Library of Congress Pathways
Lesson Module
Title:
How Harriet Tubman Changed the Lives of Many
By
Tanya, Ecker, Rachel Ehrenhard, Lee Ann Fox, Brandy Freman
University of Northern Iowa Teacher Education Program
College of Education
Cedar Falls Iowa
Theme: Slavery
Historical Period: Civil War Era to Progressive Era
Lesson Module Overview:
In this module, we are looking at Harriet Tubman and the effects that she had on the United
States. There were many people that were freed from slavery because of Harriet’s help.
Harriet’s largest accomplishments were freeing the slaves by “Conducting” the Underground
Railroad. So for that we have included information on the slaves and the Underground Railroad.
Grade Range: 4th to 5th Grades
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LESSON MODULE DAY 1
Title: What is slavery? What does it mean to be a slave?
LESSON MODULE DAY 2
Title: Follow the Drinking Gourd
LESSON MODULE DAY 3
Title: The Life of Harriet Tubman
APPENDIX I: Images and Graphic Materials
APPENDIX II: Bibliography and Webliography
APPENDIX III: Harriet Tubman Background Information
LESSON MODULE
DAY 1
Title: What is slavery? What does it mean to be a slave?
Learning Goals:
Knowledge
-Students will understand the term slavery and what it means to be a slave.
-Students will begin to understand the concept of slavery in the past and present.
Skills
-Students will begin to evaluate information from the internet.
-Students will begin exploring sources from the library of congress.
Dispositions
-Students will begin to look at historical events and correlate them to current events.
National Council for the Social Studies Themes:
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands
Culture: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of
culture and cultural diversity.
Time, Continuity, and Change: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
the study of the past and its legacy.
People, Places and Environments: Social studies programs should include experiences that
provide for the study of people, places and environments.
Materials Needed:
Chart Paper
Markers
Dictionary/Online Dictionary with Smart Board
Access to computers
Resources- see Appendix 1 and 2
Lesson Procedures:
Introduction
1. Start out by saying some people are going to have to work on a one page paper today. Students
who have a first name longer than their last will take out a pencil and paper and write about a
time when they helped someone. The other friends can have a snack and play outside while they
wait for the students to finish their work.
2. When the students are all done have them come back together for a small discussion about
what they were doing. Ask each group what they thought about their task and then about what
they thought of the other group. Ask each group if they think the activities were fair?
3. Add to the discussion that some had to work and some did not. Discuss that in the United
States up until1865 there were some people who had to do work and some that did not. Lead the
children in to a critical discussion about why they think some people then worked and others did
not.
Development
1. Write on the board the following inquiry questions: “What is slavery?” “What happened to
slavery in the United States?” “Is there still slavery in the world?”
2. So that everyone is clear and on the same page, the teacher will use the smart board to pull up
the dictionary definition of slavery. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slavery) Some
words in the definition will need to be looked up as well depending on the children’s knowledge.
3. Now that the children have a definition, ask them to tell you what they know. Write their
answers on chart paper. Then on another sheet ask them what questions they have about slavery.
4. Post these two sheets on the wall for students to refer back to while they are inquiring during
this lesson.
5. Show them the two pictures in appendix 1, “A slave auction at the south” and “Five
generations on Smith’s Plantation”. Start a critical discussion about what they see in the photos.
Ask how it makes them feel to see the first picture? Ask them if they would want to be born into
the five generations of slavery?
6. Read the voices from the days of slavery from Appendix 1. After each one have a critical
discussion about what the slaves recalled about that time in their lives.
Culmination
1. Have the students, in groups of 4, answer the two questions that were put on the board at the
beginning of the development as well as any that they wrote on the chart.
2. They will have to explore the websites listed in Appendix 2 to complete this.
3. Have the student groups write on chart paper what they found out about slavery.
Assessment
1. Ask students to write in their journal about how they feel about the information they learned.
What surprised them the most when learning about slavery? What do you feel the most important
fact you learned was?
LESSON MODULE
Day 2
Title: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Learning Goals:
-Knowledge
Students will develop an understanding of what the “underground railroad” is and some
important people related to it.
Students will begin to understand the struggles slaves faced trying to gain their freedom.
-Skills
Students will be paired together to participate in a scavenger hunt centered on the Underground
Railroad.
Students will begin exploring various types or primary sources such as maps, images and posters.
-Disposition
Students will begin to think critically about the struggles faced by slaves searching for their
freedom.
National Council for Social Studies Themes:
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands
TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE: Social studies programs should include experiences
that provide for the study of the past and its legacy.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS: Social studies programs should include
experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments.
