Freedom Quilts: Activities and Lessons for Grades

January 24, 2010 Edition

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY THROUGH MATHEMATICS AND OTHER INTEGRATED SUBJECTS Activities and Lessons: Grades 2-8

Honouring the Black Slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad by Creating Quilt Codes.

Compilation created by: Brian Diogo, Leonora Inglese, Jennifer Portelli, MaryAnna Lawrence, Sonia Janik-Corvinelli, Steve Kotulak and Mark Cassar

Based on a Compilation of works by Professor Lynda Colgan of Queens University January 30, 2008

Serve Our Children

O God, we pray for all those in our world who are suffering from injustice: For those who are discriminated against because of their race, color or religion; For those imprisoned for working for the relief of oppression; For those who are hounded for speaking the inconvenient truth; For those tempted to violence as a cry against overwhelming hardship; For those deprived of reasonable health and education; For those suffering from hunger and famine; For those too weak to help themselves and who have no one else to help them; For the unemployed who cry out for work but do not find it. We pray for anyone of our acquaintance who is personally affected by injustice. Forgive us, Lord, if we unwittingly share in the conditions or in a system that perpetuates injustice. Show us how we can serve your children and make your love practical by washing their feet.

Mother Teresa

Symbols of Peace: top, clockwise – Doves, Peace Crane, Chinese symbol of Peace, Islamic Symbol of Peace, West African ‘BI NKA BI’ - "No one should bite the other", universal peace symbol, Ying-Yang symbol, universal torch, Circular, past-present-future peace, Japanese peace symbol, international rainbow symbol.

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Introduction

The need to promote mathematical literacy has been apparent for some time and traditionally, mathematics has been taught in isolation, usually from a textbook. For as long as we have tracked results, many students have generally struggled with mathematics. Many develop math anxiety, other simply get bored and lose interest. The question that often arises from students is: “When will I ever need this stuff?”

At the same time, the diversity of our student body challenges teachers to develop an inclusive curriculum, one that encompasses meaningful topics that have relevance to our students’ backgrounds and cultures. The Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board serves the area of Peel, considered to be the most multicultural and diverse urban centre in the world. The need to develop an inclusive curriculum will challenge the traditional ways curriculum is taught and assessed.

Consequently, we conceived a need to create a unit that would fuse the beauty of mathematics, with the power and substance of diversity. Woven within these pages is a celebration of mathematics, highlighted with lessons in art, technology, history, geography, music, drama, Religion/Family Life and English. The vehicle for this celebration is the Freedom Quilts used by slaves during the era of North American slavery. The Freedom Quilt represent how a people, denied of any formal education, created an elaborate manner of communication, through a series of complex geometric shapes, inconspicuously woven into a tapestry of colours. These Freedom Quilts were hung from windows and served as a collection of signals, phrases and directions for slaves as they journeyed the Underground Railroad. All of this was accomplished, unbeknown to their Slave owners. Credit for the idea of connecting math to the Freedom Quilts is extended to Professor Lynda Colgan at Queens University. It was her presentation at OAME 2005 that provided the impetus to create a comprehensive unit on the topic.

Of course, no unit can encompass all elements of this topic, however, we hope you find the sample lessons and activities helpful and worthwhile. Your students will not only appreciate the intelligence, versatility and tenacity shown by Black slaves, but also appreciate the real-life applications of mathematics, in a cross-curricular, integrated setting. Not only will this resource suit most cross- curricular needs during February’s Black History Month, it will also serve well independently, all year round.

Some of the lessons will require access to the Internet. This insures the most up-to-date information available. Rubrics and assessment pieces, along with relevant background information, resources and reading, have also been included. Lessons are general enough to be adapted for many grade levels, combined classes and student abilities.

Tremendous gratitude is extended to those educators who contributed so much to the creation of this document. It is through their creativity and their dedication to the promotion of good mathematics teaching that made this resource possible. They are: Jennifer Portelli, Brian Diogo, Leonora Inglese, MaryAnna Lawrence, Sonia Janik-Corvinelli and Steve Kotulak.

Mark Cassar, Principal

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Number Table of Contents Page

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

1. Prayer and Introduction 2-3 2. The Story of The Quilt Code 6 3. The Great Escape….The Underground Railroad Symbols to Freedom 8 4. The Cairn 9 5. What was the Underground Railroad and Where’s the Math? 10 6. Experimenting with Quilt block patterns 14

MATHEMATICS & TECHNOLOGY– The Making of a Freedom Quilt

7. Geometer’s Sketch Pad #1 – Flying Gees Quilt Block (grades 5-8) 15 8. Geometer’s Sketch Pad #2 – Monkey Wrench Quilt Block (grades 5-8) 19 9. Geometer’s Sketch Pad #3 – Freedom Quilt Patter Extension (grades 5-8) 24 10. African Math Games – Awari and Mancala 28 11. Blacks in Canada: A Long History - (Article: Math and English) (gr. 5-8) 30 12. Making a Freedom Quilt – Detailed Lesson Plan. (Math, Art) (gr. 2-8) 36 13. Escape to Canada – Math Game – Culminating Activity (gr’s 5-8) 46

MUSIC

14. The Story and Song of the Drinking Gourd 48 15.  Drinking Gourd Song and Lesson (gr 5-8) 50 16. Communication Codes and Music – Background information 55 17.  Freedom Songs and Assessment Rubric 59 18. Let’s Make Music 63 19.  Siyahamba musical score, and assessment rubrics (grades 5-8) 68

WEB BASED ACTIVITIES

20. The Slave Escape (History, SES) (grades 4-8) 71 21. Heroes Of The Underground Railroad (History) (grades 4-8) 72 22. Acting Out A Scene from the Underground Railroad (Drama) (gr. 3-8) 73 23. Would You Have Helped? (Ethics, Religion) (grades 6-8) 73

SPECIFIC BLACK HISTORY LESSONS

24. Harriet Tubman Lesson One: (S.E.S) Grades 3-6 74 25. Harriet Tubman Lesson Two: (Art) Grades 3-6 80 26. Harriet Tubman Lesson Three: (Music) Grades 3-6 84 27. Black Slave Narratives – (English/History) Grades 5-8 88

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28. Which Way Is Best? – (Geography/SES) Grade 6-8 98

29. Telling Stories Through Artifacts – (English) Grades 6-8 102 30. Mapping Routes to the Underground Railroad (SES/Geog.) Grades 6-8 107 31. Activity or Centre Ideas (Junior/Intermediate) 115

EXTENSIONS 32. Creating a Jazz Talk Show - (Music, art, English) Grades 4-8 126 33. Creating an ABC book about slavery and Black History - (Music, Art, 129 History, SES, English) Grades 3-8 34. Coming to North America: Then and Now (English Grades 7-8) 133

BLACK AND WHITE TEMPLATES 35.  The Monkey Wrench 155 36.  The Wagon Wheel Quilt Block 157 37.  The Bear’s Paw Quilt Block 159 38.  The Cross Road’s Quilt Block 161 39.  The Log Cabin Quilt Block 163 40.  The Shoe Fly Quilt Block 165 41.  The Bow Tie Quilt Block 167 42.  The Flying Geese Quilt Block 169 43.  The Drunkard’s Path Quilt Block 171 44.  The North Star Quilt Block 174

COLOUR INSTRUCTIONS FOR CREATING QUILT BLOCKS 45.  The Bear’s Paw Quilt Block 176 46.  The Bow Tie Quilt Block 179 47.  The Monkey Wrench 182 48.  The Wagon Wheel Quilt Block 185 49.  The Cross Roads Quilt Block 190 50.  The Flying Geese Quilt Block 194 51.  The Drunkard’s Path Quilt Block 199 52.  The Shoofly Quilt Block 206 53.  The Log Cabin Quilt Block 210 54.  The North Star Quilt Block 213

RECOMMENDED READINGS, WEBSITES, RESOURCES & TEMPLATES. 55.  Recommended Readings 214 56.  Websites and Other Books For Children 218 57.  7 x 7 Grid Template, 4 x 4 Grid Template, 3 x 3 Grid Template 221 58.  Summary Sheet of Each Quilt Code 224 59.  Underground Rail Road Codes and Phrases of Communication 226 5 January 30, 2008

This is how the Quilt Code worked as far as we know it: African American slaves combined common quilt patterns and sewing methods with traditional African symbols and images to make bed quilts that would display messages. The messages themselves were part of a language that held meaning only for people who had somehow learned it from any of a number of teaching methods – in worship services, through storytelling or in secret sessions with elders.

Slaveholding families and white supervisors had no cause to suspect anything unusual about slave women making quilts, either for white families or for themselves. Likewise, it was common practice to hang quilts outdoors during daylight to freshen them in the air, especially during the spring and summer months when most escapes occurred so that slaves could reach Canada before cold weather. The quilts acted as billboards, sending encoded messages to slaves intending to flee as well as to those on the run. Slaves who did not know the code most likely traveled with guides who did.

Ozella McDaniel Williams was a descendant of slaves and claimed that her ancestors passed down the secret of the quilt code from one generation to the next.

According to Ozella, a Black plantation seamstress would sew a sampler quilt containing different quilt blocks. Slaves would use the sampler to memorize the code. The seamstress then sewed ten quilts, each composed of one of the code's patterns. As Ozella Williams told it, the first message in the Quilt Code was “The monkey wrench turns the wagon wheel toward Canada on a bear’s paw trail to the crossroads.” Slaves who knew the code would know this phrasing as well as the four symbols within it: the Monkey Wrench, the Wagon Wheel, the Bear’s Paw and the Crossroads. And each of the four symbols is a quilt square pattern.

The seamstress would hang the quilts in full view one at a time. Since it was common for quilts to be aired out frequently, the master or mistress would not be suspicious when seeing quilts displayed in this fashion. In this way, the slaves could nonverbally alert those who were escaping.

Only one quilt would appear at any one time. Each quilt signaled a specific action for a slave to take at the particular time that the quilt was on view. The code had dual meaning: first, to signal slaves to prepare to escape, and, second to give clues and indicate directions on the journey. As Jacqueline Tobin says, quilts displaying the Code served as road maps on the route to freedom. They flashed visual messages “hidden in plain view.” Along the several routes of the Underground Railroad, enslaved blacks in the South and free blacks in the North knew the Code and hung quilts to 6 January 30, 2008 report local conditions to the runaways who they knew would be traveling in certain seasons. One message was to seek shelter, another to continue to a church, another to take on a disguise. The well-known five-pointed Star quilt pattern told fugitives to follow the North Star. Even the stitching on the reverse side of a quilt contained a secret road map code, indicating, for example, the number of miles between safe houses along the route. Ever since Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard interviewed Ozella and wrote about her understanding of the quilt code in their 1998 book, Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad, the quilt-code theory has been controversial. Quilt historians and Underground Railroad experts have questioned both the study's methodology and the accuracy of its findings. One expert, Giles R. Wright, a New Jersey-based historian, points to a lack of corroborating evidence, noting that quilt codes are not mentioned in the 19th century slave narratives or the 1930s oral testimonies of former slaves. Other historians claim that quilt patterns named in the code did not exist prior to the Civil War.

As academics debate whether Ozella’s quilt code theory is fact or folklore, it remains an engaging view of the past, and a credible extension to the well-documented use of dance, song and oral traditions that allowed the slaves to communicate with one another. Though maybe not documentable in any scholarly way, the idea of a quilt code provides a vehicle through which many people believe we can begin to better understand this period in our history.

Furthermore, quilts are universally accepted symbols of comfort. If the romantic and fanciful stories of escapes on the Underground Railroad have somehow lessened the painful memory of that time, then these tales will have served a very useful purpose.

It is on the premise that, despite the historical debate around the quilts, the educational value of the quilt construction, as it relates to Black slaves, is a worthwhile resource for children to study. At the very least, the use of mathematics in the creation of the quilt codes is truly impressive.

This photograph (left) is a sampler quilt in that it contains 12 different quilt blocks representing the code blocks believed to have been used to guide travelers and keepers of safe houses.

This photograph (right) is from the cover of Hidden in Plain View. It shows a quilt that contains a secret code – note that each quilt block is exactly the same. This is believed to be how information was passed to travelers on the Underground Railroad.

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THE GREAT ESCAPE – QUILTS IN ACTION

The Monkey Wrench Turns…

…the Wagon Wheel…

…toward Canada on a

Bear’s Paw Trail…

…to the Crossroads.

Once they got to the crossroads they…

…dug a Log Cabin on the ground.

Shoofly told them to dress up in…

…cotton and Bow Ties and go to the cathedral church,

. . . get married and exchange

Double Wedding Rings.

Flying Geese stay on…

…the Drunkards Path…

…and follow the Stars.

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The Cairn

The Cairn is a monument to honour the Black slaves who traveled the Underground Railroad to its northernmost terminus at Owen Sound. The Cairn, situated on the Freedom Path faces north and overlooks the Sydenham River — appropriate because the escaping slaves viewed crossing a river and heading north as the road to freedom. It was designed by Bonita Johnson-de-Matheis.

The Cairn was designed to give visitors a feeling of shelter and protection — which is what escaped slaves found in Owen Sound. The windows used in the monument are shaped from the original window frames of the ‘Little Zion’ church that was the first Black church in Owen Sound.

The stones that comprise the Cairn were donated by many of the former American slave and border crossing states, and also include black granite from South Africa and limestone from the Owen Sound quarry.

Apple trees line the site since slaves were told that if they followed the apple blossoms, they would be going north. The blossoming season is later as one moves north. The quilt patterns found in the stepping stones represent the secret messages that are purported to have been relayed to slaves in the form codes, symbols and designs within quilts.

The map (right) shows the known destination points of the Underground Railroad. Many black slaves found freedom on arriving at the last terminal of the Underground Railroad — the Village of Sydenham, now known as Owen Sound, a small city on the shore of Lake Huron.

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What was the Underground Railroad?

