Pre-Activity 1: Faces of Freedom

Introduce students to some key people surrounding the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement. Divide the class into pairs or groups of three. Assign each pair/group one of the Faces of Freedom on the National Geographics website (link HERE). Instruct students to use both library and credible online resources to learn about their character. Students can present their character to the class and/or create a poster of the characters life and works. Be creative!

Pre-Activity 2: Reasons for the Civil War

Learn about the key events that led to the Civil War. Try to understand the events from different perspectives (Free States, Slave States, upper class, lower class, abolitionists, slave owners, etc.)

The Missouri Compromise (1820) Nat Turner Slave Rebellion (1831) Compromise of 1850 Uncle Toms Cabin published (1852) Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) Dred Scott Decision (1857) John Browns Raid (1859) Election of Abraham Lincoln (November 1860) Secession of South Carolina (December 1860)

Page 1

Uncovering the Underground Railroad

Post-Activity 1: Journal Entry

At the Museum visit, students read various historical resources about the Underground Railroad: a first-person account of a runaway slave named Wes Brady, advertisements about escaped slaves, and news articles about possible Lake County safe houses. Ask the students to reflect on the resources they encountered, and to write a journal entry assuming the character of a runaway slave, an owner of a safe house, or even a slave owner.

Post-Activity 2: Modern Day Slavery

This activity is an opportunity for students to be agents of change and truly make a difference. Gauge your classs interest in the topic and judge whether or not this is a good activity. Slavery is, unfortunately, still a worldwide problem. Its hard to be precise, but the International Labor Organization and modern-day abolitionists estimate that there are almost 20-25 million slaves worldwide. Slavery also exists in the United States in the manufacture, agriculture, and sex industry. One way to pique the students interest is to take the slavery footprint survey (link HERE). This interactive survey tracks your possessions and lifestyle and assesses approximately how many slaves work for you. Students may not realize this but even the clothes they wear and the phone they own were probably made by slaves. Try the survey for yourself and decide how you want the students to use it. There are many ways to approach this subject. Take one 8th grade teachers approach (link HERE) and perhaps you will be inspired to develop a project with your class. Talk to your students about free-trade products and ways to raise awareness about modern-day slavery.

Page 2

Uncovering the Underground Railroad