Teaching Themes
The Underground Railroad: Everything You Need
Celebrate the courage of Harriet Tubman and other heroes who helped conducted slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
Teaching Guides
The Underground Railroad Teacher's Guide
Grades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
See how to introduce and use the activity in your classroom, get resources, see curriculum connections, get extension activities, and more.
Lesson Plans, Writing Activities, Book Resources
Train to Freedom
Grades: 3–5
As they analyze the life of Harriet Tubman, students learn about the risks taken by conductors and passengers on the Underground Railroad. They also consider what might have been if the movement hadn't succeeded.
Underground Railroad Books
Grades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12
Check out these great books at The Teacher Store.
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 Interactive Whiteboard Activities The Underground Railroad: Escape from SlaveryGrades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 With this interactive slideshow, students follow the path of a slave in 1860 as he travels the Underground Railroad to freedom. |
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Articles Underground Railroad ResourcesGrades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8 Books
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Book Resources, Books If You Traveled on the Underground RailroadGrades: 3–5 This book answers questions about the background of the Underground Railroad, explains what it was like to be a slave, and describes the hardships... |
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Extension Activities Freedom Crossing Extension ActivitiesGrades: 6–8 Extension activity for Freedom Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark. |
Discussion Guides, Book Resources Steps To FreedomGrades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5 Get a free lesson plan about the book Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheax Nelson, about slavery in Virginia. |
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Lesson Plans, Writing Activities, Book Resources The House of Dies Drear Teaching PlanGrades: 3–5 Teaching plan for The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton. |
Discussion Guides, Book Resources Follow the Drinking Gourd Discussion GuideGrades: 3–5 Read the inspiring story of the song whose lyrics gave directions to the Underground Railroad, the covert trail by which black slaves could escape... |
 Lesson Plans, Book Resources Freedom Train Extension ActivitiesGrades: 6–8 Students will research Harriet Tubman's life and learn about the Underground Railroad with these extension activities. |
Extension Activities, Book Resources If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad Extension ActivitiesGrades: 3–5 The vast and complex network known as the Underground Railroad helped thousands of slaves reach freedom. Use these classroom activities to extend... |
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Booktalks Elijah of Buxton BooktalkGrades: 3–5 Elijah was the first free baby born in Buxton, the first person there who had never been owned by a slave master. |
A Letter from Kadir NelsonGrades: Kadir Nelson describes how he must research to create the illustrations in historical picture books. |
 Discussion Guides, Book Resources Elijah of Buxton Discussion GuideGrades: 3–5 Use these discussion questions to teach with Christopher Paul Curtis's Coretta Scott King Award winner, Elijah of Buxton. |
 Lesson Plans, Computer Lab Activities, Writing Activities, Book Resources Henry's Freedom Box Lesson PlanGrades: 3–5 Students will use Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine to identify new information about slavery and the Underground Railroad, and make... |
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Lesson Plans, Extension Activities, Vocabulary Builders, Writing Activities, Book Resources Stealing Freedom and Storm Warriors Lesson PlanGrades: 6–8 The historical setting and the strong sense of story make these novels by Carbone excellent choices for read-aloud or class novel study. Each... |
Online Learning Activities, Writing Activities Harriet TubmanGrades: 3–5, 6–8 Presents links to a wealth of information about Harriet Tubman and her involvement in the Underground Railroad. Has students create a timeline and... |
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Discussion Guides, Book Resources Message in the Sky Corey's Underground Railroad Diary Discussion GuideGrades: 3–5 A discussion guide for My America: Message in the Sky, Corey's Underground Railroad Diary, Book Three by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, in the My America... |
 Lesson Plans, Writing Activities Riding the Underground RailroadGrades: 3–5, 6–8 Students learn about slaves' pursuit of freedom during a simulation of slaves escaping from the South to the North. Students travel from different... |
Fugitive Slave Harriet Jacobs: Coming Up For AirGrades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 For seven years, Harriet Jacobs hid out in an attic to escape slavery. Read an excerpt from her powerful autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a... |
Underground Railroad Book VideosGrades: 3–5, 6–8 A collection of video author interviews and read-alouds of related books to supplement a unit on the Underground Railroad. |