The history books tell us that between 1440 to the late 1800s, tens of millions of Black Africans were taken away from their homes and boarded onto crowded ships destined for the United States to become slave labourers for the many sugar plantations in the south.

We know that about 15 million Africans survived the journey but because of harsh living conditions and cruelty in their new homeland, many thousands more died from disease and exhaustion.

As the slaves watched friend after friend and family member after family member, suffer and die, many began to dream about once again being free. This dream soon became a quest for freedom — what we now know as the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad had no railcars or track and it was not underground. The Underground Railroad was a network of escape routes that were described using railroad terms. 'Passengers' were runaway slaves fleeing from the South. Their guides were called 'conductors' and they led them from one 'station' to another.

Escape routes stretched from the southern slave states into the North and on to Canada. Fugitives usually traveled secretly at night, and were hidden in 'safe houses', barns, and haylofts in the day. Thousands of antislavery campaigners, both black and white, risked their lives to operate the railway

The law prohibited teaching slaves how to read and write. Because of this, information regarding an escape had to be committed to memory and passed on only by word of mouth, using songs, signs and codes. By using quilts, items seen every day, slaves were able to communicate messages about plans to escape in front of their masters without drawing suspicion. This compilation of lessons and resources is intended to help you to learn about the elaborate quilt code that many believe guided thousands of slaves to freedom in Canada.

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Where’s the math????

For the purposes of this activity, we use the following definition of a quilt block: A quilt block is made of 16 small squares. Each small square consists of two triangles. Each square has four possible configurations as illustrated in the diagram below.

Each quilt block is made of 16 squares, each of which is constructed from 2 triangles. It is often helpful to view the quilt block as having 4 square ‘cells’, each comprised of four of the small squares.

Use 2 different colours and the 4X4 template to make enough strips of each colour to produce 8 squares for each one. Cut each square along its diagonal to make 16 triangles of one colour and 16 of the other.

How many different quilt block designs can you create using just these shapes? (Hint: There are a few possibilities of quilt block designs on the next page.)

Can you use the two colours of triangles to make a square to show two equal parts? Four equal parts?

The right side is a mirror image of the left, The right side is a mirror image of the left, but and the top is a mirror of the bottom. the top is not a mirror of the bottom.

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There are no lines of mirror symmetry, but The top is a mirror image of the bottom, but the the figure is the same if you rotate it 180 right side is not a mirror of the left. degrees.

You learned about slides, flips and turns in school. Can you use what you know about slides, flips and turns to describe the pattern in the 16-square block you designed? Use the examples above to help you.

Could you have created the same design with other moves?

Can you use what you know about fractions to help you describe your quilt square to someone else?

If you want to try making your quilt blocks on the computer, you can download some free software at:

http://www.quiltmakersoftware.com

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This quilt block is called Hearts and Gizzards. Why might this be so? Look at one block. Find two triangles in this small square. (For help locating the triangles, find the line that runs from the upper right to the lower left.) What can you say about these triangles and their angles?

Rotating the block about a corner generates a second square, as in the example at the

left. What happens to the pattern if you rotate the original block 90 degrees, either clockwise or counterclockwise about one its corners?

How many times do you need to repeat this rotation before you return to where you started?

The Irish Chain Quilt

For the Irish Chain quilt, the basic block consists of a checkerboard and a square with a rectangle inscribed in it. It looks like this:

Which transformation would you use to generate this pattern starting with the basic block: a translation, a reflection, or a rotation?

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BEFORE YOU BEGIN MAKING YOUR QUILT BLOCKS …

… you can experiment with these templates to decide on your colours and patterns. It is a good idea to use both the single block template and the mini quilt (with 6 blocks in total) to see how different the quilts may look when you use different colours and/or patterned paper, individually and collectively. Experiment with these quilt blocks to learn how you can change the appearance and therefore the meaning and/or message─ communicated by the quilt block dramatically! Consider this example using a pinwheel quilt block. Aren’t you surprised at how different the same pattern looks in each block? Try this yourself with all of the freedom quilt blocks.

14 January 30, 2008

GEOMETER’S SKETCH PAD LESSON #1 Flying Geese Quilt Block Lesson Overview:

Using The Geometer’s Sketchpad students will create the various quilt patterns found on the Freedom Quilt. This lesson will walk them through creating the Flying Geese Quilt Block using transformational geometry.

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 5-8 Instructional Objectives: Students need to have prior knowledge of using The Geometer’s Sketchpad. Students will use transformational geometry to create patterns on the Freedom Quilt. This lesson uses rotations, and translations. Supplies: Computer, the Geometer’s Sketchpad v4.03. Instructional Plan: 1. Construct a square. Select the line segment tool hold the shift key down to draw a straight line.

2. Using the Selection tool select this point. You will be rotating the line 90°.

From the menu, Select Transform>Mark Center, the point will highlight, holding the shift key, click on the line and the other point. Select Transform>Rotate, (Fixed Angle should be selected and 90°).

3. Select the bottom point, Select Transform>Mark Center, holding the shift key click on the line and the top point. Select Transform>Rotate

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4. The third side of the square will appear.

5. Select the bottom left point, Select Transform>Mark Center, click on the line, do not select the point, this time we only need to rotate the line. Select Transform>Rotate. Your square will be complete.

6. Now that the square is completed we will divide it in half to create the isosceles triangles.

Using the selection tool, select the top line, select Construct>Midpoint. Select the bottom line, select Construct>Midpoint. Holding the shift key down select both midpoints, select Construct>Segment, the two points will now be joined.

Using the selection tool, select the left vertical line of the square, from menu select Construct>Midpoint. Select the center line, from menu select Construct>Midpoint. Holding the shift key down, select two points, select Construct>Segment.

Finish constructing the lines for the remaining points.

7. Colour in the triangle interiors.

Using the selection tool, holding the shift key down, select three points of the triangle. Select Construct>Triangle Interior. Do the same for the other triangle. To change the colour of triangle interior, (use the selection tool), click on the interior. Select Display>Colour, choose a

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different colour.

8. We will now rotate the triangles and square to complete the quilt block.

Using the selection tool, select the bottom right corner of the figure.

With the corner highlighted, select Transform>Mark Center. Select Edit>Select All, Select Transform>Rotate (choose fixed angle, and – 90°), selecting -90° will rotate the figure in a clockwise direction.

With everything still highlighted, Select Transform>Rotate, the third block will appear, Select Transform>Rotate again, the fourth block will fill in.

The completed Flying Geese Block

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Continuing the Flying Geese Block Pattern

1. Using the selection tool, select the bottom left corner of the block, holding the shift key down, select the bottom right corner. Select Transform>Mark Vector. Select Edit>Select All. Select Transform>Translate, make sure Marked is selected, click Translate. While everything is highlighted, select Transform>Translate to repeat the process.

2. This pattern should appear.

3. We are going to continue translating the pattern down. Using the selection tool, select the top right corner of the pattern. Holding the shift key down select the bottom right corner. Select Transform>Mark Vector. Select Edit>Select All. Select Transform>Translate, make sure Marked is selected, click Translate. While everything is highlighted, select Transform>Translate to repeat the process.

4. Once the pattern is complete, Click on the Point tool, Select Edit>Select All Points, Select Display>Hide Points. Your Flying Geese Quilt is complete.

18 January 30, 2008

GEOMETER’S SKETCH PAD LESSON #2

Monkey Wrench Quilt Block

Lesson Overview:

Using The Geometer’s Sketchpad v4.03 students will create the various quilt patterns found on the Freedom Quilt. This lesson will walk them through creating the Monkey Wrench Quilt Block using transformational geometry.

Length of Lesson: 45 minutes Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 5-8

Instructional Objectives: Students need to have prior knowledge of using The Geometer’s Sketchpad. Students will use transformational geometry to create patterns on the Freedom Quilt. This lesson uses rotations, reflections, and translations. Supplies: Computer, the Geometer’s Sketchpad v4.03.

Instructional Plan: 1. Construct a square.

2. Select the line segment tool hold the shift key down to draw a straight line.

3. Using the Selection tool select this point. You will be rotating the line 90°.

4. From the menu, Select Transform>Mark Center, the point will highlight, holding the shift key, click on the line and the other point. Select Transform>Rotate, (Fixed Angle should be selected and 90°).

5. Select the bottom point, Select Transform>Mark Center, holding the shift key click on the line and the top point. Select Transform>Rotate

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6. The third side of the square will appear.

7. Select the bottom left point, Select Transform>Mark Center, click on the line, do not select the point, this time we only need to rotate the line. Select Transform>Rotate. Your square will be complete.

8. Now that the square is completed we will divide it in half by creating a diagonal.

9. Using the selection tool, select the top right corner, holding the shift key down, select the bottom left corner, select Construct>Segment. The two points will now be joined.

10. Using the selection tool, select the right vertical line of the square, from menu select Construct>Midpoint. Select the bottom line, from menu select Construct>Midpoint. Holding the shift key down, select the right vertical segment and the bottom segment, select Display> Hide Segments.

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11. We will now create two small squares and two lines to complete one corner of the Monkey Wrench Block.

12. Using the selection tool, select the bottom right point, holding the shift key down, select the point that is above the bottom right point. Select Construct>Segment.

13. We will now create a square using the segment we created. Follow the same process we used in Steps 2-5.

14. We will now create the other square in one of two ways. We can draw a line segment from the point to the corner of the square and follow Steps 2-5 as above, (note: to rotate an object in a clockwise direction put a negative sign “-“ in front of the degree of rotation, “-90°”). or:

The other way to create the square is to rotate the existing square 180°. Using the selection tool select the bottom left corner of the square. Select Transform>Mark Center. Using the selection tool, holding the shift key down, select all the points and segments of the square. Once everything is selected, select Transform>Rotate, rotate 180°.

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15. We will now create the two small lines from each corner of the triangle. Using the selection tool select the right vertex of the triangle, holding the shift key down select the vertex of the square directly below, select Construct>Segment. Again select the top right corner of the triangle, select Transform>Mark Center, holding the shift key down, select the segment we just created and the vertex of the square, select Transform>Rotate 90°. You must also create the lines for the bottom left corner of the triangle using the same process, (hint, you will have to rotate -90°).

16. We will now reflect the image along the vertical line, select the right segment of the square, select Transform>Mark Mirror, the line will flash. Select Edit>Select All, everything will be selected, select Transform>Reflect. You should end up with this image.

17. We will now reflect the image along a horizontal line, select a bottom segment of the square, select Transform>Mark Mirror, the line will flash. Select Edit>Select All, everything will be selected, select Transform>Reflect. You should end up with this image.

18. The completed Monkey Wrench Block

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Continuing the Monkey Wrench Pattern

1. Using the selection tool, select the bottom left corner of the block, holding the shift key down, select the bottom right corner. Select Transform>Mark Vector. Select Edit>Select All. Select Transform>Translate, make sure Marked is selected, click Translate. While everything is still highlighted, select Transform>Translate to repeat the process.

2. This pattern should appear.

4. Once the pattern is complete, Click on the Point tool, Select Edit>Select All Points, Select Display>Hide Points. Your Monkey Wrench Quilt is complete.

23 January 30, 2008

GEOMETER’S SKETCH PAD LESSON #3 Freedom Quilt Block Pattern Extension

Lesson Overview:

Using The Geometer’s Sketchpad v4.03 students will create the various quilt patterns found on the Freedom Quilt. Students will create another Quilt Block Pattern found on the Freedom Quilt.

Length of Lesson: Two or three 45 minute blocks.

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 5-8

Instructional Objectives: Students need to have prior knowledge of using The Geometer’s Sketchpad. Students should have completed the Flying Geese and Monkey Wrench Quilt Block Pattern. Using their prior knowledge from the Flying Geese and the Monkey Wrench Quilt Block Pattern students will use transformation geometry to create an additional Freedom Quilt Block Pattern. Student will keep a journal on the steps they used to create the additional block pattern.

Supplies: Computer, the Geometer’s Sketchpad v4.03, and a math journal.

Instructional Plan: Students will choose a Freedom Quilt Block Pattern that they want to create using the Geometer’s Sketchpad. They will use transformational geometry to create the new block pattern. Students will write a journal recording their steps they used to create the block pattern.

The steps the students create for the block pattern can be shared with others to attempt.

24 January 30, 2008

MATH LESSON Blacks in Canada: A Long History

Lesson Overview:

Students will examine population patterns of blacks in Canada.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 6-8

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

• Organize and display data on charts and graphs, using a variety of tools (e.g., graph paper, dynamic stat software).

• Read, discuss, interpret, and draw conclusions from data presented in graphs.

• Identify and describe trends from graphs (gr.7).

Supplies:

• Projector • Overhead Transparency • Chart Paper • Markers • Article “Blacks in Canada: A long history” By Anne Milan and Kelly Tran (attached: page 27)

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

As a class, students will begin by conducting a survey on the ethnic origins of their peers. You may wish to gather your primary data from your class, grade or division. Students will then need to organize the data collected (e.g, on a tally chart).

Introductory and Developmental Activities Introduce and demonstrate the use of a variety of graphs. Discuss their purpose and when it would be most appropriate to use them.

There are three groupings of graphs: 25 January 30, 2008

a) Graphs that Compare

 Bar Graphs: a graph that uses bars to compare sets of data.  Pictographs: a graph that uses pictures or symbols to compare data.  Histograms: a graph that shows how often data falls into different ranges.  Circle Graphs: a circular graph that shows how a whole is broken into parts. b) Graphs that Show Change Over Time

 Line Graphs: a graph that uses a line or lines to show how one or many things change over the same time period. c) Graphs that show how Data are Clustered

 Stem-and-Leaf Plots: a graph that allows you to easily see the greatest, least, and median values in a set of data.  Scatter Plots: a graph that plots corresponding numbers from two sets of data as ordered pairs.

Guided Practice

As a class, discuss which graph is most appropriate to display the data collected in the warm up activity. Create the graph on chart paper and justify its use.

On overhead transparency, present the statistics on the population increase of blacks in Canada (found in the Statistics Canada article “Blacks in Canada: A Long History, pg.3…{page 27 of this document}).

