s life, could lead pupils to further develop their knowledge of this period. After reading the story they will develop a similar list from which they will rake selections for their individual or team research. Obvious sources for such investigation will include the school and city library, the Josten Computer’s Compton’s Encyclopedia, and social studies and classroom texts.
Once this research is gathered, material seems best presented through group discussion or informal reporting. The teacher might wish to augment information with further readims, lecture, or various types of audio-visual material.
Children should now be ready for the final phase of this lesson in which they create their own original tale, presented as though their characters lived durim the tire of the Underground Railroad. ‘Ihough the foundation of their tales will be fact, hopefully they also will reflect the emotions which pupils extracted from their historical research.
The results should be shared in some way with other members of the classroom and perhaps with a larger audience depending on the situation.
The entire lesson should take at least three classroom sessions of 45 minutes each.