Activities for Students

• Cameo Interview--Have a student take the part of one of the historical characters in Harriet Tubman's life, and be interviewed by others in the class. The student needs to prepare for the role by finding out about the life of the character, so give the assignment ahead of time--as much as a week in advance--so preparations can be made. Give the role player some specific questions that the class will ask (20 questions are appropriate); parents can help the students research the questions at home to help support the educational experience. Questions asked should reflect a knowledge of the historical events and attitudes of the times. On the day of the interview, younger students may want to dress in a costume of the period to add effect and otherwise enrich the performance. If a video recorder is available, try making a recording of the interview to play back to the class.

  Possible roles include Harriet Tubman herself, a slave left behind in the South, a slave who has gained freedom, a helper (a "conductor") along the underground railway, a slave owner. For specific historical figures, refer to the section entitled "People" in this guide.

• Speeches from the past--As another role playing exercise, have a student prepare a speech that dramatizes a character or point of view of Harriet Tubman's time. The speech can be directed toward attitudes, fears and feelings about such things as freedom, slavery and the pursuit of happiness. For example, a student can write a speech playing the role of a slave planning an escape for freedom. Emotional issues in the speech and the character development can be interpretive on the student's part. Time can be taken to have the students write their own scripts, individually or in groups. A video recording of the speech can be useful for a follow-up.

• Star Search--Fugitive slaves would often use stars to follow their route to freedom. In particular, there is the constellation called the "Big Dipper" which is close to the north star. Travelers could head to the north by following the "drinking gourd," which was another name given to the Big Dipper. Teach your students to identify this constellation and use it to find the north star. To find this star, draw a line through the two stars that form the outer edge of the cup of the dipper, and continue this line outward from the "open" side of the cup. The north star lies along this line at a distance of about 5 times the length between the two stars. Also, help your students to identify the "Little Dipper" (the north star is at the tail end of the Little Dipper), and other constellations. Be sure to tell the students that these were the stars the fugitives saw in the night sky.

• Essays--Essays are a fine activity. Try a short essay--one to three pages. Topics can cover any of the historical episodes before and after the War Between the States, the history of slavery in America, the fallout (the continuing effects) of slavery to our present day, etc.

• Self-evident truths--One important essay topic is certainly the meaning of the words from our Declaration of Independence:

  We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

  Harriet Tubman was patriotic in a way that many today cannot be. She had to win her liberty and freedom. She had to learn of the pursuit of happiness in America from a place in which she was not free. What does it mean that all men are created equal? Why was slavery allowed when the Declaration of Independence said all men are created equal? What does unalienable mean? What are some of the unalienable rights with which men are endowed? What does freedom mean to you? Are people still treated as slaves today?

• The Thirteenth Amendment--The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States abolished slavery. This completed the process started by the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln, which had ended slavery in the Confederacy.

  The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:
  Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
  Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

  Have your students learn this amendment. Ask for and discuss student reactions to the passage. Why was it necessary to have an amendment to end slavery? What is involuntary servitude? The distinction of punishment for crime as separate from slavery is interesting, and can lead to an interesting discussion of the role of prisons in our society. Have the students write an essay on the meaning of the Thirteenth Amendment.

  A study of the Fourteenth Amendment, which covers civil rights, is appropriate for this general topic. Also, there is Amendment 15, which guarantees individuals the right to vote regardless of race or having been a slave. Find a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln, and have the students discuss issues related to this document.

• Biographical Sketches--For a focused essay topic have each student select a character for biographical research and the writing of a condensed biography. This can be a longer-term project to cover an entire study unit. For the names of some individuals see the section entitled "People" in this study guide.

• Newspaper--Have the students produce an abolitionist newspaper. A front page of a newspaper may be enough for a small project. Allow two weeks or longer of project time for development of a full paper. Assemble a newspaper team, and give each individual a writing assignment. Two journalists were particularly famous for their abolitionist writings in Harriet Tubman's time: Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, and their writings and personal histories could be incorporated into the project.