In groups, have the students reflect and discuss the following questions in order to help students interpret and draw conclusions:

 What factors may have contributed to the increase in the black population from 1871 to 2001?  Where do you think most of Canada’s black population migrated from?  What could account for the population decline in 1951?  The population increased drastically from 1971 to 1981. Why might this have happened?

As a class, share and record group responses. Ensure that students have justified their interpretations of the data.

Provide the class with a summary of the key points presented in the article. Discuss how they compare to the interpretations generated by the students. 26 January 30, 2008

Independent Activity

In this activity, students will take the data presented in the chart and select an appropriate graph to represent it. In doing so, students must justify the type of graph chosen and explain why it is appropriate.

As an extension, students can also predict future trends and justify them.

Closure

Have students share their graphs and justifications.

Assessment:

Students should use the following Assessment Rubric to evaluate their work.

EXPECTATIONS OVER ALL LEVEL

Representing: graph accurately displays 1 2 3 4 data (proper title, labels, and scales).

Communicating: effectively communicates mathematical justification for choice of 1 2 3 4 graph. (gr.7 – and predictions for future trends)

Reasoning and Proving: effectively 1 2 3 4 applies reasoning skills to make conjectures and justify conclusions (e.g., choice of graph, trends).

Reflecting: effectively demonstrates that 1 2 3 4 they are reflecting and monitoring their thinking to help clarify their understanding

African Mathematics…Awari - The Game http://members.aol.com/sstev74322/awari11.htm

Awari is a popular member of the Mancala family of board games. There are many variants to the rules of this game, which is for two players. This version is between a player and the computer.

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Awari uses a board with 14 cups and 36 stones as shown below. The top row of six beige cups belongs to the computer and the bottom row of six pale blue cups belongs to the player. Initially, the six cups in two rows each contain 3 stones. The darker beige cup at the left is used to store stones captured by the computer. Similarly the darker blue cup at the right is used to store the player's captured stones.

The board contains two radio buttons which allow the player to select who shall have the first turn, the player or the computer. The game starts when the player clicks on the Start button. If the computer is to have the first turn, it makes its move immediately the Start button is pressed. The player takes his turn and then initiates each subsequent computer move by clicking on the

Computer's Turn button.

A turn consists of one or two moves. To make a move, you must select one of your cups by clicking on it. The stones from the selected cup are automatically 'sown' in an anti-clockwise direction, one stone being sown in each cup, starting immediately next to the selected cup. The cups used for captured stones are also included when sowing stones. If the number of stones permits, the sowing continues into your opponent's row.

If the last stone sown is in the cup used for your captured stones, you may take a second turn. If the last stone sown is in an empty cup and the cup opposite contains one or more stones, you will capture all the stones in the opposite cup and also your last stone sown. When captures (if any) are complete, it will then be the opponent's turn to sow stones. The game ends when a player has no stones left to sow. The winner is the player who has captured the larger number of stones. (If at any time a cup contains more than 7 stones, their number is displayed in the cup concerned.)

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Mancala – The Game

http://imagiware.com/mancala/mancala.cgi

History Mancala may well be the oldest board game in the world since, like Morris variations, it can be easily played with whatever medium happens to be around. For instance, in Africa, people often play with pebbles using hollows scooped into the earth, with cowrie or other seashells in rings in the sand or specially carved wooden board with seeds. It is a wholly mathematical game - its more complex versions have as much scope as Chess, despite its primitive origins.

Stone Mancala boards have been found carved into the roofs of temples in Memphis, Thebes and Luxor - the game was definitely being played in Egypt before 1400BC. It appears that the game might have evolved in Egypt from boards and counters which were used for accounting and stock taking; evidence for such record keeping boards having been found in even more Ancient Sumeria as well as Ancient Egy

The initial order of play may be altered for any subsequent game.

Mancala is played with seven pits -- six playing pits plus one score pit, the Kalaha -- per player. At the beginning of the game, each of the (12) playing pits contains 3 seeds (or beads or stones or balls or whatever).

To play, the player chooses one pit from which to "sow" the seeds. Each seed in the pit is then placed, one at a time, into the successive pits, moving counter-clockwise around the board. Seeds placed in a Kalaha are points for that player. Seeds are not sown in the opponent's Kalaha. If the last seed in a play is placed in the player's own Kalaha, they get another turn. If the last seed is placed in an empty pit on their own side of the board, then they Capture the seeds in the opposite (their opponent's) pit.

All captured seeds, as well as the capturing piece, are placed in the player's Kalaha. The game ends when all of the pits on one side of the board are empty. The player with seeds remaining gets to put them into their Kalaha. The winner is the player with the most seeds.

To play, first select a difficulty level. The new computer player has three settings: "Easy", "Intermediate", and "Difficult". Enter a name that will appear on the Mancala Scoreboard, if you do well enough, and press the "Play Mancala" button. Good luck! You always get to go first (for now). To play just click on the pit from which you'd like to move. If you want a hint, press the "Hint" button and Mancala Web will suggest a move for you. That's it. Oh, one final note: Be sure to wait for the page to finish loading before you select your next move. Otherwise, your game might get messed up.

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MAKING A FREEDOM QUILT

Lesson Overview:

Slaves followed symbols on "freedom" quilts that were put out during the day to give guidance on the directions or dangers that lay ahead of them. Quilts often use flips, turns, and slides to create symmetry. Both math and art elements were used in creating these directional quilts. Three "freedom" quilt designs are studied for evidence of this. The culminating activity is one "freedom" quilt designed and completed by the students.

Length of Lesson: Four 45-minute periods A Grade 2 class and their Quilt Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 2-8. Instructional Objectives: Students will:

 Explore how shapes slide, flip, and turn using pattern blocks.  Design a class quilt using slides, flips, and turns and positive and negative colours.  Identify six of ten "freedom" quilt patterns.  Using a template, create either the "Crossroad," "Shoofly," "Monkey Wrench," or "Star" pattern.  Write a description of the math and art elements used to create the "Crossroad," "Shoofly," "Monkey Wrench," or "Star" pattern.

Supplies:  Markers, crayons, pencils, coloured pencils, or water colour, water, and brushes  Glue, glue sticks, pencils, and scissors Pattern blocks  Large teacher pattern blocks or see through pattern blocks for use with an overhead projector  8" x 8" square (divided into 4, 4" x 4" squares to fit the 16 triangles in)  Black construction paper/White construction paper

Instructional Plan:

The students should have some prior knowledge of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.

( http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAStubman.htm )

If not then you need to inform students that the Underground Railroad was organized by former slaves, freed blacks, and sympathetic whites for the run away slaves to find shelter, food, drinking water, safe hiding places, and paths or roads to follow.

Most of the travel was done at night and the "Drinking Gourd" or the "Big Dipper" was a welcome site. Explain to the students that the Big Dipper is a group of very bright stars that 36 January 30, 2008 resemble the cup and long handle of a water dipper that was used to get water from a bucket or a well. We do not commonly use dippers today but they were a part of every household in the 1800’s. Slaves commonly used a gourd cut in half as a dipper because they did not have the funds to purchase metal or ceramic ones, and so the reference to drinking gourd in "Follow the Drinking Gourd" It helped them keep on a northern path as the North Star could be found at the dipper end of the Big Dipper by looking up from the star that formed the top right hand part of the dipper.

Since many slaves could not read, songs and symbols were used to guide them on their way. One famous song, "Follow the Drinking Gourd" is one that has made it through to today and was sung to tell people how to get to freedom. Another method of communicating safety or danger was the use of quilts. They called them "freedom quilts". They were hung on a line and used different designs to communicate. Do we communicate by symbols in any way nowadays? Signs that are universal like a stop sign or handicapped sign or hand gestures such as a wave that are known. Do people develop secretive symbols or signs? How do shapes and patterns on a quilt communicate information? There were ten patterns that gave messages to the runaways. Tell the students that they will be working with or making six of these patterns and that throughout the lesson they will hear little stories describing the patterns and what they told. Ask them to pay careful attention because at the end of the lesson, they will be quizzed on them.

Display "Flying Geese" a "Freedom" quilt design (see index). Can any students find evidence of slides, flips, or turns in the design? What geometric figures are visible in the design? What compass rose positions are visible in the design? What is symmetry? Is this pattern symmetrical? If so, where is the line of symmetry?

Distribute a medium triangle (shape G) from the Quilt Shapes handout (page 37) and a blank 4 square Quilt Base handout (page 38) to each student. Follow these steps:

1. Have the students place the triangle in the top left square so that the base of the triangle touches the line at the bottom of the top square. 2. Ask the students to SLIDE the triangle up so that the point of the triangle touches the top line of the top square. 3. Once that move is done successfully by all, the students place the triangle on the bottom line and trace around that area. 4. The students then do the SLIDE up to the top line again and trace that triangle. There should be two triangles facing NORTH. They do not overlap and the bottom triangle’s top point just touches the top triangle’s base. The next step moves to the EAST. 5. Have the students place the triangle (shape G) in the top of the four squares so that it is touching the top line (NORTH). 6. Take the triangle and TURN it to the right. The triangle is now in the top right square and touching the middle line of the four square. 7. Trace that shape and then SLIDE it to the edge. Trace that shape also. 8. Again, two triangles are seen not overlapping, but touching and facing EAST. 9. Repeat the TURN and SLIDE moves for SOUTH and WEST by moving to the bottom right then left squares of the four square. The final product is "Flying Geese."

Runaway slaves used the "Flying Geese" pattern for directions. The darker colour indicated what direction to follow. The students colour the large triangles in variations of the same colour. The

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two in each square facing the same direction are the same colour. Example, Black, Violet, Purple, and Lilac are colours that could be used to demonstrate this pattern.

Distribute the Quilt Pattern Examples handout (page 41) while referring to "The Bow Tie" (The Hourglass). Place a four square on the board. Give out 8 black and 8 white triangles (shape G) to students. (*Note: For this step, teacher needs to create these triangles from the template ahead of time.) Four triangles fit in each smaller square. Two are positive (reflect light) and two are negative (absorb light). Have a student place a white triangle in a smaller square. Glue it in place. Another student places a white triangle on top of the glued one and FLIPS it, to create symmetry within the smaller square. Glue.

Then have a black triangle placed on top of the first white triangle and TURN to one side of the first white triangle. Glue. The other black triangle FLIPS off the black triangle to complete the square. Glue. Have the other students complete the design. As each person comes up, he she tells if the triangle is sliding, flipping, or turning off another figure. As each bit goes on ask if it is symmetrical. The final product should be "The Bow tie." This pattern told escaped slaves that new clothing would be gotten at this stop to disguise themselves as free blacks before they reached the next safe house or destination.

Display "Shoefly," (see index) "Monkey Wrench," (see index) "Crossroads," (see index) "The Bow tie" (see index) (The Hourglass), and "The Star" (see index) patterns. Create a chart on the board and distribute the Quilt Chart handout (attached). The students work independently to identify what was done with the shapes to create each pattern. "Flying Geese" has been done as a model for the students. Collect and grade the completed work.

Each student is to work on another "Freedom" quilt pattern. Give out black and white construction paper, scissors, pencils, and glue. Divide the class into teams of four. Give each team a template for "Shoefly", "The Crossroad", "Monkey Wrench," and "The Star" patterns. Each person on the team completes one pattern. Provide a template of the sizes of triangles and squares to be cut. Leave the model of the completed patterns on display for reference. Suggest that the students cut out the triangles and squares to trace onto the white and black paper. They should count the number of triangles and squares of each kind needed on the full template design. A small 'b' or 'w' could be placed on the full design to help with placement. Allow students the rest of the time left and perhaps into the next day to complete the quilt piece.

A description of the patterns is as follows:

 "Monkey Wrench"—the pattern that signaled those slaves planning to escape to collect the mental and physical tools needed for escape. It was the first pattern to be displayed."  "Shoefly"—a person who was very knowledgeable about codes. This person secretly aided and harboured runaways.  "The Crossroad"—referred to the Cleveland Ohio Trail, which was often the crossroads point. The fugitive slaves received further instructions because many directions could be taken.

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 "The Star"—the North Star; It was used as a navigation tool by the fugitives and sung about in Follow the Drinking Gourd. This pattern and "Flying Geese" are directional patterns and the runway slaves looked to the sky for guidance.

Have students label the quilt design in a short paragraph or fills an index card. The label is written to inform. It describes the name of the pattern, what was done to create them, and includes math terms and art terms. There should be more than just one description for math and art. Place the card on the back of the finished piece. Then connect all of the pieces for a class quilt.

Assessment: Use the Rubric (page 39) to assess your students. Give out the freedom quilt Quiz (page 40) handout for the students to complete and return to the teacher. Students can also fill in the Quilt Chart (page 42) to illustrate understanding of the geometric processes involved in creating the quilt blocks.

Extensions: Have students create their own quilt designs to guide the run away slaves. They then write a description of the significance of the design. The description also includes math and art elements.

Instead of black and white paper to make the patterns, use coloured construction paper and wrapping paper. Have the colours used compliment each other dramatically. The designs now can be three or four colours instead of just two. Don’t go over four because for young students, it gets very confusing. (Many adults also have this problem.)

The teacher may wish to distribute plain paper, water colour, and brushes, as well as limiting the colour pallet the students can use. Students can do dry or increasingly wetter brush strokes. The design is to be abstract. After it dries, the student can choose the most interesting parts of the abstract to use in the quilt. The pieces can be traded around also because they are the same limited colour grouping. Add a solid complimentary piece of construction paper and it becomes very interesting.

Have older students work on the other four patterns of the "Freedom Quilts." Use the quilt web sites to look at them. The directions are there. They are:

 "The Wagon Wheel" —this was the second pattern displayed and symbolized the need to think about what was needed for survival.  "The Log Cabin"—it told fugitives that this was a safe house location. Yellow or red in the center meant a welcome, warm, and safe place. A black center warned of danger.  "The Drunkard’s Path"—reminded the runaways to move in a zigzag fashion to fool the slave hunters.  "The Bear’s Paw"—used in South Carolina and the Appalachians to indicate the best path for food and water.

