Expanding Our Connection to
Freedom Crossing
Presented by: Racquel Cady
Introduction
Along with our unit novel Freedom
Crossing by Margaret Goff Clark, students
will discover what life was like as a slave,
encounter the dangers of the
Underground Railroad, and meet brave
abolitionists who helped the runaways
reach freedom.
Task
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The Underground Railroad was a secret network organized by
people who helped men, women, and children escape from slavery
before the Civil War. The Underground Railroad provided shelter,
food, and transportation for the those who were trying to escape.
Along the way, people also provided directions for the safest way to
travel north on the dangerous journey to freedom.
Your task will be:
find out what life was like for slaves
create a timeline of events related to the Underground Railroad
write a journal entry from the view point of a slave in which you
plan a route for your own escape
Give a oral presentation
“Journey to Freedom”
Process
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1st Learn about life as a slave
Visit the websites below to discover the struggles of life
as a slave. Record your discoveries in your journal.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html
http://www.freedomcenter.org/underground-railroad/#
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/index.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/underground_railroad.htm
http://pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/gourd1.cfm
http://www.history.org/History/teaching/dayInTheLife/webactivities/dress/dress.cfm
Video Clip
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Click on the link below to watch a video
of the Underground Railroad.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/
28706-assignment-discovery-theunderground-railroad-video.htm
Freedom Crossing
Book Connection
2nd Explore this website to view the actual location of
Tryon’s Folly, the setting from our novel.
Process Continued
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3rd Create a timeline
Show the important dates and events connected
to the ending of slavery (using the assigned
teacher format)
4th Journal Entry
In your journal write your “Journey to Freedom”
using the writers process of brainstorming, draft,
revision, editing and final copy
Evaluation
(You will be evaluated on your oral presentation)
Exemplary
4
Preparedness
Student is
completely
prepared and has
obviously
rehearsed.
Accomplished
3
Student seems
pretty prepared
but might have
needed a couple
more rehearsals
Speaks
Clearly
Volume
Posture and
Eye Contact
Developing
2
Beginning
1
The student is
somewhat
prepared, but it
is clear that
rehearsal was
lacking.
Student does not seem
at all prepared to
present
Speaks clearly
and distinctly all
(100-95%) the
time, and
mispronounces
no words.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly all (10095%) the time,
but
mispronounces
one word
Speaks clearly
and distinctly
most ( 94-85%)
of the time.
Mispronounces
no more than
one word.
Often mumbles or can
not be understood OR
mispronounces more
than one word.
Volume is loud
enough to be
heard by all
audience
members
throughout the
presentation.
Volume is loud
enough to be
heard by all
audience
members at least
90% of the time.
Volume is loud
enough to be
heard by all
audience
members at
least 80% of
the time.
Volume often too soft
to be heard by all
Stands up
straight, looks
relaxed and
confident. Makes
eye contact with
everyone.
Stands up straight
and makes eye
contact with
everyone in the
room.
Sometimes
stands up
straight and
establishes eye
contact
Slouches and/or does
not look at people
during the
presentation
audience members.
Score
Conclusion
Congratulations, you are the expert!
Now that you have learned all about life
as a slave and have an understanding of
the evaluation criteria
Prepare your “Journey to Freedom” to
present to the class
Resources
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Freedom Crossing by, Margaret Goff Clark (unit novel)
http://historiclewiston.org/freedomcrossing.html (connection to novel)
http://www.oswego.edu/~hyang2/edu/webquestp.htm (used to generate ideas)
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results. (Clip art on Office online)
http://webquest.org/search/index.php (used to generate ideas)
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html (National Geographic student site)
http://www.freedomcenter.org/underground-railroad/# (Freedom Center student site)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/underground_railroad/index.htm (Scholastics
student site)
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/underground_railroad.htm (Think Quest student site)
http://pathways.thinkport.org/secrets/gourd1.cfm (Think Port student site)
http://www.history.org/History/teaching/dayInTheLife/webactivities/dress/dress.cfm (Day in the
Life of a Slave student site)
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/28706-assignment-discovery-the-undergroundrailroad-video.htm (connect to a video clip of the Underground Railroad)