POWER, AUTHORITY, AND GOVERNANCE: Social studies programs should include
experiences that provide for the study of how people create, interact with, and change structures
of power, authority, and governance.
Materials Needed:
Book Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Map of the United States for White board
Scavenger Hunt Sheets/pencils
Reward Poster and Image of Passengers of Underground Railroad
Lesson Procedures:
Introduction
1. Teacher will begin the lesson by doing a KWL chart on what we have learned about
Harriet Tubman’s life. Looking for things “We Know” like:




Tubman was a former slave
Conductor of Underground Railroad
Called the Moses of Her People
It was dangerous to help the runaways, and so forth.
2. Next, teacher will talk to the students about “What We Want to Learn”
3. Teacher will turn off the lights in the classroom and have the song “Follow the Drinking
Gourd” playing in the background. After the class has listened to the song, teacher will
turn the lights back on and ask the class to come to the front of the room to listen as
teacher reads them the book.
4. Teacher will read the book Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter.
Development
1. Teacher will pause after each verse to discuss with the class what that verse meant. For
example that the first verse is talking about starting the journey in the Spring.
2. Next, ask the class what the “old man” is slang for? Looking for answer like it’s nautical
slang for a Captain. Then ask who the Captain in this story is. Looking for an answer of
Peg Leg Joe.
3. Talk to the students about what marks the slaves were looking for to guide them on the
journey.
4. Next talk about the different rivers in the story, the Tombigbee, the Tennessee and the
Ohio.
5. The teacher and the class will look at the map on the white board and point out the
landmarks and rivers mentioned in the book. They will also talk about the other images
they have found from the Library of Congress like the Reward Poster and the image of
the passengers on the Underground Railroad.
6. Lastly, ask who the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad was. This will
rely on activating prior knowledge of Harriet Tubman’s life.
Culmination
1. Teacher will pair up the students and hand out the Scavenger Hunt Sheets. Teacher will
then explain each of the 6 stations set up around the classroom.
2. Student pairs will go from one station to the next and read the question and fill in the
correct answer on their Scavenger Hunt Sheets. Students will be able to refer to the
answer box on the sheet and the Map on the white board to find the answers. They don’t
need to answer the questions in any order, just be sure to answer all of them.
3. Once the Scavenger Hunt is completed the pairs can decode the answers to come up with
the extra credit answer at the bottom of the sheet. Extra credit is optional.
Assessment
1. Scavenger Hunt sheet will be handed in as the assessment of the lesson. Teacher will also
have observed students throughout the reading and discussing of the book, as well as how
they worked together on the Scavenger Hunt.
Scavenger Hunt Sheet
Read the verses and fill in the blanks using terms from Word Bank below.
1. When the Sun comes back, and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd.
What season would this be? __ __ __ __ __ __
2. The old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom.
Old man is slang for Captain, who was the Captain in the story?
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
3. The river bank will make a mighty good road; the dead trees show the way. Left foot, peg
foot, traveling on
Peg Leg Joe marked the trees and other landmarks with charcoal or mud outlines. The left
foot was the outline of a human foot and a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ was in place of
the right foot.
4. The river ends between two hills, there’s another river on the other side.
The first river is the Tombigbee, what is the name of the river on the other side?
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
5. Where the great big river meets the little river, follow the drinking gourd.
The great big river is the __ __ __ __ and it comes together with the Tennessee in
Paducah, Kentucky.
6. Who was the most famous conductor of the Underground Railroad?
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Extra Credit: Unscramble the highlighted letters to answer this question.
What did the drinking gourd symbolize? __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Word Bank:
Molly
Harriet Tubman
Ohio
Lake Erie
James
Isaiah
Spring
human foot
George
Winter
round mark
Peg Leg Joe
old Hattie
Summer
Tennessee
drinking gourd Fall
Missouri
Answer Key:
1. Spring
2. Peg Leg Joe
3. Round Mark
4. Tennessee
5. Ohio
6. Harriet Tubman
Extra Credit: Big Dipper
Map of the United States








Together as a class, after reading “Follow the Drinking Gourd” we will mark off a route
that the slaves might have taken.
Start in Mobile, Alabama (Use the Big Dipper)
First River is the Tombigbee
Go through states of Mississippi and Tennessee
Woodall Mountains into Mississippi
Tennessee River
Ohio River
Ends in Paducah, Kentucky
LESSON MODULE
Day 3
Title: The Life of Harriet Tubman
Learning Goals:
Knowledge:
1. Students will get to know Harriet Tubman, and why she is/was so important.
2. Students will be able to identify hardships Tubman encountered during her life.
Skills:
1. Students will learn what a timeline is, and key information shown on it.
2. Students will learn interviewing skills.
Disposition:
1. Students will begin to look at key historical events in Harriet Tubman’s life, and explain why
they are significant today.