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QUILT FORMS

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Quilt Pattern 6x6

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Freedom Quilt Rubric

Student Name: ______

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

The student created Successfully Completed most of Attempt made, but No attempt “Flying Geese” Pattern completed the the pattern in both part of the pattern is made. using slides and turns. pattern in both design and colour. incorrect either in design and colour design or colouring.

The student completed Successfully Attempt made with Attempt made with No attempt the Quilt Chart completed chart with few incorrect few correct answers made or all identifying the name; no incorrect answers. answers. or incomplete. answers geometric shapes used; incorrect. slides, flips, or turns; and if the pattern has symmetry.

The student created the Successfully Completed most of Attempt made, but No attempt quilt piece using positive completed the the pattern in both part of the pattern is made. and negative design. pattern in both design and colour. incorrect in design design and colour. or colour.

The student identified six 5 – 6 patterns 3 – 4 patterns 1 – 2 patterns No attempt “Freedom Quilt designs. correctly identified. correctly identified. correctly identified. made or all answers incorrect.

The student described in Wrote about the quilt Wrote about the Wrote about the No attempt writing the elements of piece included both quilt piece quilt piece but did made. math and art that were math and art included both math not include both used to create the quilt elements/many and art elements, math and art piece they worked on in descriptions. but minimum. elements. class. descriptions used.

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Freedom Quilt Quiz

Name:______Date:______

Directions: Fill in the blank with the correct quilt design name.

1. The way the darkest colour was facing gave the direction to follow ______.

2. Change clothes to look like a free man ______.

3. Get ready by gathering tools for the journey ______.

4. Wait for further directions at this stop ______.

5. Look to the night sky for the directions ______.

6. This person knows a lot of secret codes ______.

Monkey Wrench Shoofly Flying Geese Star Crossroads Bow tie

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Quilt Chart Student Name: ______

Name Flip, Slide, Turn Geometric Shapes Symmetry

Flying Geese Slides and Turns Used Large and Small Yes Triangles

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MATH LESSON Escape to Canada: Criteria for the game

Your task is to create a game based on how black slaves escaped to Canada.

Your game must include:  A game board that resembles a co-ordinate plane – players will move according to the co-ordinates given  Clearly stated rules and instructions on how to play the game  Use of transformational geometry

Planning your game:

Game name:

Materials needed:

Game board design:

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Game rules:

How to play the game:

Teacher/Group Conference (possible suggestions)

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Game rules:

How to play the game:

Teacher/Group Conference (possible suggestions)

47 January 30, 2008

Follow the Drinking Gourd

According to the experts at

http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdg1.htm,

"Follow the Drinking Gourd" is a coded song that gives the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi. This is what they have to say about the codes in the song:

Of all the routes out of the Deep South, this is the only one for which the details survive. The route instructions were given to slaves by an old man named Peg Leg Joe. Working as an itinerant carpenter, he spent winters in the South, moving from plantation to plantation, teaching slaves this escape route. Unfortunately, we know nothing more about Peg Leg Joe. The song and its translation are as follows:

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom, If you follow the Drinking Gourd.

"When the sun comes back" means winter and spring when the angle of the sun above the horizon at noon is getting higher each day. Quail are migratory birds which winter in the South. The Drinking Gourd is the Big Dipper. The old man is Peg Leg Joe. The verse tells slaves to leave in the winter and walk towards the Drinking Gourd. Eventually they will meet a guide who will escort them for the remainder of the trip. Most escapees had to cross the Ohio River which is too wide and too swift to swim. The Railroad struggled with the problem of how to get escapees across, and with experience, came to believe the best crossing time was winter. Then the river was frozen, and escapees could walk across on the ice. Since it took most escapees a year to travel from the South to the Ohio, Jeanette Winter’s Follow The Drinking Gourd the Railroad urged slaves to start their trip in winter in order to be at the Ohio River the next winter.

The river bank makes a very good road, The dead trees show you the way, Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the Drinking Gourd.

This verse taught slaves to follow the bank of the Tombigbee River north looking for dead trees that were marked with drawings of a left foot and a peg foot. The markings distinguished the Tombigbee from other north-south rivers that flow into it.

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The river ends between two hills, Follow the Drinking Gourd. There's another river on the other side, Follow the Drinking Gourd.

These words told the slaves that when they reached the headwaters of the Tombigbee, they were to continue north over the hills until they met another river. Then they were to travel north along the new river which is the Tennessee River. A number of the southern escape routes converged on the Tennessee.

Where the great big river meets the little river, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is awaiting to carry you to freedom if you follow the Drinking Gourd.

This verse told the slaves the Tennessee joined another river. They were to cross that river (which is the Ohio River), and on the north bank, meet a guide from the Underground Railroad. Follow the Drinking Gourd

Follow the drinking gourd! Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd, For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

The riverbank makes a very good road, The dead trees will show you the way, Left foot, peg foot traveling on, Following the drinking gourd.

The river ends between two hills, Follow the drinking gourd, There's another river on the other side, Follow the drinking gourd

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You can hear The Weavers sing this song at: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/gem-projects/hm/0203-1-20- follow/drinkinggourd/decoding.html#self T h i s

i s

t h e

m u s i c

f o r The Drinking Gourd.

From: http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdgsong.pdf

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What Does this Song Really Say?

Lesson Overview:

Students listen to, sing, and read the lyrics to various African-American spirituals. They discuss the coded messages in the songs, and the purpose of these codes. Students then write original coded messages, and present their work in a performance format.

Length of Lesson: Three 45-minute periods Notes: This lesson is suitable for grade 4-8.

Instructional Objectives: Students will:  Sing and/or listen to songs that are representative of spirituals sung by slaves.  Read lyrics of songs, and interpret the meaning of the lyrics, in terms of their cultural significance  Write coded messages, and include interpretation.  Create an opportunity to share their coded messages through reading, drawing, a PowerPoint presentation, or another medium.

Supplies:  Piano or guitar for accompaniment or a CD or tape player  Audio recordings or sheet music for the spirituals "This Train" and "Wade in the Water" (see Sources) “Wade in the water” can also be found at http://cattailmusic.com/LyricsandNotes/WadeintheWater.htm#

Instructional Plan:

This is the first of two lessons however, the lesson can be taught in isolation with minor adaptation.

Activity A

The goal of this activity is to explore the experience of a slave trying to escape through the Underground Railroad. Initiate a discussion about slavery. Have students imagine what it would be like to be a slave. Discuss how it would feel to be a slave—to lose one's freedom and become the property of someone else, and to be separated from friends and family.

Present the interactive activity at the National Geographic site, The Underground Railroad.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/

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This activity can be completed with one computer, or presented on a large screen with an LCD projector as a whole class activity. It can also be completed in a computer lab with students working together as partners.

If the Underground Railroad interactive activity is presented to the class as a whole, have a student read the introductory paragraph from the website…

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/

When the students are given a choice (i.e., choose to escape, choose to stay), pick a student to make the choice, and ask for them to articulate why they made that choice. Allow approximately 20 minutes to complete the activity as a group.

If the activity is presented in the computer lab, group the students in pairs. Let them explore the activity, making as many choices as possible. Tell students that they will be asked to name one thing they learned on the site. Allow approximately 20 minutes to complete the activity

Close this class period by asking students to state one thing they learned. Tell students that they will learn a musical secret message the slaves used to escape through the Underground Railroad during the next class period.

Activity B

The goal of this activity is to learn a spiritual, discuss its significance during slavery time, and begin to learn the “coded messages” embedded in the song.

As a warm up, list the following code words on the board: freedom train, gospel train, conductor, station, station master, and agent. Give students one minute to read the list and determine what the words have in common.

Once the class determines that all of the words are related to trains, ask students how they would feel if they were not allowed to ride on a train. Ask them why they think spirituals would describe leaving on a train. Lead a discussion to explore answers to these questions for about five minutes.

Tell students that the words discussed were codes used by slaves to communicate so the slave masters would not understand their plans for escape. Slaves were not allowed to talk, but they could sing; therefore, many slaves disguised their communications through song. The spiritual is a type of song that served many functions for slaves. These songs reflected their desire to be free, and often told other slaves how they could escape.

The Underground Railroad has been described as "silent and secret" and "running on silent rails in the dark of night." People developed codes, passwords, and secret signals, to be used by runaways and "investors" in the Underground Railroad. Give students a list of code words and phrases (some examples can be found in The Underground Railroad Codes – page 223). Ask students to 52 January 30, 2008

discuss the meaning of each Underground Railroad code word/phrase. Ask them to share their responses, and then clarify any misinterpretations.

Distribute copies of the The Lyrics of Spirituals handout. (Page 56) Tell students to read the lyrics and search for code words and phrases, while you play the spiritual entitled “This Train.” Play the song two to three times, either via a recording or on the piano or guitar. Ask the students to tell you what the lyrics of "This Train" mean. Students can interpret individual words (i.e., train, glory, sleepers, etc.), or they can describe the phrases (i.e., “this train don’t carry sleepers, this train”). The assessment rubric can be found on page 57.

Clarify any confusion. For example, “sleepers” could refer to a sleeping car, but in the context of this song, it means someone who wants to escape, but doesn’t want to endure the hardship (i.e., "wake me up when it's over"). "Righteous peoples" refers to people who are doing what is right, in spite of the difficulties involved.

Teach "This Train" to the class. Sing each phrase in the first verse and have the class repeat after you. Now sing the second verse in the same way. Finally, sing the entire song. For variation, have the boys sing one line, and the girls the next, or have a small group stand and sing a phrase or a verse, then alternate with another small group. Levi Coffin freed (Note: You may substitute any spiritual or freedom song for "This thousands of slaves Train." Songs that have a simple and direct tune and lyrics that repeat three or more times would be the easiest to learn and/or song. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” and "This Little Light of Mine” may be used. MP3’s of these songs can be found at http://www.negrospirituals.com/song.htm

Give students five minutes to look for coded messages in the lyrics. Discuss findings as a class. Tell students they will listen to another spiritual during the next class period, and begin working on their own coded messages.

Activity C

The goal of this activity is to have students interpret the coded message in another spiritual, and begin to write their own coded messages to share with the class. Sing “This Train” as a warm up activity.

Listen to "Wade in the Water." …which can be found at

http://cattailmusic.com/LyricsandNotes/WadeintheWater.htm#

In this style of spiritual, there is a chorus (music and words that repeat throughout a song). The words repeat three times, with an explanation at the end. Explain to students that when the words repeat in a song, this means they are very important, and something for the slave to remember—it could be the difference between life and death. For example, the phrase "wade in the water" is repeated several times. Ask students to consider this phrase. Why would slaves need to wade (go into) the water? (Slave owners used dogs to “sniff out" the trail of their escaped slaves; the dogs could not follow the scent into the water.)

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Divide the class into groups of three or four. Distribute the What Does this Song Really Say? (Page 58) handout. Assign each group a different phrase from the song "Wade in the Water." Give the groups five minutes to write an interpretation of the assigned phrase. (It is okay if more than one group has the same phrase, depending on the size of your class.)

Ask groups to share their interpretations with the entire class, in the order of the song. Record each interpretation on the board as it is articulated. When all groups have shared their findings, read the entire interpretation of the song.

Closing Activity

In this activity, students will write their own coded messages. Choose the variation of the activity that is most appropriate for your class:

Keep students in the same small groups, and have them write their own original coded message. It must be three to five sentences, using the code words and phrases given. They can even make up their own, but it must follow the general “clues,” using words that have meanings from the religious and railroad terminology. They must also write the interpretation. Students will have the rest of this period and part of the next (if needed) to complete this activity. Then each group will share their coded messages with the rest of the class, and the class is tasked with interpreting the meaning.

Keep the students in groups; however, give them the messages they need to put in code. For example: “I plan to escape tonight. Meet me by the river. The leader will show us the way.” Provide students with three or four different messages, and the students should figure out how to convey the same meaning in code. Each group should share their codes with the class, and the class is tasked with interpreting the meaning.

For either variation of the activity, students must work cooperatively and write their coded messages using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Assessment: Assess student work using the Assessment Rubric on page 59.

Extensions:

Have students illustrate their codes, phrase by phrase. The pictures should have the phrase distinctly written on the bottom of the picture. You may wish to scan the pictures into the computer or on disc, and present the pictures in PowerPoint, with the spirituals playing in the background. Have the students could write additional verses to “This Train” and/or “Wade in the Water.” You may also wish to have them perform their songs for other classes.

Sources: Print: Johnston, Richard. Folk Songs North America Sings. Toronto: Kirby, 1984. Sources: Media: The Florida A&M Concert Choir, The Howard University Chamber Choir, and The Fisk Jubilee Singers. Wade In the Water, Volume I: African American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition. Smithsonian Folkways 40072.

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Game rules:

How to play the game:

Teacher/Group Conference (possible suggestions)

47 January 30, 2008

Follow the Drinking Gourd

According to the experts at

http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdg1.htm,

"Follow the Drinking Gourd" is a coded song that gives the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi. This is what they have to say about the codes in the song:

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is waiting for to carry you to freedom, If you follow the Drinking Gourd.

The river bank makes a very good road, The dead trees show you the way, Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the Drinking Gourd.

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The river ends between two hills, Follow the Drinking Gourd. There's another river on the other side, Follow the Drinking Gourd.

Where the great big river meets the little river, Follow the Drinking Gourd. For the old man is awaiting to carry you to freedom if you follow the Drinking Gourd.

Follow the drinking gourd! Follow the drinking gourd. For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd, For the old man is awaiting for to carry you to freedom If you follow the drinking gourd.

The riverbank makes a very good road, The dead trees will show you the way, Left foot, peg foot traveling on, Following the drinking gourd.

