Bringing the Underground Railroad To Life

We found this fabulous lesson over at Sub Hub and, if you have the parent volunteers to make it work, we think it would be a great way to help your students connect with Black History Month and the Underground Railroad! Instead of simply reading books and completing worksheets, bring the subject matter to life by having your students reenact the perilous journey that escaped slaves had to survive on their search for freedom and a better life.

What we love...

• To set the stage for the journey, students were taught the secret code {often sewn into quilts} that helped escaped slaves and their helpers in the Underground Railroad communicate, and took part in creating their own quilt square messages.
• In preparation for their journey, students were invited to fill a bandana with three or four items they thought they might need along the way. {We just love what Rachel's son chose to take! He was so very thoughtful and deliberate about his choices!}
• The students journey was made as 'life-like' as possible. Bounty hunters, lakes, and other perils awaited the youngsters on their journey to freedom, while quilt squares {and a map for each parent volunteer} marked safe passage where shelter, food, and 'clothing changes' were provided.

Through it all, students had to work together to follow the route and evade those who would wish to capture them - and, in the end, their short journey provided a very real connection to history!

To read about Rachel and her kiddos' journey on the "Underground Railroad", be sure to visit her blog, Sub Hub!