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Important Note to Teachers: 

The Underground Railroad: Escape From Slavery online activity presents an accurate and personal view of the brutal practice of slavery, a concept that may be difficult for young students.

Introduction

Students will travel back to the year 1860 and follow a young slave as he flees a Kentucky plantation for Canada along the Underground Railroad. Along the way, they can read or listen to the runaway slave describe his terrifying journey from slavery to freedom. They'll discover what life was like as a slave, encounter the dangers of the Underground Railroad, meet brave abolitionists who took great risks to help runaways, and compare life in the North and South.

There are four "stops" on this journey, and each one explores a different curriculum theme in American History:

1. On the Plantation: Life as Slave [Theme: Slavery in America]
2. Escape! The Underground Railroad [Theme: The Underground Railroad]
3. Reaching Safety: Heroes for the Cause [Theme: Abolitionists and Harriet Tubman]
4. Almost Free: Life in the North [Theme: Causes of the Civil War]

At each stop students will encounter icons, which will link them to resources as follows:

Runaway slave's story: A first-hand account of the journey, with audio.
 

Interactive scene: An historic scene from the journey, with pop-up boxes to learn more about the time and place and read authentic quotes from people of the period.

Audio slideshow: Essential background information supported by primary source images.
 

Student activity: Engaging activities and printable sheets with questions for reflection and critical thinking.

Other resources include:

• Tell the Story: A culminating activity in which students imagine themselves as runaway slaves in 1860.

• Primary Source Gallery: A rich collection of images, documents, and interviews of people who lived through this historic time.

• Myths of the Underground Railroad: An article exploring the truth behind the popular stories of the Underground Railroad.

Before You Begin

What Was the Underground Railroad?

To introduce this activity, tell the class that they are going to follow a journey on the Underground Railroad. Ask the class to share what they already know about the Underground Railroad.

The following questions could help spark discussion:

• What was the Underground Railroad?

• Who traveled on the Underground Railroad?

• Where did people travel from and to on the Underground Railroad?

• When did people travel on the Underground Railroad? Why did it end?

• Why do you think it was called the "Underground Railroad"?

Help students understand that the Underground Railroad was neither underground nor was it a real railroad. Instead, it was a loose network of routes, hiding places, and people who helped enslaved African Americans escape to from southern states to freedom. Some slaves settled in the northern "free" states, but many kept traveling north to Canada. It was in "operation" through the 1800s until the end of the Civil War in 1865 when slavery was abolished. The term "underground" refers to the secret nature of the network, since anyone caught escaping or helping runaways was in great danger. The system was called a "railroad" because many railroads were spreading across the nation during this period.

What Were the "North" and the "South"?

If students are not familiar the division of the North and South at this time, begin by showing them the Printable 1860 U.S. Map. Explain that in the 1800s, there were important differences between the northern states and the southern states. To show the dividing line between the North and South, run your finger along the northern borders of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Missouri. Explain that one of the biggest differences between the North and South was the issue of slavery. By 1846, all the northern states had abolished slavery, but millions of enslaved African Americans lived in the South.

Words to Know

Use this helpful vocabulary list to review key words with students.

Get Started

Have students read and/or listen to the online activity's home page. Note that you can follow the journey in order, or jump directly to a specific "stop" to focus on that curriculum theme. (See above.)

Quick View: Links to Resources

Here's an overall look at the resources in this Online Activity. Link directly to the resource you need, or see "Using the Online Activity in Your Classroom" for descriptions and follow-up questions for each resource.

Using the Online Activity in Your Classroom

Here are suggestions for how to use the various resources with your students.

1. Fact or Fiction

Read aloud the following statements about the Underground Railroad. Have students raise their hands if they think the statement is true.

• Most of the people who helped runaway slaves were white.
• All abolitionists supported the Underground Railroad.
• Most northerners welcomed fugitive slaves.
• Slaves made quilts and sang songs with coded messages to help runaway slaves.

Next, have students read Myths of the Underground Railroad. Discuss the article as a class. Why do you think some of these myths prevail about the Underground Railroad? When you hear a story about American history, what are some ways you can verify its accuracy?

2. On the Plantation: Life as Slave

Curriculum Theme: Slavery in America

Travel Along With the Runaway Slave

Give students a few minutes to read the first-hand account of the young slave on the Kentucky plantation. Click the audio button to listen along.

