1. Michigan and The Underground Railroad
Created by:
Kelly Lake
Julie Lindsay

2. 3rd grade GLCS Covered by The Underground Railroad
Social Studies GLCS
3H1: use narrative or visual data to compare the past with present-day life.
3H2: Evaluate a past regional decision based on the short-term and long-term consequences of the decision.
3Q2: organize Social Studies information to make simple maps, graphs, tables, and pictographs, and interpret what they mean.
Language Arts GLCS
R.CM.03.01: Connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.
R.CM.03.04: Apply significant knowledge from grade-level science, social studies, and math texts
S.DS.03.04: Plan and deliver presentations using an effective organizational pattern; supportive facts and details reflecting a variety of resources

3. 4th grade GLCS Covered by The Underground Railroad
Social Studies GLCS
4 - G1.0.2 Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the relative location of significant places in the United States.
4 - G1.0.3 Identify and describe the characteristics and purposes (e.g., measure distance, determine relative location, classify a region) of a variety of geographic tools and technologies (e.g., globe, map, satellite image).
4 - C2.0.2 Identify situations in which specific rights guaranteed by the Constitution and Bill of Rights are involved (e.g., freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of press).

4. Resources
Carson, Mary Kay. The Underground Railroad for Kids From Slavery to Freedom. Scholastic, 2002.
McConnell, David. Our Michigan Adventure. Hillsdale Educational Publishers, 2001.
Winter, Jeanette. “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Dragon Fly Books, 1992.
Levine, Larry. …If You Followed the Underground Railroad,” Scholastic, 1993.

5. Student’s K-W-L Know What I Want to Know What I Learned
Slaves traveled along the Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a path.
The person who first went on the Under Railroad was nicknamed Moses
The UR a quilt on the line or a candle in the window meant is safe to stop
Slaves used to escape from other people.
Slaves escaped their Master to get freedom.
Slaves would follow the Big Dipper to get to freedom.
Other people helped the slaves to get to freedom.
What I Want to Know
Is it really a train?
If it’s not really a train why is it called the Underground railroad?
Where did the Underground Railroad start? End?
Where did the Underground Railroad lead to?
Why were they on the Underground railroad?
How did they travel on the Underground Railroad?
How did the slaves know that it was safe to stop on the railroad?
How long did it take to travel on the Underground Railroad?
Why did the slave catchers want to catch the slaves?
Does the Underground Railroad still exists?
What I Learned

6. K-W-L Continued Know What I Want to Know What I Learned
Slaves would sing songs to get to freedom.
Masters would used dogs to help them find escaped slaves
Masters would offer a money reward for the runaway slaves.
Slaves would use marks on the trees to give directions.
Slaves moved from house to house and hide
When the Masters found the escaped slaves, what did they do to them?
How many slaves did the Master’s have?
What were the roles of the Slaves?
When was the Underground Railroad established?
How many Slaves we caught?
Why is it called the Underground Railroad?
What are some names of the Slaves?
When did slavery end?

7. Facts about the Underground Railroad and Michigan’s Role
The Underground Railroad is used to describe the complete range of ways and means that slaves fled bondage.
What the Underground Railroad did was help escaped slaves make their way from the slave-owning southern states up through the northern states and eventually into Canada and freedom. This was accomplished by secretly transporting the fugitive slaves from safe-house to safe-house, steadily moving north until freedom was secured.
Slaves were treated as useful property and had no rights.
Michigan cities were used as several stops along the Underground Railroad including Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Lansing. Slaves also passed through Toledo, OH.
In 1837 slavery was forbidden by the first Michigan Constitution
There were many codes of the Underground Railroad. Quilts patterns appeared to have contained secret messages that helped direct the slaves to freedom. Chants also contained secret messages telling them when to flee their plantations (exp. Follow the Drinking Gourd).

8. Underground Railroad Facts continued…
Slavery led up to the beginning of the Civil War because the Southern wanted slavery whereas the North was opposed.
Using modern roads, the trip would be 560 miles (900 kilometers) long.
A strong, lucky runaway might have made it to freedom in two months. For others, especially in bad weather, the trek might have lasted a year.
According to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850.
The routes from safe-house to safe-house (houses where fugitive slaves were kept) were called 'lines'.
Stopping places were called 'stations'.
Those who aided fugitive slaves were known as 'conductors'.
In order to keep terms as clandestine as possible, the fugitive slaves were known as 'packages' or 'freight'.

9. Underground Railroad Inquiry Projects
Students will have the option to complete one of following inquiry projects based on their personal interests.

10. Student Inquiry Project 1: Research the Codes of Quilts
Since the beginning of time, people have always needed to reach out to others. They need to express their thoughts, dreams, and needs.
Many slaves did not have the chance to learn how to read and write. In some cases they were not even allowed to talk to one another. They had to be clever and learn how to “talk.” Quilts were used to do this.
Students will create a paper quilt and tell the message of their quilt.

11. Student Inquiry Project 2: Translating “Follow the Drinking Gourd”
Students will learn how Harriet Tubman, a runaway slave herself, formed the Underground Railroad and with the help of Peg Leg Joe and others led their people to freedom during the early days of slavery in the 1840’s.
“Follow the Drinking Gourd” was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map.
Students will have the option to decode the lyrics of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

12. Student Inquiry Project 3: Key Players on the Underground Railroad
Those who aided fugitive slaves were known as “conductors.” Escaped slaves also helped others escape.
Students will be able to choose a key player from the Underground Railroad to find out the following information:
What was their role on the Underground Railroad?
What were some of their accomplishments?
How were they viewed by others?
Other important experiences?
Possible choices: The Crosswhites (escaped slaves), Harriet Tubman (Conductor), or Laura Havilland (teacher to African American children).

13. Student Inquiry Project 4: Journal Entries of an Escaped Slave
The life as a slave was very difficult: long days in the fields, serving their master, maintaining the plantation, and living in fear of being beaten.
Student’s will have an opportunity to keep a journal about their trek across America to freedom along the Underground Railroad or life on the plantation
Students will need at minimum of 10 entries in their journal.

14. Assessment of Student Inquiry Projects
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Amount of Information
All topics are addressed and all questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each.
All topics are addressed and most questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each.
All topics are addressed, and most questions answered with 1 sentence about each.
One or more topics were not addressed.
Sources
All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented in the desired format.
All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but a few are not in the desired format.
All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented, but many are not in the desired format.
Some sources are not accurately documented.
Internet Use
Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.
Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.
Organization
Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs and subheadings.
Information is organized with well-constructed paragraphs.
Information is organized, but paragraphs are not well-constructed.
The information appears to be disorganized. 8)
First Draft
Detailed draft is neatly presented and includes all required information.
Draft includes all required information and is legible.
Draft includes most required information and is legible.
Draft is missing required information and is difficult to read.