The+Daring+Escape+of+Ellen+Craft+Reinforcing+Activity

At the beginning of class assess students prior knowledge on the topic of slavery and the Underground Railroad by asking them a few opening questions such as:

1. Why did slaves try to escape to the North? 2. What kind of conditions were slaves forced to live in? (i.e. Where did they live? How were they treated by whites? Did they live with their families? 3. What do you know about the Underground Railroad? Was it really underground?

Read aloud "Excerpt from John P. Parker’s autobiography, His Promised Land" and discuss the Underground Railroad (download PDF from link, excerpt on page 28). Discuss the questions above and go over any questions the students have regarding the railroad.

http://www.safepassageohio.org/resources/Lesson1.pdf

Now have students read __The Daring Escape of Ellen Craft__ aloud in small groups. Then ask students to explain what lengths Ellen and William had to go through in order to escape to Philadelphia.

Then discuss the Underground Railroad and the obstacles that many other slaves had to face when trying to flee to the North. Also, describe what happened to these slaves if they were caught.

Have students research a famous slave such as Frederick Douglass or Ellen Craft, and create a small poster-board consisting of a short summary and illustration. Students will write at least 4 paragraphs describing the slave’s life and what he or she did to be considered so important in history. Students must cite specific evidence from textbooks and other sources to support and validate their information.

When students are finished with their poster-boards, have them each independently present their projects to the class as a whole. To close the lesson, explain to students why the Underground Railroad is so important to learn about and why it was such a significant part of U.S. history.