National Council for Social Studies Themes:
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands
Time, Continuity, and Change: Social studies programs should include experiences that
provide for the study of the past and its legacy.
People, Places, and Environments: Social studies programs should include experiences that
provide for the study of people, places, and environments.
Power, Authority, and Governance: Social studies programs should include experiences that
provide for the study of how people create, interact with, and change structures of power,
authority, and governance.
Materials Needed:
- white board w/ dry erase marker
- Background information about Harriet Tubman
- Photos of Harriet Tubman and her life
- Paper
- Pencil
Lesson Procedures:
Introduction
1. Begin by showing the students a picture of Harriet Tubman to see if the students can tell me
who the picture (found in Appendix IV) is of. If the students do not figure out who it is, then I
will tell them.
2. Next, write the following inquiry questions on the white board: Who is Harriet Tubman? What
is she famous for? Why is she so important to our history?
3. Write the students’ answers on the board below each question. On the other side of the board
write any questions they may have about Harriet Tubman. Have the students write the
information on the board, on their own piece of paper, so they can have it right in front of them
to refer back to if needed later.
Development
1. Distribute to the students a copy of the background information from her life found in
Appendix IV. Read this information aloud as a class by calling on students who volunteer to
read. List answers to the inquiry questions from the introduction as you come across them while
reading.
2. Also while reading, show pictures from Appendix VI and VII to the students when you read
about the underground railroad and Harriet’s nickname, “Moses.”
3. When finished with the reading, present students with the following questions: What word
would we choose to describe Harriet Tubman as a young girl? As a young woman? As an older
woman? Make three big classroom lists, using all the contributions from students.
Culmination
Students will be assigned to groups of 4 students. Each group will create an imaginary interview
with Harriet Tubman. Each group will need to base their questions on the assigned time periods
of her life. The time periods will be when she was a little girl, another will be from when she
was a young adult, the next will be during the time she was a leader of helping set slaves free,
and the last one will be during her older years in life.
1. Each student will research their time periods from Harriet Tubman’s life using
information from class discussions, the internet, and information provided by the teacher.
2. Each group then prepares a short interview of the time period of her life they were
assigned.
3. Each group must have at least one visual aid for their presentation.
4. Each group will have one person serve as the interviewer, a person as Harriet, a person
who will present their visual aid, and a person who will direct and put the presentation all
together and give a written copy of the whole thing to the teacher.
5. Each group teaches other classmates about their time period using at least 10 different
questions and factual answers during their assigned time period of Harriet’s Life.
6. All students must write down at least three things they learned from each interview.
Assessment
Using the following resources (story, video notes, history text, and encyclopedia), students will
make a time line. Time line dates will begin at Tubman's birth (1820) and end with her death
(March 10, 1913). Each student will make their own time line and include at least 10 significant
dates during her life. On a separate piece of paper, students will explain why the dates on their
timeline are significant.
Also the group interviews will be used to assess the knowledge the students’ gained from the
lesson and their interviewing skills using the rubric below.
Interview : The Life of Harriet Tubman
From: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Teacher Name:
Student Name:
________________________________________
CATEGORY 4
Knowledge Student can
accurately
Gained
answer several
questions about
the person who
was interviewed
and can tell how
this interview
relates to the
material being
studied in class.
Student never
Politeness
interrupted or
hurried the
person being
interviewed and
thanked them for
being willing to
be interviewed.
3
Student can
accurately
answer a few
questions about
the person who
was interviewed
and can tell how
this interview
relates to the
material being
studied in class.
Student rarely
interrupted or
hurried the
person being
interviewed and
thanked them for
being willing to
be interviewed.
2
Student can
accurately
answer a
few
questions
about the
person who
was
interviewed.
Student
rarely
interrupted
or hurried
the person
being
interviewed,
but forgot
to thank the
person.
Before the
Before the
Preparation Before the
interview, the
interview, the
interview,
student prepared student prepared the student
several in-depth a couple of in- prepared
AND factual
depth questions several
questions to ask. and several
factual
factual questions questions to
to ask.
ask.
The student
The student
Formatting The student
edited and
edited and
edited and
& Editing
organized the
organized the
organized
transcript in a
transcript in a
the
way that made way that made transcript
1
Student cannot
accurately
answer
questions about
the person who
was
interviewed.