The river ends between two hills, Follow the drinking gourd, There's another river on the other side, Follow the drinking gourd

49 January 30, 2008

You can hear The Weavers sing this song at: http://www.math.nus.edu.sg/aslaksen/gem-projects/hm/0203-1-20- follow/drinkinggourd/decoding.html#self T h i s

i s

t h e

m u s i c

f o r The Drinking Gourd.

From: http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/planetarium/ftdgsong.pdf

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What Does this Song Really Say?

Lesson Overview:

Length of Lesson: Three 45-minute periods Notes: This lesson is suitable for grade 4-8.

Instructional Plan:

This is the first of two lessons however, the lesson can be taught in isolation with minor adaptation.

Activity A

Present the interactive activity at the National Geographic site, The Underground Railroad.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/

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If the Underground Railroad interactive activity is presented to the class as a whole, have a student read the introductory paragraph from the website…

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/99/railroad/

Activity B

The goal of this activity is to learn a spiritual, discuss its significance during slavery time, and begin to learn the “coded messages” embedded in the song.

discuss the meaning of each Underground Railroad code word/phrase. Ask them to share their responses, and then clarify any misinterpretations.

Activity C

Listen to "Wade in the Water." …which can be found at

http://cattailmusic.com/LyricsandNotes/WadeintheWater.htm#

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Closing Activity

In this activity, students will write their own coded messages. Choose the variation of the activity that is most appropriate for your class:

For either variation of the activity, students must work cooperatively and write their coded messages using correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Assessment: Assess student work using the Assessment Rubric on page 59.

Extensions:

54 January 30, 2008

The Underground Railroad in Action: Communication and Codes

The freedom seekers took freedom wherever it could be found, whether a maroon society in Spanish Florida, a whaling ship cruising the Alaskan coast, a mining claim in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, or Boston in 1850. Liberty could be found in any number of directions.

This 1898 map of Underground Railroad routes, created by Professor Wilber H. Seibert of Ohio State University, highlights some of the hundreds of routes freedom seekers used to reach Northern states and Canada. However, any map can only demonstrate the routes which historical evidence, both oral and textual, can corroborate. In the case of the Underground Railroad, no amount of research will ever uncover the multitude of ravines, back roads, trails, creek beds, canyons, rivers and valleys that freedom seekers used as passages to liberty.

The secretive nature of the Underground Railroad, the very reason for its success, precludes researchers’ generations later from reconstructing every route. Seibert himself realized the shortcomings of such a map, but as he himself pointed out, "However much the map may fall short of showing the system in its completeness; it will be found to help the reader materially in his attempt to realize the extent and importance of this movement."

The vast majority of individual acts of bravery and resilience, which make up the fabric of the Underground Railroad, will likely remain secrets of history. What exploits are known continue to fascinate and inspire modern Americans. These success stories, however, are forever framed against family left behind, children sold away from parents and acts of horrible brutality scarcely imaginable to modern sensibilities. The freedom seekers that were chased down by slavers, perhaps just moments from freedom, will never be known, but all of these events make up the story of the Underground Railroad.

"Helping the freedom seeker" was a subject that fascinated many North Americans. Many people who did not consider themselves abolitionists aided freedom seekers from spontaneous impulse, perhaps thinking of the Biblical pronouncement that aid to the "least of these" was aid to the divine. No maps with arrows pointed out trails, or favored river or sea routes. The freedom seeker could not depend on individual acts of assistance. Further, "safe" routes do not factor in the betrayal, exhaustion, or carelessness that might have occurred along the way. Indeed, the fact that there were (in many cases) no predetermined trails was chief reason for success.

In order to reduce the number freedom seekers, owners attempted to disempower African Americans by keeping them ignorant of the country around them. That task proved impossible, as African American labor, vital to the Southern economy, was not limited to isolated plantations. Communication between enslaved African Americans flowed freely. Bonds people knew perfectly well that freedom lay generally to the north, and they knew how to travel northward by locating the North Star. Elders often taught children how to locate the star. So,

55 January 30, 2008 freedom seekers headed North by simply walking in the stars direction. However, freedom seekers often risked walking through dangerous or impassable terrain due to unfamiliarity with a path and the inability to plan a specific route.

By stars and songs

The North Star became a symbol of freedom to enslaved African Americans, as well as a guide. Children were taught to locate the North Star by using the stars of the Big Dipper. Of course, foul weather that obscured the stars often inhibited travel northward. On a larger scale, slaves often passed travel instructions from plantation to plantation by song, evidence of a vital oral tradition tied to roots in Africa. Much like Native American culture, African societies passed much of their history down through oral tradition and folklore. Africans brought from Africa the custom of creating songs to transmit factual information. In North America, Africans turned the songs into code that secretly transmitted information they wished to keep from whites.

"Follow the Drinking Gourd" is a coded song that provided the route for an escape from Alabama and Mississippi. Of all the routes out of the Deep South, this is the only one for which the details survive in song. A portion of the song and the translation are as follows:

When the sun comes back and the first quail calls, Follow the drinking gourd For the old man is waiting to carry you to freedom, if you follow the drinking gourd.

"When the sun comes back" means winter when the altitude of the sun is higher each day. Quail are a migratory bird that winter in the South, and the drinking gourd is the Big Dipper. Most freedom seekers had to cross the Ohio River, a swift and powerful river difficult to cross most of the year. The song urged freedom seekers to begin their journey in winter, which would enable them to reach the Ohio when it was still frozen and easier to cross.

The riverbank makes a very good road. The dead trees show you the way Left foot, peg foot, traveling on Follow the drinking gourd.

This verse taught freedom seekers to follow the bank of the Tombigbee River north looking for dead trees that were marked with drawings of a left foot and a peg foot. The markings distinguished the Tombigbee from other rivers that flowed into it.

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Grape-vine telegraphs

Virtually all freedom seekers preferred traveling at night, and much of the communication freedom seekers used on organized segments of the Underground Railroad existed in coded language. These modes of communication have been referred to as the "grape-vine telegraph," and often consisted of signals, whispered conversations, passwords, and messages coloured with figurative phrases were the common ways of conveying information about freedom seekers, or about parties in pursuit of African Americans.

The safety of freedom seekers while lay mainly in their ability to conceal themselves while on the move. For example, when freedom seekers traveled overland or on waterways, these wagons or vessels were often covered or closed, or had deep beds which concealed the freedom seeker from onlookers. Conductors often took various precautions to conceal the real reason behind their travels, often using business commitments as a reason for travel. A conductor might load a wagon with produce or grain bound for market; that product would conceal the fugitive on their way to the next station. Some methods were more unorthodox. One conductor arranged for a parade of wagons and carriages, in a mock funeral procession, which actually carried freedom seekers to their next rendezvous.

Sometimes, freedom seekers were hidden in plain site using disguises, demonstrated most spectacularly by William and Ellen Craft. African American men were provided with tools and the apparel of a laborer, and walked through a settlement as if simply heading to work. Freedom seeking women were sometimes outfitted with expensive clothing to avoid detection by slavers who would have a different description of the freedom seeker. Disguise also took many forms. In the Hunt-Phelan home, enslaved African American children were secretly taught to read and write. In public or around slave-owners, the children pretended to be illiterate.

Freedom seekers and their conductors often traveled zigzag or circuitous routes designed to confuse pursuit. The goal was always freedom, whether that lay in a free territory to the west, a ship bound for Mexico, a northern city or Canada, but a safe path was always preferable to a predictable straight route. Conductors often had a choice of lines to the next station, thus the intricacy of the network and the difficulty for later generations in identifying the whole of the Underground Railroad.

Once at a station, the freedom seeker was often provided with food, clothing if required, and a hiding place, which they usually remained in for the duration of their stay. Caves, barns, cellars, haystacks, hidden rooms, attics, forest thickets, remote cabins, church belfries and galleries, crates on seagoing vessels all qualify as only some of the hiding places on the Underground Railroad. Hideouts were located wherever ingenuity and necessity emerged.

While unsung escapes by freedom seekers guiding themselves by the stars made up the majority of Underground Railroad escapes, there were many other celebrated escapes which demonstrated the ingenuity and determination of those held in bondage, as well as those dedicated to securing freedom for all.

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HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS

He’s got the whole world in His hands He’s got the big round world in His hands He’s got the whole world in His hands

He’s got the wind and the rain…

He’s got the little baby…

You got you and me, sister…

He’s got you and me, brother

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

This little light of mine All in my house I'm going to let it shine I'm going to let it shine Oh, this little light of mine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine I'm going to let it shine Hallelujah I'm not going to make it shine I'm just going to let it shine I'm not going to make it shine This little light of mine I'm just going to let it shine I'm going to let it shine Hallelujah Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

Ev'ry where I go I'm not going to make it shine I'm going to let it shine I'm just going to let it shine Oh, ev'ry where I go Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine I'm going to let it shine Hallelujah Out in the dark I'm going to let it shine Ev'ry where I go Oh, out in the dark I'm going to let it shine I'm going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Hallelujah

All in my house I'm going to let it shine Out in the dark Oh, all in my house I'm going to let it shine I'm going to let it shine Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Hallelujah

58 January 30, 2008

The Lyrics of Spirituals

Instructions:

Read through the lyrics to “This Train” and “Woke Up This Mornin’.” Underline words and phrases that might have been used to transmit information related to the Underground Railroad.

“This Train”

Verse 1: This train is bound for glory, this train. (Repeat.) This train is bound for glory, I'm not telling you a story. This train is leaving, get on board.

Verse 2: This train don't carry sleepers, this train. (Repeat.) This train don't carry sleepers, its got none but righteous peoples. This train is leaving, get on board.

“Woke Up This Mornin' ”

Verse 1: I woke up this mornin' with my mind, it was stayed on freedom. (Repeat three times.) Allelu, Allelu, Alleluia.

Verse 2: Walkin' and talkin' with my mind, it was stayed on freedom. (Repeat three times.) Allelu, Allelu, Alleluia.

Verse 3: Devil can't get me when my mind, it was stayed on freedom. (Repeat three times.) Allelu, Allelu, Alleluia.

59 January 30, 2008

60 January 30, 2008

What Does this Song Really Say?

Instructions:

Read the lyrics to the spiritual “Wade in the Water” and look for code words and phrases that may have been used to transmit information. Write an interpretation of the lyrics based on your findings.

“Wade In The Water”

Chorus:

Wade in the water (children). Wade in the water. Wade in the water. God's gonna trouble the water.

Verse 1:

If you don't believe I've been redeemed, God's gonna trouble the water. I want you to follow him on down to Jordan stream. (I said) My God's gonna trouble the water. You know chilly water is dark and cold. (I know my) God's gonna trouble the water. You know it chills my body but not my soul. (I said my) God's gonna trouble the water. (Come on let's)

Repeat Chorus

Verse 2:

Now if you should get there before I do, (I know) God's gonna trouble the water. Tell all my friends that I'm comin' too. (I know) God's gonna trouble the water. Sometimes I'm up Lord and sometimes I'm down. (You know my) God's gonna trouble the water. Sometimes I'm level to the ground. God's gonna trouble the water. (I know) God's gonna trouble the water.

Repeat Chorus two times

61 January 30, 2008

ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

What Does This Song Really Say?

Criteria Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Student Student Student Student did not Participation participated in participated in participated in participate in all activities most activities some activities any activities

Student came to Student came to Student came to Student came to class with all class with most class with some class with none Preparation necessary of the necessary of the of the necessary materials and materials and necessary materials and ready to learn ready to learn materials and ready to learn ready to learn

Student worked Student worked Student worked Student worked cooperatively cooperatively cooperatively cooperatively Cooperation during all group during some during a few during none of activities group activities group activities the group activities

62 January 30, 2008

Let’s Make Music

Lesson Overview:

 Create and perform music, using a variety of sound sources  Identify and perform music from various cultures and historical periods  Use correctly the vocabulary and musical terminology associated with the specific expectations for this grade

Length of Lesson: Three 45- minute periods

Notes: This lesson is suitable for grade 3-8.

Instructional Objective: Students will:

 Sing in Zulu and English an African song  create a rhythm pattern using body percussion and/or rhythm instruments  perform the piece using appropriate rhythm instruments or body percussion and sing expressively changing volume and speed

Supplies

• Piano or guitar or CD player for accompaniment (song may be done entirely accapella) • Rhythm instruments e.g. drum, bongos, maracas, rhythm sticks • Audio Recording or sheet music for “Syahamba” (see sources)

Instructional Plan:

Activity 1

In the first period the song should be introduced to the students. Read over the verses and discuss with the class the pronunciation of the Zulu.

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Pronunciation guide

Vowels a as in apple e as in elephant i as in me o as in open u as in glue

The melody line may be played on the piano and/or sung for the students. The piece may also be played from the CD. It should be played through or sung completely at least twice so that the students get the general melody established in there minds before you teach the song. The song is then taught through echo and taught musical line by line.

Zulu Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos. Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos. Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos Syahamba hamba hamba o oh Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos Syahamba, hamba, hamba o oh Syahamb’ ekukha nyeni kwenkhos

English We are marching in the light of God We are marching in the light of God We are marching in the light of God We are marching in the light of God We are marching, marching, marching o oh We are marching in the light of God We are marching, marching, marching o oh We are marching in the light of God

The song is a marching piece and is meant to sound as if the group is marching through the village while singing. To reproduce this sound the students can include some dynamics in the piece. The first time it is sung the piece is sung in Zulu and begins softly and gradually increases in sound through the second singing, which should be in English.

64 January 30, 2008

By the time the piece is sung for the third time it is again sung in Zulu but the volume should be full. This volume should gradually diminish as the song is sung for the fourth and last time and should finish in English very softly. This will mimic the sound of moving off into the distance. You may wish to introduce the correct musical term for this. These terms for this are crescendo: gradually getting louder and decrescendo: to gradually get softer. The symbols may also be introduced to the older grade students.

< For Crescendo and > for Decrescendo. The students may then be adding these symbols to their sheet music in the appropriate place to remind themselves for performance purposes.

