UndergroundRailroad
You have walked more miles than you ever have in your life�and all in the dark! Your feet are blistered and your back aches, but you cannot sleep because you are too uneasy. As the moonlight glimmers on the nearby river, shadows make you quiver with apprehension. Who are you?
You are an escaped slave in 1850. You have gathered at the border of Kentucky and Indiana from various slaveholders in the South, but your journey isn�t over because of the Fugitive Slave Law. Begin the journey by studying the routes of the Underground Railroad. Especially notice routes in Indiana to plan your escape to Canada..
You will divide into small groups of three slaves who will travel together on the Underground Railroad. You will have three areas to complete over the next eight days:
1. Journal as an escaped slave- 3 entries per individual.
2. Chart & navigate a course through Indiana to Canada.
2 or 3 maps and 1 chart for the group
3. Research the history of slavery- 3 summaries per group
History Summary: Listen to the audio clips of an origional sound interview of Fountain Hughes, a slave born in 1848. His grandfather was a slave of Thomas Jefferson, and he tells of slave auctions and mistreatment. Click on the highlighted sentences to hear Mr. Hughes�s words.
In a one page summary, describe the dangers of escaped slaves. Additional suggestions to consider here and at the Resources link. Include and use citations from two or more of Web sites.
Choose one "safe house" and navigate from Madison, Indiana to the "safe house" using the Map Quest website. Search Map Quest by city and state to begin your travel. Print a map and describe the history of the safe house you have chosen in a paragraph. Possible questions to answer are "Who lived there and how did they help?"
Journal: Choose a character from among these American slave narratives. Click the picture for a full biography. Then write an entry in your journal as your character. Let the other escaped slaves in your group know who you are, where you came from, and how you can help them get to safety. (For instance, can you navigate, read, cook, make shelters, or anything that will help you survive.)
Day 5: Journal: A reward has been offered for your capture and delivery to your slave owner. Research and journal about a similar story of Caesar, a slave in Georgia. How does your character feel as an escaped slave like Caesar? How is your group surviving? Include answers to the questions posed here.
Day 7: Use the National Geographic Topo! State Series CD- Travel from your second �safe house� in Indiana to Canada through either Michigan or Ohio. One or more additional �safe houses� may be chosen. Draw a freehand route and Topo! displays its distance. Avoid big roads and big cities as much as possible, but stay near rivers to hide your scent from bounty hunter�s dogs. Print out the map with the elevation and estimated time of travel. Add symbols and routes for your course that include the �safe houses.� Select the area you need and print a map scaled to 1:100,000.
Journal: How did it feel to be on the run and work together? How did weather and motivation affect your group's success? How does your character feel in his/her new freedom? Answer questions posed here.
Choose one of the following projects:
Create a pantomime or dialogue of your journey
Perform an African American chant that describes your journey. One person is the cantor and two are the chorus.
Research and write a summary of a separate journey to freedom.