Several times,
the student
interrupted or
hurried the
person being
interviewed
AND forgot to
thank the
person.
The student did
not prepare any
questions
before the
interview.
The student did
NOT edit or
organize the
transcript.
Report
Writing
Sound
Quality
the information
clear and
interesting.
the information
clear.
The report is
well organized
and contains
accurate
quotations and
facts taken from
the interview.
The report is
well organized
and contains
accurate facts
taken from the
interview.
but the
information
was not as
clear or as
interesting
as it could
have been.
The report
contains
accurate
quotations
and facts
taken from
the
interview.
The report is
lacking facts
and quotations
from the
interview OR
the quotes and
facts are not
accurately
reported.
Both the
Both the
Both the
Very hard to
interviewer and interviewer and interviewer hear/understand
the person being the person being and the
the person
interviewed can interviewed can person
being
be
be
being
interviewed
heard/understood heard/understood interviewed and the
very clearly.
very clearly but are not
interviewer.
there is some
easily
times when
heard.
he/she is hard to
hear.
APPENDIX I:
IMAGES AND GRAPHIC MATERIALS
1. Image
This map was published in 1856. It was designed to show the free and slave states. It has
images of John C. Freemont and William L. Dayton the 1856 presidential and vice
presidential candidates for the newly organized Republican Party. The party’s platform
was anti-slavery.
2. Image
This is a reward poster for runaway slaves in 1847. This shows just how dangerous it was
only to be a runaway slave, but also to help them. At one point the reward offered for
Harriet’s capture was $40,000. Yet, she was never captured and never failed to deliver
her passengers to safety.
3. Image
This image shows slaves using the Underground Railroad. During Harriet’s dangerous
journeys she helped rescue members of her own family including her 70 year-old parents.
From the Collections of the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/082_slav2.html
4. Image
"A slave auction at the south"
LC-USZ62-2582
5. Image
Five generations on Smith's Plantation..."
LC-B8171-152-A
Library of Congress – Faces and Voices from the presentation
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/vfssp.html#CharlieSmith.html
6. Image
Fountain Hughes, Age 101
"You wasn't no more than a dog to some of them in them days. You wasn't treated as good as
they treat dogs now. But still I didn't like to talk about it. Because it makes, makes people feel
bad you know. Uh, I, I could say a whole lot I don't like to say. And I won't say a whole lot
more."
Fountain Hughes, circa 1952. Photograph courtesy of The Jeffersonian newspaper, Towson,
Maryland.
7. Image
Charlie Smith, Age Uncertain
"The highest bidder gets you. He'll carry [you to (?)] his plantation. Put another one up there. Me
highest bid, which ever one bid, gives the most, he'll carry him to his plant, that the white, in the
South. And they went to mistreating the, the colored. Getting children by the colored women.
And all such as that, getting colored. And the white find it out, how they was treating them. They
hurt them. And they come down here, the first war ever was in the United State was the North
and South fought a war to free the colored."
Charlie Smith, 1976. Photograph by Peggy Kehoe, courtesy of The Polk County Democrat,
Bartow, Florida.
8. Story
9. Image
Picture of Harriet Tubman
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_subj.html
10. “Moses” Picture
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_subj.html
APPENDIX II:
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND WEBLIGRAPHY
OF RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
Bibliography of Children’s Literature:
Winter, J. (1988) Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York: Dragonfly Books
Webligraphy of Supporting Online Resources for Student

Library of Congress: Tubman: Conductor of the Underground Railroad
This is a collection of readings from the Rare Book and Special Collections Reading Room
about Harriet Tubman’s journey to freedom and her efforts to help other slaves gain their
freedom.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListAll.php
 Library of Congress – Faces and Voices from the presentation
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/voices/vfssp.html#CharlieSmith.html

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, People of the Underground
Railroad
This is a student friendly website with good information on Harriet Tubman and the
Underground Railroad.
http://www.freedomcenter.org/underground-railroad/freedom-stations/scholarship/people/

Social Studies for Kids – Slavery in America
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/slavery.htm
Appendix III
Background Information
From: http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-famous/tubman.html#background
A woman with tremendous courage, strong as a man, and cunning as a fox was Harriet Tubman.
She was unable to read or write and yet Harriet made 19 journeys back to the Southern States to
help free over 300 slaves, moving them to the Northern States and Canada. Harriet chose a
dangerous way of life. Working with the Underground Railroad gave her popularity that angered
slave owners but gave inspiration to slaves. During this time, the United States was close to war
over the issue of slavery and Harriet was ready to help the Northern States in any way she could.