• Close your eyes. What images and feelings do you remember most from Walter's story?

• What are some of the main reasons Walter would want to escape the plantation?

Explore the Scene

Have students find the clickable objects and people to learn about life on a plantation. Discuss what you've learned:

• What was a common crop in Kentucky?

• Describe the slaves' living quarters.

• What could happen if a slave showed up late to the fields?

Watch the Slideshow: Slavery

Have students watch the slideshow about the history of slavery in America. They can click the audio button to listen along. When they're done, have them share what they learned.

• How and from where were the first slaves brought to America?

• What did it mean to be a slave?

• Why was slavery so important to the South's economy?

Growing Up In Slavery

Have students read the interview with Fannie Mae, who was born a slave in South Carolina. You may want to assign younger students smaller sections and have them share what they learned with each other. Then they'll imagine themselves in Fannie's shoes and write a story about a day in your life. Have students share and discuss their stories.

• What were some of the worst parts of being a slave?

• Where did Fannie find joy in her life?

• What were some of the jobs children had on the plantation?

Write About It: On the Plantation (PDF)

Provide each student with this printable, which includes critical thinking and reflection questions about what they've learned. Encourage them to answer some or all of the questions before moving on to the next stop.

3. Escape! The Underground Railroad

Curriculum theme: The Underground Railroad

Travel Along With the Runaway Slave

Give students a few minutes to read the first-hand account of the young slave as he escapes on the Underground Railroad. Click the audio button to listen along.

• How did Walter find his way?

• What challenges did he face?

• What was his biggest fear?

Explore the Scene

Have students find the clickable objects and person to learn about the slave's escape. Discuss what you've learned:

• Name two ways slaves knew which direction to travel.

• What happened if a runaway slave was caught?

Watch the Slideshow: Underground Railroad

Have students watch the slideshow about the Underground Railroad. They can click the audio button to listen along. When they're done, have them share what they learned.

• Why was it so dangerous for slaves to escape?

• Were slaves free once they got off the plantation? Why not?

• How did most fugitives travel?

Write a Secret Letter

In this activity, students will learn about some common words and phrases used on the Underground Railroad. They'll also learn how some people used a "secret code" to keep their work hidden. Then students will complete the coded letter using some of the secret language of the Underground Railroad.

• What was the difference between a passenger, a conductor, and a stationmaster on the Underground Railroad?

• Why was it so important to keep the work of the Underground Railroad hidden?

Write About It: Escape! (PDF)

Provide each student with this printable, which includes critical thinking and reflection questions about what they've learned. Encourage them to answer some or all of the questions before moving on to the next stop.

4. Reaching Safety: Heroes for the Cause

Curriculum theme: Abolitionists and Harriet Tubman

Travel Along With the Runaway Slave

Students will read how the runaway slave finds his way to a safe house, the home of a stationmaster named John. Click the audio button to listen along.

• Why do you think people used phrases like "a friend of friends"?

• Why was Walter so afraid of John at first?

• Is Walter free in Ohio? Why or why not?

Explore the Scene

Have students find the clickable objects and person to learn about the work of abolitionists, and the few who helped fugitives. Discuss what you've learned:

• Name two ways stationmasters and conductors kept fugitives safe from slave catchers.

• Who was John Rankin and why was he famous?

• Why were newspapers important to the abolitionists?

Watch the Slideshow: Abolitionists

Have students watch the slideshow about the abolitionists. They can click the audio button to listen along. When they're done, have them share what they learned.

• Who were the abolitionists?

• Why was it so dangerous for those who worked on the Underground Railroad?

• Name one famous abolitionist and describe what he or she did to fight against slavery.

Harriet Tubman Web Hunt

In this activity, students will explore sites about the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad, and record some of her most notable accomplishments.

• What do you think made Harriet Tubman so successful at helping slaves escape the South?

• Why do you think Harriet Tubman continues to be such an American hero today?

Write About It: Reaching Safety (PDF)

Provide each student with this printable, which includes critical thinking and reflection questions about what they've learned. Encourage them to answer some or all of the questions before moving on to the next stop.

5. Almost Free: Life in the North

Curriculum theme: Causes of the Civil War

Travel Along With the Runaway Slave

Students will read how the runaway slave reaches Cleveland on his way to Canada. Click the audio button to listen along.