Activity 2

The second period should be spent on rhythm. During this lesson the class may be introduced to the valuation of notes as a part of the lesson. This will depend on the grade of the class being taught. It will be enough for the grade three students to clap the basic beat while singing the piece. Half the class can sing while the other have claps and reverse. The students should be taught to count to four while clapping as this represents the basic beat of each bar which is 4/4. This should be done again using the sheet music. The older grades may be given a copy of the sheet music to put the basic beat in quarter notes above each bar. The may then see if they can figure out how each bar equals that basic beat. They should now have a copy for the rhythm and a copy for performance purposes.

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Activity 3

The Juba

Juba is an African word meaning a little of this and little of that. It is used to describe improvisational African Dance and may also be used for body percussion or “hand Jives”.

The students can develop there own clapping patterns in groups as they do when they play games like “Rockin’ Robin” “My Father Went to Sea”. Clapping may include slapping hands on the palms and tapping the tops of the hands of the person standing beside you or across from you. They may also include stomping feet.

Some examples would be with the right hand clap on the palm of the student on your right and at the same time slap the back of the student on your left’s hand, then reverse and clap your own hands twice. Counts one clap and slap count two clap and slap count three clap yourself and four clap yourself. You may wish to have students and snapping fingers and patting there shoulders or hips as a count. The students should work in groups four or five and create their own juba to the song. The younger students may use a four count juba using two moves while the older students may do eight counts using four moves etc. Students may wish to go to this link to view an actual example of juba or hand jive.

http://www.ket.org/artstoolkit/dance/preview/dance-hand_jives.htm

Activity 4

Percussion and Performance

This is the final activity and should take about 45 minutes to do. The students should be divided into heterogeneous groups. The size of the group should depend on the class and the availability of rhythm instruments. These instruments should include a drum, maracas and rhythm stick but may also include claves, tambourines and bells.

The students will create different rhythm pattern for each instrument and put them together to make a rhythm section for their performance. The younger students may only use one or two instruments and the older students may include three or four. They should take the period to put 66 January 30, 2008 their rhythms together and practice singing while using the instruments. They will find that some of the students are better at playing while others are better at singing. They will also find that they will be unable to do both at the same time.

It will be up to the group to decide who will do each part of the performance. They must also be reminded not to overwhelm their performance with rhythm. The students should be given the performance rubric at the beginning of the class so that they understand what their performance should include. The last ten or fifteen minutes of the class should be set aside for actual performance of the piece.

You may wish to build a rubric with the class that contains all the elements you feel are appropriate to the activities and you may wish to include the peer and self evaluation rubric for the students so they may reflect on their own and their group’s efforts.

Assessment: Music Performance Rubric on pg 66 AND Peer and Self Assessment Rubric on pg 67.

Sources:

Shafferman, Jean-Anne; Partners in Spirituals. Van Nuys, CA, Alfred Publishing, 2002 ISBN#0-7390-2485-X Lavender, Cheryl; Songs of the Rainbow Children. Milwaukee,WI, Hal.Leonard Publishing, 1998

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68 January 30, 2008

MUSIC PERFORMANCE RUBRIC

Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level3 Level 4

create and perform - performs and - occasionally - usually - consistently music, creates only in performs and performs performs and using a variety of limited and creates in and creates creates in sound incomplete complete ways in complete well- sources; ways ways developed ways

demonstrate an understanding - applies few of - applies some - applies most - applies all of of the basic elements the skills, of the skills, of the skills, the skills, of music specified concepts, and concepts, and concepts, and concepts, and for this grade techniques techniques techniques techniques through listening to, taught taught taught taught performing, and creating music;

sing and play - rarely - sometimes - usually - consistently instruments with communicates communicates communicates communicates expression and with with with with clarity proper technique clarity and clarity and clarity and and precision (e.g., with correct precision precision precision breathing or fingering);

identify and - shows - shows - shows - shows perform music understanding understanding understanding understanding from various of few of some of most of all (or cultures and of the concepts of the concepts of the concepts almost all) of historical periods; the concepts

69 January 30, 2008

MUSIC ASSESSMENT RUBRIC – PEER AND SELF ASSESSMENT

CRITERIA ORGANIZATION COOPERATION EFFORT CREATIVITY

LEVEL 4 Enthusiastic about Group members Members Ideas were very tasks…came ready to were agreeable, on worked hard creative, showed work task and extremely and tried their a great deal of productive best at all times thought and preparation

LEVEL 3 Displayed some Group members Members Ideas were enthusiasm and was were usually usually worked creative, showed usually ready to work agreeable, usually hard and usually a good thought on task and tried their best and preparation productive

LEVEL 2 Somewhat reluctant Group members Members Ideas somewhat to participate and was were sometimes sometimes creative, showed only occasionally agreeable worked hard but some thought ready to work somewhat on task showed and preparation and somewhat inconsistent productive effort

LEVEL 1 Rarely ready to work Group members Members Ideas were rarely and very reluctant to were rarely showed little creative and participate agreeable, rarely on effort and rarely showed minimal task and displayed put forth their thought and minimal best effort preparation productivity

70 January 30, 2008

WEB-BASED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. The Slave Escape Route

Introduce students to The Underground Railroad by reading to them, or having them read, some of the background text on the subject at:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html

Show them the map of The Underground Railroad routes and explain that slaves often had to find their own way to the North, at which point they would meet people working on The Underground Railroad who assisted them on their way to Canada. Even though they were in the North, they had to remain in secrecy or they might be caught and returned to their lives as slaves in the South.

Ask students how they think the escaping slaves would have known how to get to the North if they had never been off their plantations or slave homes. What signs would they look for? What would your students do if they wanted to start walking north? Since slaves didn’t have compasses, they needed another method of finding their way north.

Ask students if they’ve ever seen the Big Dipper, which points to the North Star. They can look at the Big Dipper at:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/1364/Constellations.html

Point out that the two outer stars that form the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris, the North Star, which is always in the north. Read to the class, or have them read, the lyrics to “Follow the Drinking Gourd” at:

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/gourd.htm

Ask students if they have figured out what the drinking gourd is. How did it help slaves find their way north? Explain the background and importance of this song (for your reference, read the “History of the Drinking Gourd” at

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/gourd1.html

Ask students to pretend that they’re living back in the time of slavery and want to help slaves reach the North. Divide the class into five groups and assign each group one verse of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” Then have each group illustrate the lyrics to its verse on a piece of construction paper. How would they draw the pictures to make it even easier for the slaves to understand where they needed to go? After they’ve finished drawing, have each group come to the front of the class and show its poster while the class recites the lyrics to that verse.

Explain to the class that once slaves made it to the North, they were by no means free. Have them look at the three posters at:

71 January 30, 2008

http://education.ucdavis.edu/new/stc/lesson/socstud/railroad/SlaveLaw.htm to see that escaped slaves still faced danger in the North due to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and explain the implications of these signs. Discuss as a class the various difficulties that confronted the escaping slaves, and ask students to explain why the slaves were willing to tolerate these difficulties in order to find freedom.

2. Heroes of The Underground Railroad

Ask students to list the qualities of a hero. Who are their heroes? What makes these people special? Do they think that there were many heroes working on The Underground Railroad? What qualities do they think these workers would have needed to possess? Discuss these questions and list student responses on the board.

Have students go through the journey on National Geographic’s Underground Railroad site (nationalgeographic.com/features/railroad) to gain an idea of what it was like to be traveling along the Underground Railroad. Ask them to describe the conditions in which slaves lived and some of the dangers that an escaping slave faced. Do students think that slaves could have successfully made it over this route all by themselves, or did they need help?

What helpers appear in this online journey? List on the board the names that they encounter: Harriet Tubman, Thomas Garrett, William Still, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony. Explain that all of these individuals, plus many more, helped the slaves on their journey over The Underground Railroad. Were these people heroes? What dangers did they face while doing their secret work? Have students discuss these questions as a class. Students can find more information on Harriet Tubman at the Pocantico Hills School Harriet Tubman page:

http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/tubman.html.

Have them go through the time line of Tubman’s life, created by second graders.

Have students imagine that they are living in the time of slavery. Ask them to think about the things they know about slave life and about the heroes who helped the slaves. Then, either orally, in writing, or in pictures, ask them to explain what they would have done to help the slaves. How would they have made themselves heroes for the slaves?

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3. Acting out a scene on The Underground Railroad

Read to the class the personal account of runaway slave Linda Brent at:

http://education.ucdavis.edu/new/stc/lesson/socstud/ railroad/BrentEsc.htm

While you’re reading, ask students to close their eyes and imagine they’re present in the scenes. After reading the excerpt, pose the following discussion questions to the class: What were Linda’s biggest fears? What conditions did she have to endure? Why was she disappointed with what she found in New York?

Divide the class into small groups and inform them that they’ll be gathering information about the Underground Railroad to develop brief skits about what it was like for the escaping slaves. Explain that their goal will be to try to gain an appreciation for what escaping slaves had to endure in order to achieve freedom in the North. Have each group go through the journey at nationalgeographic.com’s Underground Railroad site and take notes on the specific people, obstacles, and conditions that the escaping slaves encountered. http://education.ucdavis.edu/new/stc/lesson/socstud/railroad/Ford.htm

Each group should incorporate specific information from these narratives and from the online journey to create a three to five minute skit depicting one part of an escaping slave’s journey. They should decide where their skits will take place and show these locations on a map. There can be several characters in a skit, but students must maintain realism by remembering that slaves usually traveled alone or with just a few others. One group member may be a narrator. They should also explain to the class, either before or after their performances, what they believe would have been the most difficult part or parts of this person’s experience.

4.Would you have helped?

Ask students to discuss whether they think they would have assisted in helping the slaves to freedom if they had been free individuals living at the time. Ask them to consider the pros and cons of their decisions, including the dangers for themselves if they decided to help. Have them read about the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and look at the posters at

http://education.ucdavis.edu/new/stc/lesson/socstud/railroad/SlaveLaw.htm

How would this act have influenced their decision?

Have them read information at the following Web sites about some famous people who helped in the abolition movement: Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln, and Levi Coffin.

73 January 24, 2010 Edition Harriet Tubman: Lesson 1 (SES)

Lesson Overview:

Students use a variety of sources, including photographs and artwork, to research and report on Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 3-6

Students will:

 Use reference skills to locate biographical information about Harriet Tubman in reference materials and artwork relating to Harriet Tubman.  Organize facts about Harriet Tubman into two categories: information obtained from factual sources and impressions gathered from photographs, songs, paintings, etc.  Discuss what can be learned from one source that cannot be learned from the other.  Write paragraphs about Harriet Tubman's life using topic sentences supported by facts gathered from reference materials and/or impressions from photographs, songs, paintings, etc.

Supplies: Notebook paper, Pencils or pens

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

Lead students in a discussion of Harriet Tubman. Ask students to share what they already know about Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments. Record student responses in the "K" column of a large KWL chart. (Sample KWL chart…page 73)

Ask students to share what they want to know about Harriet Tubman. List these questions in the "W" section of the KWL chart. Have students brainstorm possible sources of information that could be used to answer each of the questions posed.

Introductory Activity

Review the list of sources compiled in the Warm Up activity. Help students think of any resources they may have missed. (In addition to books, encyclopedias, and Web sites, students should consider photographs, images, and artwork potential sources of information.)

Tell students they will work with partners to conduct research on Harriet Tubman. Partners will select two sources of information. Each partner will read and take notes on one of the resources; partners will then share findings with one another. Partners will also select two artistic representations of Harriet Tubman and follow the same procedure. At the end of the research period, each student will be responsible for compiling his or her own report.

74 January 24, 2010 Edition Discussion

Lead students in a discussion of general questions to answer when locating information about Harriet Tubman:

When and where was she born? When did she die? What were important events in her childhood? What were some jobs that she had? What is she famous for? What character traits describe her?

Refer back to the "W" column of the KWL chart for specific, student-generated questions that should be answered as well.

Allow students ample time to research Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments, using a variety of print (see Sources) and Web resources, including the following:

 Harriet Tubman Timeline (page 74)  Activists and Reformers: Harriet Tubman http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/activists/tubman  Fighters for Freedom: Harriet Tubman http://americanart.si.edu/education/johnson/tubman.html  PBS: Africans in America http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1535.html

(Note: If computer access is limited, this selection can be printed out prior to class. Alternatively, you may wish to choose some descriptive text from children's books you have collected for the unit.)

Guided Practice Activity

After the students have located some initial information about Harriet Tubman, display some historical photographs for analysis and discussion:

 "Nursemaid with her charge" ca 1855 from the Library of Congress http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_youth_1_e.html  "Portrait of Harriet Tubman" from the Library of Congress http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_subj_e.html

Ask students to consider what kind of information a photograph can reveal. What is the difference between reading a text-based resource and "reading" a photograph? Discuss the fact that photographs can reveal unique information about a person, place, event, or time period, but that this information must be interpreted by the person viewing the photo. Each person's interpretation may be different. Tell students that in analyzing photographs, it is important to describe exactly what you see, to consider what you already know about the person, place, event or time period, and to weigh all of this information together to form an interpretation or conclusion.

75 January 24, 2010 Edition In addition, have students look at a variety of artistic renderings to see what information they provide about Harriet Tubman's life, accomplishments, and personal qualities:

 Harriet Tubman (http://americanart.si.edu/images/1967/1967.59.1146_1b.jpg)  http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=951933&c=&search=tubman  http://www.nyhistory.com/spurr/harriet_tubman_old.htm

Ask students to consider how Harriet Tubman is portrayed in the various paintings. Are there any common characteristics or qualities that come across in the works? Does this confirm or contradict anything students have learned in their research? Point out to students that it is important to consider that an artwork represents one artist's interpretation of a person, place, event, or time period. Still, when considered along with other factual information, a work of art can contribute to our understanding of the past.

Allow students time to analyze the photos and artworks, recording any helpful observations for their final research paper.

