Underground Railroad: Starway to Freedom

Available at: http://education.ollusa.edu/edtech/educ5354/testfile2.htm  

Also available is a unit addition: An entire unit on the Underground Railroad

Author Wendy Ratkovec

Introduction: Transform your students in grades 4-6 into news reporters as they track down the real story of the Underground Railroad.  This simulation-style Web Quest guides students as they visit informative photo-filled Web sites to gather stories and create their own newspaper or newscast.  Its resources complement any lesson on black history.

Content Area(s) and Grade Level  4-6

Standard Creative Classroom (http://creativeclassroom.org)

Integrated disciplines  Social Studies, Fine Arts, Language Arts, Technology

Objectives (From NE State Standards; available at: http://www.nde.state.ne.us/Issu/SS/SocSStnd.html)

Social Studies Standards:

v    4.2 Students will identify and describe the past and present contributions of people, such as the Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, European Americans, and Asian Americans in Nebraska.

v    4.11 Students will identify significant individuals and historical events in their community and in Nebraska and explain their importance.

v    4.24 Students will identify examples of the extension of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in American history and the contributions of Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, African Americans, European Americans, Asian Americans, individuals, and groups.

Language Arts Standards:

v    4.1.3 Students will identify the basic facts and essential ideas in what they have read or viewed.

v    4.1.4 Students will locate, access, and evaluate resources to identify appropriate information.

v    4.2.4 Students will use a variety of forms to write for different audiences and purposes.

Technology Standards: (From ISTE: available at: http://cnets.iste.org/index3.html)

v    Use technology resources for problem solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities.

v    Determine when technology is useful and select the appropriate tool(s) and technology resources to address a variety of tasks and problems.

     Materials/Technologies

v    WebQuest: Underground Railway: Starway to Freedom, available at: http://education.ollusa.edu/edtech/educ5354/testfile2.htm

v    The following resources are suggested on the Webquest.

ON-LINE

Underground Railroad Maps

World Book Encyclopedia

Personal Story from The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Facts, Biographies, and Photos

Table of Delaware's Underground Railroad Train Stations

National Geographic: Underground Railroad Website

PRINT

1. Journey to Freedom by Courtni C.Wright

2. Many Thousand Gone African-Americans from Slavery to Freedom by Virginia Hamilton 

3. Escape From Slavery The Boyhood of Frederick Douglas in His Own Words by Michael McCurdy

4. The Underground Railroad (Cornerstones of Freedom) by R. Conrad Stein

5. ... If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad by Ellen Levine

VIDEO
1. Follow the Drinking Gourd (VHS12139)

2. Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad (VHS7236)

3. Background of Civil War (VHS8670)

4. Rebel Slave (VHS1039)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

1. Texas Slavery Project
University of Houston
Houston, TX 77204
(713) 743-3101
http://www.texasslaveryproject.uh.edu/

2. African American Genealogical and Historical Society of San Antonio
P.O. Box 200784
San Antonio, TX 78220
(210) 481-0195

3. Texana Room
San Antonio Central Library
600 Soledad St.
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 207-2500

4. Institute of Texan Cultures
University of Texas at San Antonio
801 S. Bowie St. 
San Antonio, TX 78205
(210) 458-2300

v    Newspaper materials ie: paper, pencils, note-taking pads, etc…

Procedures

Springboard This webquest should be part of a study on the Underground Railroad, so the students should have background information on what it is, what happened, who was involved, etc…  If students have no background information, it would be a good idea to start off with a book (suggestions listed in materials). 

What teacher is to do

v    Gather materials

v    Editor in chief (teacher)- Evaluate efforts of all staff members throughout the project

What students are to do

v    As members of a newspaper staff, students will be divided into four roles to report on how slaves used the Underground Railroad to reach freedom in the North. 

v    While conducting research, students will record their findings, such as important dates, people, places, and terminology that go along with the Underground Railroad.

v    At the beginning of each class students will share with cooperating team members their findings from the previous day(s).

v    After they complete their research, students will begin working with their news team members to create a multimedia newscast or newspaper to report their findings about the Underground Railroad to the class. Ideas for a news story are listed on the webquest.  Encourage students to be CREATIVE with their newspaper or newscast so that it appears authentic and realistic.

     Closure

All students will present their newscast or newspaper story to the class.  Allow time for class discussion of each story.  Questions may be presented that require more research that can be conducted as a class to learn more about the Underground Railroad.

     Assessment

Each group will be evaluated during the entire process as they gather and discuss information, write, design, create, rehearse, and present their newspaper or newscast. The rubric shows the requirements will be used to evaluate the final product. Both individual and group work will be considered in the final assessment. Encourage students to refer to the rubric throughout this webquest to make sure that each group remains on task.

RUBRIC

         Beginning/ Developing/ Proficient/ Exemplary

Student participated positively
 in project independently and 
in a group.

Student used online and offline
resources with appropriate
citations.

Student put forth quality time
towards the creation of product.

Student analyzed information by:
1. Examining cause & effect relationships
2. Making inferences
3. Drawing conclusions
4. Summarizing

Presentation was well researched,
rehearsed, and informative.

* Place a check for each outcome in the appropriate column.
* Student Outcomes for: 
60-69%(beginning) 70-79%(developing) 80-89%(proficient) 90-100%(exemplary)

Explanation

I chose this webquest because of its excellent resources and navigability.  I really liked the fine arts integration with the news story.  I feel that students will be able to really show what they learned by researching the information through their final project.  I think the Underground Railroad is a very important topic for a 4-6 classroom to cover.  The information can be related to the civil war and abolition.  I want students to learn to research on the internet because it is such a vital tool.  This activity gives them skills to start researching with enough guidance to be successful in finding relevant information.  Students will not have a problem or become frustrated trying to find information because the site is navigable.  

Merryellen Towey Schulz, Ph.D.      College of Saint Mary                      Spring, 2001

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