Lesson Plan #: CC-0033

Second Grade Lesson 2:
The Underground Railroad Helped Many Slaves to Freedom.
Other Slaves Gained Their Freedom in Other Ways.



Objectives: The student will be able to:

1. understand what it meant to be a slave in the South in the mid 1800s.

2. realize the struggle and danger many African Americans faced to be free.

Description of lesson/activity:

1. Look up the words "slave" and "slavery" in the dictionary. Record the meaning on a chart or the board.

2. Read The Drinking Gourd , by F.N. Monjo, to the children. In small groups have the children make up a role play to be presented to the class about the Underground Railroad.

3. Define "Underground Railroad" on the chart or the board.

4. Beneath the definitions, create a class story about a slave who used the Underground Railroad. Have the students draw pictures to hang around the story about a part of the journey.

5. Read A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass , by David A. Adler. Discuss what it was like to be a slave. Did he use the Underground Railroad to get his freedom? Brainstorm the steps in Frederick Douglass's life to his death. List in any order on the board. When done, transpose them to a time line with the children putting them in the right order.

6. Have the children make their own stories telling about slavery. When complete, share these with each other and another class.

Resources:

Adler, David A. A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass . (New York: Holiday House, 1993) (ISBN 0823410021).

Chang, Ina. A Separate Battle . (New York: Lodestar Books, 1991) (ISBN 0525673652).

Clark, Phillips. The Civil War . (Long Island, NY: Marshall Cavindish Corp., 1988) (ISBN 0863079334).

Fritz, Jean. Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln . (New York: Grosset & Dunlop, 1993) (ISBN 0448401703).

Kunhardt, Edith. Honest Abe , (New York: Greenwillow Books, 1993) (ISBN 0688111890).

Monjo, F.N. The Drinking Gourd . (New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1970).

Spier, Peter. People . (New York: The Trumpet Club, 1980) (ISBN 0440841976).