Students learn how the Underground Railroad functioned as a secret network, the dangers enslaved people faced, the support systems that made escape possible, and how resistance efforts challenged the economic and social power of slavery.
Students learn how the Underground Railroad functioned as a secret network, the dangers enslaved people faced, the support systems that made escape possible, and how resistance efforts challenged the economic and social power of slavery.
Students examine a map of north-bound routes of the Underground Railroad and read introductory text about how enslaved people faced harsh conditions and how escape efforts created secret support networks. They then contribute to a collaborative class chart by adding one predicted challenge that freedom seekers might have faced on their journeys.
Teacher MovesReview or pre-teach key terms such as Underground Railroad, safe houses, conductor, vigilance committee, and freedom seeker, emphasizing how language shapes perspective. Use the map to prompt students who struggle to generate ideas, directing attention to geography, distance, navigation, and basic survival needs. After students add to the chart, facilitate a discussion to identify patterns in their predictions and broaden thinking beyond capture to include terrain, navigation, and access to food, clothing, and shelter. Connect the activity to the lesson objectives and preview that students will deepen their understanding of how the Underground Railroad functioned as a secret network of resistance.
Students read What was the Underground Railroad? and watch the video Underground Railroad to learn how the Underground Railroad operated as a hidden network with specific roles, coded terms, and routes. They answer a series of inline-choice questions to demonstrate understanding of key vocabulary and features of the system. Using information from the article and video, students then complete a graphic organizer that pairs at least two problems freedom seekers encountered with the solutions and strategies used to overcome those challenges.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene as an exploration of cooperation, secrecy, and resilience within the Underground Railroad. After students complete the inline-choice activity, review answers and lead a discussion about why coded language (such as conductor, safe house, and Grand Central Station) was necessary, pressing students to consider what might have happened if enslavers or slave catchers understood these terms. When reviewing the problem–solution graphic organizers, highlight examples that clearly connect problems to specific, historically grounded solutions, asking students to cite evidence from the resources. Use questioning to help students see how planning, cooperation, and resourcefulness were essential to the network’s success. Before moving on, organize students into small groups for the upcoming source analysis.
In small groups, students closely examine a historical reward poster for an enslaved woman named Sophia Gordon. They respond on group discussion walls to prompts about who created the poster and why, how the enslaver viewed Sophia, what the reward amount reveals about the economics of slavery, what the poster suggests about the risks of escape, and how such notices might have affected people working within the Underground Railroad. Next, students read and apply three “Image Evaluation Lenses” (Economic, Risk and Danger, Determination) to primary source images in Images of the Underground Railroad. Working in groups, they select two images and complete a graphic organizer for each, recording observations for each lens.
Teacher MovesPrepare students for the harmful historical language on the reward poster, explaining that it reflects the power structures of slavery and may evoke strong emotions. Support students in identifying the poster’s creator and purpose, then guide them to see how the language and reward amount reveal that enslaved people were treated as property and tied to financial interests, including connections to the Fugitive Slave Act. Use the wall responses to prompt synthesis about the economic motives, legal pressures, and dangers that made secret networks necessary. When students analyze images, focus discussion on one lens at a time, asking how each image illustrates the economics of slavery, the risks and dangers faced by freedom seekers and helpers, and the determination of both those resisting and those enforcing slavery. Help students connect their observations to broader patterns of slavery, resistance, and the urgency behind abolition.
Students watch the video Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad and read Harriet Tubman: Moses of the Underground Railroad to investigate Tubman’s role in the resistance network. They answer multiple-choice questions about why she was called “Moses,” how she avoided capture, why she repeatedly returned to Maryland, and what her actions reveal about her courage and commitment to guiding others to freedom. Finally, students respond on a class discussion wall explaining how Harriet Tubman’s story shows both the dangers involved in escape and the determination demonstrated by freedom seekers.
Teacher MovesAfter reviewing the multiple-choice responses, lead a discussion that situates Tubman within the larger Underground Railroad and abolitionist movement. Draw attention to details such as the number of people she helped and use this to prompt thinking about the scale of the network and the many others involved. Encourage partner or whole-class discussion about how stories of Tubman’s courage might have inspired other freedom seekers and supporters. After students post on the discussion wall, guide them to connect the dangers Tubman faced to the broader economic and social forces sustaining slavery, and to see how her efforts aligned with abolitionist goals of ending slavery and expanding freedom.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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