• Why was it difficult for Walter to trust the people he met?

• Why did he feel "like a spy" traveling across Ohio?

Explore the Scene

Have students find the clickable objects and people to learn about life in a northern city. Discuss what you've learned:

• Do you think fugitives felt welcome in northern cities? Why or why not?

• What might have surprised runaway slaves who reached northern cities?

• Why do you think Harriet Tubman felt like "a stranger in a strange land"?

Watch the Slideshow: A New Life of Freedom

Have students watch the slideshow about the challenges and support slaves faced when starting a new life in the north. They can click the audio button to listen along. When they're done, have them share what they learned.

• Why did so many thriving black communities spring up in Canadian towns across the U.S. border?

• What events brought an end to slavery?

• Did the abolition of slavery mean complete equality for African Americans? Explain your answer.

Compare Two Worlds: The North vs. South

In this activity, students will explore maps to identify important differences between the North and South before the Civil War. You may want to give students a Printable 1860 U.S. Map to record and analyze important information about the two regions in one place.

• Where were the Union, Confederate, and Border states?

• Describe the differences between the economies of the North and the South. Why were slaves crucial to the South's economy?

• Which southern states had the highest slave population? Why do you think more slaves lived in this region?

• Which region had more railroads and factories? What advantages did these provide in the Civil War?

Write About It: Almost Free (PDF)

Provide each student with this printable, which includes critical thinking and reflection questions about what they've learned. Encourage them to answer some or all of the questions before moving on to the next stop.

6. Final Writing Activity: Tell the Story

As a culminating project, have students write personal narratives as if they are ex-slaves who escaped on the Underground Railroad. Based on what they've learned throughout the site, students will answer questions about the life of a slave, their escapes, and their lives after reaching freedom. Have students print out their interviews and share them in small groups.

If students want to learn more, encourage them to read "Slave Stories," actual interviews with slaves conducted in the 1930s as part of the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Curriculum Connections

Throughout this activity, you'll find a wealth of resources to enhance your American History units. Here are a few suggestions for integrating the resources into your larger lessons:

Reliving a Difficult Past

What Would You Have Done?

Ask students to imagine themselves in one of these situations in 1860. Have them write a personal narrative describing what choice they would have made:

• You are a slave in Maryland, the oldest of six children who were all born on the plantation. A friend has just told you he is planning an escape the following night. He knows it is safer to travel alone, but he's willing to let you travel with him. It could mean freedom, but it also means leaving your family behind. Would you go or stay? What are the risks with either choice?

• You live in Ohio, along the shore of the Ohio River. Rumors are swirling that fugitives from Kentucky will be crossing this evening. You are against slavery, and fear that slave hunters will be out in force to catch and return the runaways. But you know the repercussions of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850. What do you do?

Meet an Abolitionist

In this project, students learn about a number of different abolitionists of the 1800s, from William Lloyd Garrison to Harriet Tubman. As a class, discuss the many roles that abolitionists played for one common cause - to end slavery. Have students work in pairs to research one of the abolitionists featured in the project or another one from this period. Then ask students to imagine they could talk to that abolitionist today, and write a mock interview with him or her. Have them to describe the abolitionist's work and influence in the interview. Let each pair perform their interview for the class. Finally, as a class, decide which 19^th century American abolitionist you would choose if you could meet one today. What would they most like to ask him or her?

"Free" At Last?

Students may be surprised to learn that runaway slaves who reached the North were not truly free. Ask them to imagine they are ex-slaves who made it safely to a northern city. Write a journal entry describing their experience. How is the city different from the southern plantation from which you escaped? What challenges do you still face as an African American? Will you keep traveling to Canada, or settle here? Why?

To Fight or Not to Fight?

Divide the class into two groups, the North and the South. Ask students to imagine themselves living in that region of the country in 1861. On each side, have students brainstorm reasons for and against going to war in 1861. What was each side fighting for? What would a victory or a loss mean for the region? What risks were they taking by going to war? What advantages did they have? Have each group write two persuasive speeches for their region, one for and one against going to war.

Extension Activities

Discussion Topics to Further the Conversation

Think of other times in history when doing what was right was in conflict with the laws of the time. Give examples such as the Civil Rights Movement, Gandhi, personal examples.