Independent Activity

Have students organize their research findings into two categories: facts gathered through text- based research and facts discovered from artistic selections. Have each student write a paragraph about one of them. Review the required elements for this assignment: each paragraph should include a topic sentence, with three or four supporting sentences related to the topic sentence. The paragraph must demonstrate correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Have each student revise his/her paragraph and submit a final copy.

Closure

Have students share what they learned about Harriet Tubman from their research and discuss which of her character qualities they would like to have.

Invite students to share information from their various sources, indicating whether the facts came from text-based research, photos or artwork. Record student findings in the "L" column of the KWL chart.

Ask students to consider which sources proved most helpful in their research. Which questions were best answered through reference materials or other factual sources? Which are best answered through an analysis of photographs or artistic representations? Why?

Assessment:

Use the Assessment Rubric (page 75) provided to evaluate the paragraphs. You may wish to have students use the same rubric for purposes of self-assessment.

76 January 24, 2010 Edition Extensions:

Proceed to Harriet Tubman Lesson 2, in which students create artworks depicting scenes from Harriet Tubman's life, in the style of Jacob Lawrence.

Have students develop a script for a play about Harriet Tumban's life. Students should identify five key roles. As a class, they should develop a list of character traits of each of the five main characters. They should then list specific events to be included in the drama. Divide students into groups to create their own dramatic representations of the various events. In groups, they should develop a scene about their event in Harriet Tubman's life. Encourage students to include and integrate the paragraphs that were previously written about Harriet's life.

Sources:

Web:

Harriet, the Moses of Her People (http://docsouth.unc.edu/harriet/harriet.html ) , part of the Documenting the American South project site. (http://docsouth.unc.edu/index.html)

KWL Chart - Example

77 January 24, 2010 Edition Harriet Tubman Timeline

 1820 Born in Dorchester County, Maryland.

 1826 Rented for the first time by Mrs. James Cook from plantation owner Edward Brodas.

 1831 Stories of the existence of the Underground Railroad start to spread.

 1834 Hurt by overseer, who hit her in the head.

 1844 Marries John Tubman.

 1849 Runs away from the Brodas plantation through the Underground Railroad and works in a hotel in Philadelphia.

 1850 Plots with William Still to rescue her sister, brother-in-law, and their two children.

 1851 Makes second trip on the Underground Railroad with her brother.

 1857 Rescues parents.

 1858 Meets Captain John Brown who calls her General Tubman.

 1859 John Brown and other slaves raid Harper's Ferry in Virginia.

 1860 Meets Charles Nalle in Troy, New York. Makes last trip to Maryland and flees to Canada.

 1861 Travels to Port Royal at Governor Andrews's recommendation.

 1862 Emancipation Proclamation is announced by President Lincoln.

 1863 Serves as scout to Colonel James Montgomery. Accompanies Montgomery in raids along the Combahee River.

 1865 Returns to Auburn, New York.

 1867 Hears of death of John Tubman.

 1869 Marries Nelson Davis. Sarah Bradford publishes Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman.

 1886 Sarah Bradford writes a second Tubman biography, Harriet, the Moses of Her People.

 1888 Nelson Davis dies October 14.

 1889 Receives twenty dollars because of Davis's death.

 1903 Hands over her home and 25-acre property to the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Auburn, New York.

 1913 Dies March 10.

78 January 24, 2010 Edition

79 January 24, 2010 Edition Harriet Tubman Lesson 2 (Art) Lesson Overview:

Students depict a scene from the life of Harriet Tubman, in the style of artist Jacob Lawrence.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 3-6

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

 Identify characteristics of paintings by Jacob Lawrence.  Learn methods for creating a collage, using overlapping shapes to create an illusion of space - or foreground, middle ground, and background - in an artwork.  Use cut paper to create a picture in the style of Jacob Lawrence.

Supplies:  Projector  9x12 sheet of black construction paper for each student  Construction paper: white, brown, assorted colours  Pair of scissors for each student  Glue for each student  Notebook paper  Pencils or pens

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

Read aloud from the book Harriet and the Promised Land. Ask students to share any new facts about Harriet Tubman that they learned from the book. Add this information to the "L" column on the KWL chart created in the previous lesson. Have students consider whether the information was revealed through the text, pictures, or a combination of the two.

Ask students if they have additional questions about Harriet Tubman after learning more about her life and accomplishments. Record student questions in the "W" section of the chart.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Use the illustrations in Harriet and the Promised Land to launch a discussion of the following characteristics of Jacob Lawrence's paintings:

80 January 24, 2010 Edition

 strong colours  flat shapes  little detail  exaggeration  depth expressed by overlapping images

You may wish to visit the following Web Links for additional works:

 Jacob Lawrence's Art from the Whitney Museum of American Art (http://www.whitney.org/jacoblawrence/art/index.ht ml)  Jacob Lawrence: Over the Line from the Phillips Collection (http://www.phillipscollection.org/lawrence/index.html)

Have students observe and discuss the patterns and free-form shapes of Jacob Lawrence's work.

Discuss pictorial space and the conventions of "landscape" and "portrait" painting, pointing out how and why landscapes are generally done in horizontal format, portraits in vertical. Ask students to determine which format is most characteristic of Jacob Lawrence.

Guided Practice Activity

Display the following Jacob Lawrence painting for students:

Harriet & The Promised Land, no.10: Through Forests, Through Rivers… Jacob Lawrence 1967

http://store1.yimg.com/I/pomegranate_1851_81675934

81 January 24, 2010 Edition Discuss the concepts of background, middle ground, and foreground. Explain the concept of perspective by giving the example a train coming toward you. As it gets closer, it appears to grow larger. Conversely, as the train recedes from your view, it appears to get smaller. Explain that artists place objects in the foreground, middle ground or background of a painting to create a sense of perspective or depth.

Have students examine the people and objects in the painting Harriet & The Promised Land, no.10: Through Forests, Through Rivers (page 77)…. Ask them to identify the objects that are in the foreground (here), middle ground (near), and background (far). http://www.uses.org/pictures/harriet_tubman.jpgExplain that artists place the background objects - the items that are farthest away - first. These objects, such as far off mountains, stars, or the sky, will be small and not very detailed. Artists then use a process of overlapping to place items in the middle ground and foreground. Show illustrations from the book Harriet and the Promised Land and have students identify the items that are in the background, middle ground and foreground of each picture. Ask students to describe the order in which the artist placed the items.

Use cut paper to demonstrate the process of overlapping to create a sense of depth or space. Tell students that most of the background will be in the upper half of the picture. Middle ground will be next and will include the people and objects just behind the main focus of the picture. These will be at the middle of the picture plane, larger than the background images but smaller than the foreground images. Demonstrate how the people and objects that make up the main focus of the picture should be large and in the foreground. Remind students that ALL the background images should be done BEFORE the foreground images are placed, if the overlapping is to work.

Independent Activity

In this activity, students will create a cut picture in the style of Jacob Lawrence. Tell students that they will create an "action scene" in a landscape format, similar to the illustrations in Harriet and the Promised Land. The scene should depict some aspect of Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments.

Have students plan what objects they will include in the picture. (Objects might include Harriet Tubman, the North Star, the trees and mountains that make up the landscape through which Tubman led the escaped slaves.)

Once students have planned the elements to be used in the picture, they should consider how they will make the collage look like Lawrence's work. 82 January 24, 2010 Edition Review and model each step in the process:

 Sketch a rough draft of the picture you will construct from cut paper. Pay careful attention to the size and placement of each object.  Select a piece of construction paper and decide the orientation of your picture.  Cut the main pieces first and decide on their placement.  Cut and paste the background pieces.  Experiment with the pieces that will make up the foreground and middle ground. Practice overlapping the pieces to create a sense of space or depth. Change the size and/or placement of the pieces as needed.  Glue the middle ground and foreground objects.

Monitor students at each step of the process, and encourage them to find new ways to use elements of Jacob Lawrence's style, such as strong colours, flat shapes, little detail, exaggeration, and/or depth expressed by overlapping images.

Closure

Have students share their artwork with the class. Have the class guess which aspect of Harriet Tubman's life or personal qualities are represented in the picture, and point out how the picture incorporates elements of Jacob Lawrence's style.

Assessment:

Students should use the Assessment Rubric (page 80) Handout to evaluate their work when it is completed.

Extensions:

Have students create their own drawing tips in cartoon-style. Collect all of the tips and combine them into a "drawing tutorial." Some suggested topics for drawing tips are: showing motion, creating a horizon, drawing feet, etc.

Print Sources:

Lawrence, Jacob. Harriet Tubman and the Promised Land. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1997.

83 January 24, 2010 Edition Harriet Tubman: Lesson 3 (Music)

In this lesson, students are introduced to the spiritual, an African American musical form that originated during the time of slavery. After listening to and singing spirituals, students identify characteristics of spirituals such as religious meaning and syncopated rhythm.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 3-6. Instructional Objectives: Students will:  Listen to examples of spirituals and identify them by genre or style.  Identify code words used in some spirituals.  Respond through purposeful movement (clapping) to select prominent musical characteristics while listening to the spirituals.

Supplies:  Projector  Sound System  Notebook paper  Pencils or pens

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

Ask students to consider what life was like for Harriet Tubman and other slaves.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart3.html

Have students share research findings (from the previous two lessons in the unit) related to the slave experience.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Relate events in Harriet Tubman's life to the time of slavery in the United States. Introduce the term "spiritual" and explain that this music originated during the time of slavery. Spirituals are characterized by their religious meaning and expressions of freedom. Sometimes the words became a code for sending messages, especially about activities related to the Underground Railroad. Examples of code words include "Moses" for Harriet Tubman, "Pharaoh" for slave owner, and "train" for the Underground Railroad. Additional examples can be found in Underground Rail Road Codes found at the end of this unit on page 223.

Ask students to guess the meaning of each Underground Railroad code word/phrase. Invite students to share their responses, and then clarify any misinterpretations.

Have students visit the following site to listen to sample spirituals. Instruct them to listen carefully for recurring words or phrases that may have represented coded messages. Note that 84 January 24, 2010 Edition spirituals are also characterized by musical innovations such as syncopated rhythm and "call and response."

"Go Down, Moses" and other spirituals can be played with the same rhythmic audiation exercises.

http://www.authentichistory.com/audio/antebellum/AA_Spiritual_Go_Down_Moses.html

….made famous by Paul Robeson in 1965, can be found at the Authentic History site. Have students clap the beat or a rhythmic pattern as they listen to the music. Again, have students identify words and phrases that might have been coded messages for the slaves.

Another focus for the study of spirituals is the "call and response" form that is often used. In this form, words that change are sung by a "leader" and repeated words are sung by the "congregation" in response. Examples of call and response songs include "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," which can be sung so that the group joins in for the title words only and an individual sings the rest. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" also uses call and response - all join in on "Comin' for to carry me home..." in each verse. (One version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot", performed by Isadore Oglesby, is available at the Authentic History site.) http://www.authentichistory.com/audio/antebellum/AA_Spiritual_Swing_Low_Sweet_Chariot.ht ml

Guided Practice

Distribute the lyrics to "Wade in the Water." (Page 83) Teach students the song. Have students clap the beat or a rhythmic pattern as they listen to the music. Have students identify the call and response form used in the song, and practice singing it. You can here a sample of the song as it is sung by Scott Ainslie: http://cattailmusic.com/LyricsandNotes/WadeintheWater.htm#

Independent Practice

Divide students into groups of three or four. Assign each group a different phrase from the song "Wade in the Water." Give the groups five minutes to write an interpretation of the assigned phrase. (It is okay if more than one group has the same phrase, depending on the size of your class.)

Closure

Allow groups to share their interpretations of the assigned phrases with the entire class. Record each interpretation on the board as it is articulated. When all groups have shared their findings, read the entire interpretation of the song and perform it once more.

Assessment: Use the Assessment Rubric (page 84) provided to assess student understanding.

85 January 24, 2010 Edition Extensions: Have students listen to songs from the Underground Railroad, performed by Kim And Reggie Harris on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_id=KIMANDREGG#

Sources:

Print:

 Music and You, Grades 3 and 4 (pub. by Macmillan, 1988)  Share the Music, Grade 5 (pub. by Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Co.)  Songs of the Underground Railroad by Kim and Reggie Harris (avail. from Chatham Hill Games, 800-554-3039)

Web:  PBS: Africans in America http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/  Underground Railroad music http://www.appleseedrec.com/underground/sounds.html

Wade in the water Wade in the water, children, Wade in the water God's a-going to trouble the water

See that host all dressed in white God's a-going to trouble the water The leader looks like the Israelite God's a-going to trouble the water

See that band all dressed in red God's a-going to trouble the water Looks like the band that Moses led God's a-going to trouble the water

Look over yonder, what do you see? God's a-going to trouble the water The Holy Ghost a-coming on me God's a-going to trouble the water

If you don't believe I've been redeemed God's a-going to trouble the water Just follow me down to the Jordan's stream God's a-going to trouble the water

86 January 24, 2010 Edition

87 January 24, 2010 Edition Black Slave Narratives – A Comparative Study

From 1936 to 1938, over 2,300 former slaves from across the American South were interviewed. These former slaves, most born in the last years of the slave regime or during the Civil War, provided first-hand accounts of their experiences on plantations, in cities, and on small farms. Their narratives remain a peerless resource for understanding the lives of America's four million slaves.

These narratives are so rich that they capture the very voices of American slavery, revealing the texture of life as it was experienced and remembered. Each narrative taken alone offers a fragmentary, microcosmic representation of slave life. Read together, they offer a sweeping composite view of slavery in North America, allowing us to explore some of the most compelling themes of nineteenth-century slavery, including labor, resistance and flight, family life, relations with masters, and religious belief.

Lesson:

An examination of Interviews from the American Slave Narratives and the American Folklore Collection Students will examine and interpret interviews obtained during the 1930s. A close study of the narratives will enable students to:

 Understand the specific tasks undertaken by men and women employed by one of the work relief programs of the New Deal.  Obtain a more personal sense of the past by examining the lives and careers of ordinary men and women interviewed during the period of the Federal Writer's Project.  Learn about the process and issues involved in doing oral history.