Her vision was to give freedom to every black slave.
Araminta Harriet Ross was born a slave in Dorchester County, Maryland in 1820 or 1821. The
exact date is not known. She was the child of Benjamin Ross, and her mother, Harriet Greene.
Her master's name at the time was Edward Brodas. Throughout her childhood, she was known as
Harriet.
Being born into slavery meant that you were property and had no rights. Even as children, slaves
were expected to work long hours. Many slaves worked all day and long into the night. They
were expected to work hard and fast and to be obedient to their masters. Some slave owners took
good care of their slaves. However, some masters were not very kind and liked to make an
example out of slaves that misbehaved or tried to run away. They were often beaten or whipped.
As a child, Harriet was often hired out to work for other slave masters oftentimes doing
housework. As she grew older, she was sent to work in the fields with other slaves. These people
worked in fields that produced many kinds of crops including corn, potatoes, tobacco, and
cotton.
Harriet was a small girl but grew to be strong physically and strong willed. When she had a goal
in mind, Harriet was determined to carry it out. Seeing how she and other slaves were so
commonly mistreated, angered her. She wondered if anyone could help them gain there freedom.
The Bible story of Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt meant a lot to Harriet. The
people of Israel were slaves like her people. One experience that greatly affected her life took
place when she was trying to help another slave. Harriet's overseer was angry at the slave and
when he went after the slave, Harriet blocked the doorway to stop him. The overseer took an iron
weight and threw it at Harriet striking her in the head. She was near death for some time and had
a deep cut on her forehead for nearly eight years. For the rest of her life, Harriet suffered severe
headaches and sleeping spells.
In 1844, Harriet married John Tubman, who was a free man. They lived close to the Brodas
plantation in John's cabin. Harriet frequently talked about freedom but John was content with
what he had. He thought escaping was too risky when they already had a nice living. It was said
that Harriet was unhappy in marriage. She grew impatient with her husband since they did not
share the same dream of freedom. One night, without telling anyone, she decided to escape from
the plantation in the summer of 1849. Harriet found help and shelter in the home of a Quaker
woman. The Quakers were opposed to slavery and had connections with the Underground
Railroad. Different safe houses were a part of this secret system that aided slaves in their attempt
to reach the North. Free blacks and sympathetic whites would help runaway slaves find food,
shelter, transportation, and guide them on their trek. Much of Harriet's journey was during the
night when it was easier to hide from slave hunters trying to recapture any escaped slaves. The
North Star was her guide in the night that gave her hope and pointed her in the direction of
freedom. Finally, Harriet crossed the state line of Pennsylvania. She was a free woman. In
overwhelming joy she said, "I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person now I was free.
There was such a glory over everything. The sun came like gold through the trees and over the
fields, and I felt like I was in heaven (Sterling, page 43, 1954)."
When Harriet arrived in Philadelphia, she began to work. Her hopes were to earn enough money
to help get Harriet's family to freedom in the North. Soon Harriet Tubman joined William Still,
an abolitionist, who was connected with the Underground Railroad. Mr. Still was instrumental in
organizing the connections and financing of the railroad. Harriet soon joined the abolitionists and
became a conductor for the railroad. Between 1850 and 1860, she saved money to make 19 trips
to the South to free about 300 slaves. As stories of her bravery grew, she soon became known as
"Moses," after the Biblical Moses who led the slaves out of Egypt. Though she was a hero to
slaves, her popularity endangered her. After years of eluding slave hunters, white slave owners
posted a reward of $40,000 for her capture. With the help of her allies and well planned routes,
Tubman was never captured and the reward was never collected.
When the Civil War broke out between the North and the South in 1861, Tubman served with the
Union army of the North. She shared the dream that President Abraham Lincoln had in bringing
freedom to the slaves in the South. Harriet worked as a nurse, scout, and a spy for the Union and
in 1863, she led a group of black soldiers under Colonel James Montgomery on a raid. Nearly
800 slaves were freed as a result.
After the war, Harriet Tubman returned to her home in Auburn, New York. Since her husband
John Tubman died in 1867, she married a former slave and Union soldier, Nelson Davis in 1869.
After his death in 1888, Tubman continued to help the sick, poor, and homeless blacks and
support their efforts for black voting rights. A $20 per month pension from the United States
Government was eventually given to Harriet for her service in the Civil War. She used the
money to support these causes. Harriet Tubman died on March 10, 1913. She will always be
remembered for her courage, bravery, kindness, and love. Harriet Tubman was one person who
began to help change peoples views of slavery and freedom. She would be proud of the steps that
have been taken to remind humankind that we were all created equally.