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A Web Quest on The Underground Railroad

Teacher's Lounge Task Procedure Resources Evaluation


$500.00 REWARD


Three RUNAWAY slaves fled on the night of April 23. The three are of dark color and are between the ages of 10 and 12 years of age. A reward of $500 will be paid for the return of these slaves.

Task:

The poster above is already on the streets and nailed to trees along the roadways throughout the South. You and your friends left in the middle of the night. Your only plan was to follow the North Star. A Quaker family who lived near the plantation gave you directions to a safe house or "station" on the Underground Railroad. After traveling all night through the woods, you have safely reached the house. A single candle in the window is your signal that it is safe to approach the house. The Quaker family hid you in a fake closet in their kitchen. You are afraid to continue but terrified to go back. Where will you go on this Underground Railroad? What dangers lie ahead? How will you know where to go? How will you know when it's safe to travel on? Your journey has just begun.

Your group must decide where your escape begins and ends. You will need to have a good plan for traveling safely and quickly. Your task is to research all the information you can on the Underground Railroad. After your group has gathered information you are to plan a route to freedom. Your group is to make a map showing the route you plan to travel. This could either be done as a poster, a topographical map, or use your imagination.

Individually you are to keep a journal or diary recording your flight to freedom. As you research make notes that will help you keep a journal that may have been written by a runaway slave about your age.

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Procedure:

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Resources:

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Evaluation

Group Project will be worth 25 points. It should be neat and the route the group traveled should be clearly marked. The map should demonstrate that the group researched possible routes and took these into consideration.

Group cooperation will be worth 25 points. Each member will give the other members a letter grade with an explanation of this grade. These will be averaged together for a final grade.

Individual journal or diary will be worth 25 points. The entries should show a clear understanding of the dangers, the route, and feelings of a young slave who may have escaped using the Underground Railroad. Students should use good grammer, mechanics, and spelling throughout their entries.

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Conclusion

The Underground Railroad existed during a period of history that was America's most trying time. The country was being torn in two by the issue of slavery. Could history repeat itself? Have there been any similar events in the history of the United States? Are there current issues anywhere else in the world where similar events are occuring? What should the role of the United States be? How do you feel about these issues?

This site was created by Joni Studebaker. It is my hope that this Web Quest will engage children in active learning. If you would care to give me any feedback you can e-mail me at jonist@fcg.net I would enjoy hearing from anyone who uses this site in their classroom. Let me know what works, what modifications you found that were successful, and any other useful web sites you might come across.

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