Describe what freedom means to you?

Who are the people in your lives today that exhibit great courage?

After the incredible hardships that followed for many enslaved African Americans who attempted to start a new life in the north, in what ways were their "freedoms" continually limited?

Draw Your Own Timeline & Maps

Ask students to retell the story of Walter through creation of their own timeline of key events. Have students draw symbols to represent the key episodes on his journey.

Have students chart their own course to freedom. Imagine each student as a slave from Kentucky and allow each to develop a route that will safely take them to the North.

Write About It

Ask your students to write a letter or journal entry in the voice of a runaway slave that reached the North. Have them write about their dangerous journey, how they crossed the North/South boarder and share about what life is now like as a "free" person.

Ask students to examine historical examples of slavery in other parts of the world. Assign a research project on a country that was affected by slavery aside from the United States.

Read About It

Encourage your students to read more about it - by providing an extended reading library of related books. The selections below provide a range of grade level titles to consider:

Glory's Freedom: A Story of the Underground Railroad, by Joan Holub, for grade 3.
A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe, by David A. Adler, llustrated by Colin Bootman, for grade 4
I thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Dairy of Patsy, A Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina 1865, by Joyce Hansen, for grade 5
The Glory Field, by Walter Dean Myers, for grade 6
Fields of Fury: The American Civil War, by James M. McPherson, for grade 6
One More River To Cross: The Stories of Twelve Black Americans, by Jim Haskins, Grade 6.
George Washington Carver: The Genius Behind the Peanut, Scholastic Biography Series, for grade 6.
5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight from Slavery, by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin, for grade 9.
Growing Up in Slavery: Stories of Young Slaves as Told by Themselves, by Yuval Taylor, for grade 9.

More to Explore

Here are some websites for kids (and teachers) who want to dig deeper into the some of the topics explored in The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery.

Slavery in America:

Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 (American Memory)

Slavery and the Making of America

Digital History: Slavery Fact Sheet

Slave Cabin at Mount Vernon

The Underground Railroad:

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Aboard the Underground Railroad: A National Register Travel Itinerary

Freedom Bound: The Underground Railroad in Lycoming County, PA

Abolitionists:

Library of Congress: The African-American Mosaic: Abolition (Posters and Publications)

America's Story: Meet Amazing Americans (See Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln)

"I Got A Right to Two Things": A Play about Harriet Tubman

The Civil War:

Civil War Battles & Maps

What Caused the Civil War?

Standards Correlations

The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery helps students meet the following standards sponsored by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS):

• Culture (1): Students will understand multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points; understand how cultures are influenced by belief systems, such as religion or political ideals of the culture; understand how a culture changes to accommodate different ideas and beliefs.

• Time, Continuity, and Change (2): Students understand what things were like in the past and how things change and develop; understand and appreciate differences in historical perspectives, recognizing that interpretations are influenced by individual experiences, societal values, and cultural traditions.

• People, Places, and Environments (3): Students analyze human behavior in relation to its physical and cultural environment.

• Individual Development and Identity (4): Students examine various forms of human behavior, enhancing their understanding of the relationships among social norms and emerging personal identities, the social processes that influence identity formation, and the ethical principles underlying individual action.

• Individuals, Groups, and Institutions (5): Students know how institutions are formed, what controls and influences them, how they control and influence individuals and culture, and how institutions can be maintained or changed.

• Power, Authority, and Government (6): Students develop an understanding of how groups and nations attempt to resolve conflicts and seek to establish order and security; study the dynamic relationships among individual rights and responsibilities, the needs of social groups, and concepts of a just society.

• Civic Ideals and Practices (10): Students examine civic ideals and practices across time and in diverse societies.

The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery helps students meet the following standards sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the International Reading Association (IRA).

• Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world. (1)

• Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience. (7)

• Students use a variety of technological and informational resources (libraries, databases, computer networks) to gather and synthesize information in order to create and communicate knowledge. (8)

• Students use spoken, written, and visual language for learning, persuasion, and exchange of information. (12)

The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery helps students meet the following standards sponsored by the National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE):

The geographically informed person knows and understands...

• How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information. (1)

• How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface. (3)

• The physical and human characteristics of places. (4)

• The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface. (9)

• How forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface. (13)