Lesson Plan
Name: Alecia Williamson Date: December 9, 2003
Content Area: Underground Railroad Grade Level: 4
Objectives:
1.Students will read Follow the Drinking Gourd. (1.B.2d)
2.Students will state their opinions about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad during a guided discussion. (4.A.2b)
3.Students will listen to the song Follow the Drinking Gourd. (4.A.2a)
4.Students will use their inference skills to figure out the meaning of the song Follow the Drinking Gourd. (1.C.2b)
- Students will use vocabulary related to the Underground Railroad. (1.A.2a
- Students will illustrate verses of Follow the Drinking Gourd. (5.C.2a)
- Students will complete a crossword puzzle of vocabulary.
Strategies/ Techniques:
Guided discussions, reading aloud to students, complete worksheets, sing songs.
Materials: The Book and CD of Follow the Drinking Gourd
CD Player
Worksheets for every student
Crossword Puzels for each student
Pencils
Overhead projector
Blank Sheet for overhead
Permeninit marker
Anticipatory Set:
Today we will explore the Underground Railroad. We will listen to a song that was sung by the slaves during the Underground Railroad. While you are listening you will need to do two things, keep in mind what you know about the Underground Railroad and try to figure out what the song is about.
Development:
1. What is the Underground Railroad?
a.Have students to answer in one sentence “What is the Underground Railroad.”
b.Have the students to share what they have written. Write the best answers on the overhead.
2. Students read the song lyrics while listening to the words. .
3. Rereading and Focusing on Understanding.
- Instruct students to go back over the story an underline any words or phrases that
they may not understand.
- Have students in small groups to try to figure out what the song is about and what
the vocabulary means. Students will write 2-3 sentences about what they predict
the story to be about.
4.Students will turn over their papers on which they wrote their predictions and listen to the story to verify or modify their predictions.
5. The students will then illustrate the song in their groups. The illustrations will show an escaping slave the way to freedom.
6. The student will be given a crossword puzzle.
Closure:
Revisit the discussion on the Underground Railroad. Have the students to present their
illustrations.
Modifications/Adaptations:
Have students work in groups when discussing the elements of the story and the song. Have students draw pictures to illustrate their feeling about the story and song.
Have students work in groups after they have started the crossword puzzle.
Extensions:
Research the Internet to find out more about the Underground Railroad.
Explore how quilt patterns were used to guide slaves on the Underground Railroad.
Learn how the slaves were able to tell directions by the stars at night and without a compass.
Technology:
Used: Overhead projector and CD player
Travel the “journey” of an escaped slave at National Geographic’s presentation
Internet
Assessment of Student Learning:
The students will be assessed by their responses to the questions asked and the guided discussion. Their comprehension of the vocabulary will be assessed through the crossword puzzle.
See Attached Student Work