• The Railway Lunch--Prepare the type of meal that Harriet and her fellow fugitives may have eaten during their escapes. These may have been simple breads and biscuits. Perhaps some dried meat (beef jerky will do) and less perishable vegetables such as carrots, turnips and other roots that could be easily carried or picked up along the way.

• Time line--Have the students draw a time line for Harriet Tubman's life. Important events can include: (1) born in 1820 or 1821, (2) married John Tubman in 1844, (3) escaped from slavery in 1849, (4) made rescue trips along the underground railway from 1850 to 1860, (5) served as a scout and nurse for the army during the War Between the States, 1862 to 1865, (6) married Nelson Davis in 1869, (7) supported Susan B. Anthony in founding the women's suffrage movement in 1870, (8) started work on the Harriet Tubman home in 1896, (9) founded a home in 1908, and (10) died in 1913. See the opening section on "The Life of Harriet Tubman" for more details. For younger students, the teacher should give the class a start on the blackboard, showing the line work for the project, and having the students fill in labels.

• Letter Contest--Have the students write a letter telling of an attempted escape to freedom. They can make up imaginative adventures about almost being captured and how they escaped. Perhaps it is more important for them to tell why they wanted to escape and why they appreciate freedom. Harriet once wrote a letter to her friend Jacob Jackson, a free black, telling him she was coming south again to help more fugitives, but she had to write the letter in a coded message using symbols and stories because she knew it would be read by others who were watching the mail. She wrote, "Read my letter to the old folks, and give my love to them, and tell my brothers to be always watching unto prayer, and when the good old ship of Zion comes along, to be ready to step on board." The letter was signed William Henry Jackson, who was Jacob Jackson's son, but Jacob was able to read between the lines and tell that Harriet had really written the letter and to be prepared for her coming. Tell the students in your class about this letter, and have them write their own rescue warning using code words and symbols to convey the real meaning. The students must assume that their letter will be read by someone who means them harm, and they will have to be careful with their words.

• Artifacts--Some students in a class may have artifacts of slavery and plantation days--or perhaps from the War Between the States--that can be brought to school as a demonstration project. Take extra caution to be sure that these materials are respected by members of the class and that nothing is damaged. In fact, if there are particularly precious artifacts, it may be best to have them handled only by adults--parents or friends who own the materials and are willing to bring them to class. If real artifacts are scarce, have the students make their own artifacts. Use your library resources to find books with pictures of plantation or Civil War items.

• Collage--A collage activity is always useful as a hands-on project and to develop creativity. A collage is simply a poster with many pictures and/or blocks of text pasted in an artistic manner to convey an idea or image. All sorts of themes are possible, and the collage can include pictures from magazines, student drawings, student writing, etc. The collage could be on "What Freedom Means to Me." If a stack of recent magazines are available, have them use cutouts from the magazine pages. Reverse the idea and ask them to show "What It Means to be a Captive."

• Draw a picture--Give a child a blank sheet of paper and have them draw their image of slavery. Let the students express their creativity. For younger students give specific ideas such as: (1) slaves at work in the fields, (2) runaway slaves escaping through the forest, (3) fugitive slaves in a secret room in a home on the Underground Railroad, (4) fugitive slaves learning that they have reached a place of freedom. Have them draw a picture of the American flag and then surround the flag with images that represent freedom.

• The railroad hideaway--Partition off a small area in your classroom, with a crawl-through entry and enough space to hold a few students, and have the students pretend it's a hiding place along the underground railroad. Place books on topics related to your lessons inside the enclosure, along with other materials for browsing, and try to create the feeling that this is a special place. Students can go there before class or when their work is done. Also it can be used for rewarding students--a retreat where they can go when they have done well.

• Oral history--The students can interview grandparents or others who have memories of earlier days before the civil rights movement. Interviews can be with individuals from many different ethnic backgrounds who feel comfortable talking straight with the students. Bring community leaders to your class who will talk about issues of freedom. Communication in this area is so important.