Name: Ashley Thorson

Date: 09/18/2016

Curriculum/Course: Social Studies

Grade level: Fourth Grade

Materials: Computer with projector, writing utensil, post-it notes,
Henrys Freedom Box, Slavery and the Underground Railroad
worksheet, Underground Railroad escape from slavery worksheet,
access to enough computers and headphones for every student.

Time/Period: About two hours over a

two day period.

Standards:
4 H3.0.7: Use case studies or stories to describe the ideas and actions of individuals involved in the
Underground Railroad in Michigan and in the Great Lakes region.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
Objectives (I can statements):
- I can describe what it was like to be involved with the Underground Railroad.
- I can properly participate in discussions by keeping my eye on the speaker, and raising my hand when I
wish to speak.
- I can create a product that illustrates what it was like to be involved with the Underground Railroad.
Students will learn what it was like to live as a slave, as well as travel the Underground Railroad.
Introduction/Hook:
Who has heard of the underground railroad? What is it?
Steps in the lesson:
1. Go over the PowerPoint. Allow the students to discuss what they see in the pictures. After the YouTube
video explain to the class that drinking gourd that the song refers to is the Big Dipper. Slaves were not
allowed to read, so a map would not help them. Instead they would follow the gourd north to freedom.
Explain that the goal was to get to Canada where they could truly be free. Making it to the North was
not enough because bounty hunters could still find you and take you back to your master. Explain what
the Underground Railroad was. (fifteen minutes)
2. Have the students fill out the first two columns of the Slavery and Underground Railroad sheet. Read
Henrys Freedom Box. Each student will have a post-it note that they can write down things they
learned. (thirty minutes)
3. They will form groups of three and share one thing they learned from the story. Students will fill out
the third column of the Slavery and Underground Railroad sheet. Then students can share as a class.
(ten minutes).
Day Two
4. Students will meet in the media lab and will work with the following website (
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/index.htm) Students will have a
worksheet to go along with the site. (thirty minutes)
Closure Activity/Wrap up:
Students will create a fictional journal about running away to freedom, or helping a slave along the way.
Students should incorporate what they have learned over the past few days, including vocabulary words such
as conductor, bounty hunter, drinking gourd, ect. They could also chose to create a poster. (thirty minutes)
Assessment (Formative):
The closure activity will serve as the formative assessment. Students will be expected to use at least two of the
vocabulary words, and reference what it was like to travel along the underground railroad, as well as the
conditions they are running from.
Extension Activity:

Students will be able to play the game Mission US 2: Flight to Freedom at the following link:
http://www.mission-us.org/pages/landing-mission-2

Differentiation:
What will I differentiate? Content Process Product
How will I differentiate? For readiness By interest Learning profiles Ability level Affect
Specific Student / Group:
Auditory learners will benefit from the lecture during the PowerPoint, as well as the discussion. Visual learners
will benefit from the pictures provided, as well as the video. Kinesthetic learners will benefit from the writing
out the lesson and contrasting an art project. As far as student will create a product that interests them more,
and may focus on different parts of the lesson while creating it. Students will be in mixed groups so they can
help scaffold one another. It also helps students to hear information from another student sometimes rather
than from a teacher.
Accommodation/Modification:
Specific Student /Group:
One student has ADHD, and has difficulties staying still for extended periods of time so he will have a small
semi-soft ball to fiddle with. During group time he will be seated next to the instructor. The student also has a
designated pace spot where he can get up and move. He will be in the quietest portion of the room. The
teacher will provide silent reminders to help ensure the student stays on task.
Another student has slight issues with her vision and therefore will be placed closer to the board, as well as the
teacher during group. She will also be provided with materials printed off in larger print. She will have access
to the computer with the larger screen. The site the students will be working with also has the option for the
student to listen along. She will sit in the location of the classroom that has the most natural light to help with
glares.
This lesson focuses on social studies but also touches on language arts through discussion, and the journal.
Students will also have the opportunity to touch on art if they decided to create the poster. Music is touched on
through the Follow the Drinking Gourd song from the YouTube video. All the students will be interacting with
technology as they complete the activities on day two, or if they participate in the extension activity.