Rachel Springer
My Name is Harriet Tubman
Grade Level/Subject: 3rd grade History
Overview/Purpose:
This lesson is an introduction to a research biography. The students will use my example to help
them with their inventor research project. Also, the students will learn about the Civil War and
Harriet Tubman’s affect on the slave population of the time. This lesson would be part of a unit
on the Civil War.
Standards:
Strand 1: American History; Concept 6: Civil War and Reconstruction; PO 1: Recognize that
there were issues (e.g., slavery, states’ rights, South seceded from the Union) associated with the
Civil War.
Strand 1: American History; Concept 6: Civil War and Reconstruction; PO 2: Discuss
contributions of people (e.g., Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S.
Grant, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass) during the Civil War era.
ELP Standards:
ELL III: Standard English Conventions; The student will identify and apply conventions of
standard English in his or her communications; 7. Write complete sentences and make
corrections to incomplete sentences.
Language Goals:
The students will listen and respond in complete sentences to information presented. This
response will be made oral and/or written in complete sentences.
Connection to Curriculum:
The students will be using Language Arts when writing down information in sentence format.
Time: 1 hour
10 minutes for KWL and introduction
10 minutes for presentation
10 minutes for questions
20 minutes for timeline activity
10 minutes for closure
Materials:
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Costume
paper
Markers/pencils
KWL chart
Objectives:
The student will be able to place events of Harriet Tubman’s life in chronological order on a
timeline and write in a complete sentence a fact(s) about Harriet Tubman.
Procedures:
Anticipatory Set: Put up picture of Harriet Tubman. Give me a thumbs up if you know who this
is. Tell the person closest to you who you think this is. Call on students until you get right
answer only up to 4. This is a picture of me. My name is Harriet Tubman.
Before Before Activity: Pass out a KWL chart to each student and have a student help pass out
the paper. In the “know” column on your chart, I want you to write a complete sentence about
what you already know about me (Harriet Tubman). If you don’t know anything about me you
can write “I don’t know anything about Harriet Tubman.” Then in the “want to know” column
write a complete sentence about something you would like to learn about me (Harriet Tubman).
Don’t write anything in the “learned” column. What does a complete sentence start with? (let
them shout out answer) What does it end with? (let them shout out answer)
Before Activity: Go over the vocabulary terms that will be used in script: plantation, abolitionist,
“underground railroad,” civil war, and spy. Write them on the board and ask if any students
know what the word on the board is (one at a time). Call on no more than 3 students per word
(choose different students each time). I am going to tell you about myself and while I talk I want
you all to write down events that happened in my (Harriet Tubman’s) life. If you have any
questions just raise your hand and I’ll answer your questions. Hand out paper to the tables while
you give these directions.
During Activity: Act out script (attached on back of lesson) as Harriet Tubman. During the
lesson allow students to ask questions about Harriet Tubman. Walk around the room and make
sure students are paying attention and writing notes. Once the script is finished allow students to
ask any additional questions.
After Activity: What were some of the events that happened in my life? Call on volunteers and
non volunteers. When an answer is said say put your thumbs up if you think this is right or put
your thumb downs if you don’t think this was an event in my life. Jot answers that everyone
agrees on onto the board. Once the events are all called out, call on students to put the items in
order on the timeline. What would be the first thing on the timeline ___________? Can you
come up and write that on the board?
Then have students fill in the learned part of their KWL. Write one thing you learned about
Harriet Tubman in a complete sentence.
Closure: Turn to the person next to you and share something you learned about Harriet Tubman.
Assessment: Collect note papers and KWL charts to show that they participated and understood
the instructions. Walk around while they talk about what they learned as well. The students that
called out events and placed them on the timeline were paying attention.
Extensions/Enrichment: This lesson can be referred to in future lessons that require knowledge
about placing events in chronological order on a timeline. This lesson can also be extended upon
further instruction on the Civil War as well as the slavery issue in America back in the 1800’s.
Accomodations for Diverse Learners: More pictures can be incorporated into the vocabulary
lesson as well as the description of events. The responses on the KWL charts can include both
pictures and sentence frames. The timeline can be represented with pictures instead of words as
well. The most important aspect for ELLs would be discussion. For gifted learners if they are
done early with their KWL, they can write a paragraph or mini-biography about Harriet Tubman.
Also, if there were questions that students asked that I was unable to answer (due to the questions
obscurity) the gifted students could look up the information and present it to the class the next
day.