Goals: Informational Content:

Students will investigate texts of oral history narratives taken from ordinary Americans and collected by interviewers during the 1930s. As a result of their investigation students will learn:

 How unemployed journalists and writers were employed by the Federal government during the era of the Great Depression.  How our nation's history is the compilation of the many stories that evolved from the lives of ordinary individuals.  How historians use primary resources in their investigation of the past.

Concepts:

 New Deal programs experimented with a variety of methods for encouraging employment as a means of stimulating economic recovery.  The stories of individual lives make up the stuff of historical investigation, but their use raises important issues and considerations for historians.

88 January 24, 2010 Edition Skills:

 To read and analyze oral interviews for specific content.  To summarize the content of individual texts for the benefit of other students.  To understand that the process of selecting and synthesizing primary documents inevitably involves individual point of view and bias.

Materials:

Students will work with the Slave Narratives.

To prepare for this lesson, teachers may wish to preview the narratives. Lead students through the selected interview and prepare them for the uneven nature of the stories they will be reading and the language which they may encounter.

The Jigsaw Activity:

Select four to six of the individual narratives. After providing a photocopied manuscript for each student, ask them to use a highlighter or pen to underscore phrases or selections from the reading which they find to be particularly compelling. (Teachers may wish to focus this aspect of the activity around a particular topic or investigation depending upon the course of study and the interests of their individual students.)

Jigsaw #1

Students who have read the same narrative should come together to discuss the main points of their reading with one another. Teachers might direct this segment of the jigsaw activity by requiring students to engage particular questions: What was the most interesting thing you discovered about this subject's life? In what ways was life for this subject both similar and different from your life or your parent's life?

Jigsaw #2

After students have had a chance to share their points of view, ask them to move to another configuration in which students who have read about different individuals will share their subject's stories with one another. Teachers may wish to ask students to propose generalizations drawn from a synthesis of their individual investigations. For example: What aspects of slavery were shared in common by these men and women? What was working life like for them? What forms of entertainment occupied their leisure lives?

89 January 24, 2010 Edition Interviews Richard Toler Cincinnati, Ohio

Interviewed by Ruth Thompson

"Ah never fit in de wah; no suh, ah couldn't. Mah belly's been broke! But ah sho' did want to, and ah went up to be examined, but they didn't receive me on account of mah broken stomach. But ah sho' tried, 'cause ah wanted to be free. Ah didn't like to be no slave. Dat wasn't good times."

Ricard Toler, 515 Poplar Street, century old former slave lifted a bony knee with one hnarled [sic] hand and crossed his legs, then smoothed his thick white beard. His rocking chair creaked, the flies droned, and through the open, unscreened door came the bawling of a calf from the building of a hide company across the street. A Maltese kitten sauntered into the front room, which served as parlor and bedroom, and climbed complacently into his lap.

In one corner a wooden bed was piled high with feather ticks, and bedecked with a crazy quilt and an number of small, brightly-coloured pillows; a bureau opposite was laden to the edges with a collection of odds and ends - a one-legged alarm clock, a coal oil lamp, faded artificial flowers in a gaudy vase, a pile of newspapers. A trunk against the wall was littered with several large books (one of which was the family Bible), a stock of dusty lamp shades, a dingy sweater, and several bushel-basket lids.

Several packing cases and crates, a lard can full of cracked ice, a small, round oil heating stove, and an assorted lot of chairs completed the furnishings. The one decorative spot in the room was on the wall over the bed, where hung a large framed picture of Christ in The Temple. The two rooms beyond exhibited various broken-down additions to the heterogeneous collection.

"Ah never had no good times till ah was free", the old man continued. "Ah was bo'n on Mastah Tolah's (Henry Toler) plantation down in ole V'ginia, nearLynchburg in Campbell County. Mah pappy was a slave befo' me, and mah mammy, too. His name was George Washington Tolah, and her'n was Lucy Tolah. We took ouah name from ouah ownah, and we lived in a cabin way back of the big house, me and mah pappy and mammy and two brothahs.

"They nevah mistreated me, neithah. They's a whipping the slaves all the time, but ah run away all the time. And I jus' tell them - if they whipped me, ah'd kill 'em, and ah nevah did get a whippin'. If ah thought one was comin' to me, Ah'd hide in the woods; then they'd send aftah me and they say, 'Come, on back, - we won't whip you'. But they killed some of the niggahs, whipped 'em to death. Ah guess they killed three or fo' on Tolah's place while ah was there. 90 January 24, 2010 Edition "Ah never went to school. Learned to read and write my name after ah was free in night school, but they nevah allowed us to have a book in ouah hand, and we couldn't have no money neither. If we had money we had to tu'n it ovah to ouah ownah. Chu'ch was not allowed in ouah pa't neithah. Ah go to the Meth'dist Chu'ch now, everybody ought to go. I think RELIGION MUST BE FINE, 'CAUSE GOD ALMIGHTY'S AT THE HEAD OF IT."

Toler took a small piece of ice from the lard can, popped it between his toothless gum, smacking enjoyment, swished at the swarming flies with a soiled rag handkerchief, and continued. "Ah nevah could unnerstand about ghos'es. Nevah did see one. Lots of folks tell about seein' ghos'es, but ah nevah feared 'em. Ah was nevah raised up undah such supastitious believin's.

"We was nevah allowed no pa'ties, and when they had goin' ons at the big house, we had to clear out. Ah had to wo'k hard all the time every day in the week. Had to min' the cows and calves, and when ah got older ah had to hoe in the field. Mastah Tolah had about 500 acres, so they tell me, and he had a lot of cows and ho'ses and oxens, and he was a big fa'mer. Ah've done about evahthing in mah life, blacksmith and stone mason, ca'penter, evahthing but brick-layin'. Ah was a blacksmith heah fo' 36 yea's. Learned it down at Tolah's.

"Ah stayed on the plantation during the wah, and jes' did what they tol' me. Ah was 21 then. And ah walked 50 mile to vote for Gen'l Grant at Vaughn's precinct. Ah voted fo' him in two sessions, he run twice. And ah was 21 the fust time, cause they come and got me, and say, 'Come on now. You can vote now, you is 21.' And theah now - mah age is right theah. 'Bout as close as you can git it.

"Ah was close to the battle front, and I seen all dem famous men. Seen Gen'l Lee, and Grant, and Abe Lincoln. Seen John Brown, and seen the seven men that was hung with him, but we wasn't allowed to talk to any of 'em, jes' looked on in the street. Jes' spoke, and say 'How d' do.

"But ah did talk to Lincoln, and ah tol' him ah wanted to be free, and he was a fine man, 'cause he made us all free. And ah got a ole history, it's the Sanford American History, and was published in 1784. But ah don't know where it is now, ah misplaced it. It is printed in the book, something ah said, now written by hand. And it says, 'Ah am a ole slave which has suvved fo' 21 yeahs, and ah would be quite pleased if you could help us to be free. We thank you very much. Ah trust that some day ah can do you the same privilege that you are doing for me. Ah have been a slave for many years. (Note discrepancy.)

"Aftah the wah, ah came to Cincinnati, and was married three times. Mah fust wife was Mannie. Then there was Mollie. They both died, and then ah was married Cora heah, and ah had six child'en, one girl and fo' boys. (Note discrepancy) They's two living yet; James is 70 and he is not married. And Bob's about thutty or fo'ty. Ah done lost all mah rememb'ance, too ole now. But Mollie died when he was bo'n, and he is crazy. He is out of Longview (Home for Mentally infirm) now fo' a while, and he jes' wanders around, and wo'ks a little. He ha'mless, he wouldn't hurt nobody. He ain't married

"After the wah, ah bought a fiddle, and ah was a good fiddlah. Used to be a fiddlah fo' the white girls to dance. Jes' picked it up. It was a natural gif'. Ah could still play if ah had a fiddle. Ah used to play at our hoe downs, too. Played all those ole time songs - Soldier's Joy, Jimmy Long Josey, Arkansas Traveler, and Black Eye Susie. Ah remembah the wo'ds to that one."

Smiling inwardly with pleasure as he again lived the past, the old Negro swayed and recited: 91 January 24, 2010 Edition Black Eye Susie, you look so fine, Black Eye Susie, ah think youah mine. A wondahful time we're having now, Oh, Black Eye Susie, ah believe that youah mine.

And away down we stomp aroun' the bush, We'd think that we'd get back to wheah we could push Black Eye Susie, ah think youah fine, Black Eye Susie, Ah know youah mine.

Then, he resumed his conversational tone:

"Befo' the wah we never had no good times. They took good care of us, though. As pa'taculah with slave as with the stock - that was their money, you know. And if we claimed bein' sick, they'd give us a dose of castah oil and tu'pentine. That was the principal medicine cullud folks had to take, and sometimes salts. But nevah no whiskey - that was not allowed. And if we was real sick, they had the Doctah fo' us.

"We had very bad eatin'. Bread, meat, water. And they fed it to us in a trough, jes' like the hogs. And ah went in may [sic] shirt till I was 16, nevah had no clothes. And the flo' in ouah cabin was dirt, and at night we'd jes' take a blanket and lay down on the flo'. The dog was supe'ior to us; they would take him in the house.

"Some of the people I belonged to was in the Klu Klux Klan. Tolah had fo' girls and fo' boys. Some of those boys belonged. And I used to see them turn out. They went 'round whippin' niggahs. They get young girls and strip'em sta'k naked, and put 'em across barrels, and whip 'em till the blood run out of 'em, and then they would put salt in the raw pahts. And ah seen it, and it was as bloody aroun' em as if they'd stuck hogs.

"I sho' is glad I ain't no slave no moah. Ah thank God that ah lived to pas the yeahs until the day of 1937. Ah'm happy and satisfied now, and ah hopes ah see a million yeahs to come."

92 January 24, 2010 Edition Tempe Herndon Durham 1312 Pine St. Durham, North Carolina

Interviewed by Travis Jordan

"I was thirty-one years ole when de surrender come. Dat makes me sho nuff ole. Near bout a hundred an' three years done passed over dis here white head of mine. I'se been here, I mean I'se been here. 'Spects I'se de oldest nigger in Durham. I'se been here so long dat I done forgot near 'bout as much as dese here new generation knows or ever gwine know.

My white fo'ks lived in Chatham County. Dey was Marse George an' Mis' Betsy Herndon. Mis Betsy was a Snipes befo' she married Marse George. Dey had a big plantation an' raised cawn, wheat, cotton an' 'bacca. I don't know how many field niggers Marse George had, but he had a mess of dem, an' he had hosses too, an' cows, hogs an' sheeps. He raised sheeps an' sold de wool, an' dey used de wool at de big house too. Dey was a big weavin' room whare de blankets was wove, an' dey wove de cloth for de winter clothes too. Linda Hernton an' Milla Edwards was de head weavers, dey looked after de weavin' of da fancy blankets. Mis' Betsy was a good weaver too. She weave de same as de niggers. She say she love de clackin' soun' of de loom an' de way de shuttles run in an' out carryin' a long tail of bright coloured thread. Some days she set at de loom all de mawnin' peddlin' wid her feets an' her white han's flittin' over de bobbins.

De cardin' an' spinnin' room was full of niggers. I can hear dem spinnin' wheels now turnin' roun' an' sayin' hum-m-m-m, hum-m-m-m, an' hear de slaves singin' while dey spin. Mammy Rachel stayed in de dyein' room. Dey wuzn' nothin' she didn' know 'bout dyein'. She knew every kind of root, bark, leaf an' berry dat made red, blue, green, or whatever colour she wanted. Dey had a big shelter whare de dye pots set over de coals. Mammy Rachel would fill de pots wid water, den she put in de roots, bank an' stuff an' boil de juice out, den she strain it an' put in de salt an' vinegar to set de colour. After de wool an' cotton done been carded an' spun to thread, Mammy take de hanks an' drap dem in de pot of boilin' dye. She stir dem 'roun' an' lif' dem up an' down wid a stick, an' when she hang dem up on de line in de sun, dey was every colour of de rainbow. When dey dripped dry dey was sent to de weavin' room whare dey was wove in blankets an' things.

93 January 24, 2010 Edition When I growed up I married Exter Durham. He belonged to Marse Snipes Durham who had de plantation 'cross de county line in Orange County. We had a big weddin'. We was married on de front po'ch of de big house. Marse George killed a shoat an' Mis' Betsy had Georgianna, de cook, to bake a big weddin' cake all iced up white as snow wid a bride an' groom standin' in de middle holdin' han's. De table was set out in de yard under de trees, an' you ain't never seed de like of eats. All de niggers come to de feas' an' Marse George had a for everybody. Dat was some weddin'.

I had on a white dress, white shoes an' long while gloves dat come to my elbow, an' Mis' Betsy done made me a weddin' veil out of a white net window curtain. When she played de weddin' ma'ch on de piano, me an' Exter ma'ched down de walk an' up on de po'ch to de altar Mis' Betsy done fixed. Dat de pretties' altar I ever seed. Back 'gainst de rose vine dat was full or red roses, Mis' Betsy done put tables filled wid flowers an' white candles. She spread down a bed sheet, a sho nuff linen sheet, for us to stan' on, an' dey was a white pillow to kneel down on. Exter done made me a weddin' ring. He made it out of a big red button wid his pocket knife. He done cut it so roun' an' polished it so smooth dat it looked like a red satin ribbon tide 'roun' my finger. Dat sho was a pretty ring. I wore it 'bout fifty years, den it got so thin dat I lost it one day in de wash tub when I was washin' clothes.

Uncle Edmond Kirby married us. He was de nigger preacher dat preached at de plantation church. After Uncle Edmond said de las' words over me an' Exter, Marse George got to have his little fun: He say, 'Come on, Exter, you an' Tempie got to jump over de broom stick backwards; you got to do dat to see which one gwine be boss of your househol'.' Everybody come stan' 'roun to watch. Marse George hold de broom 'bout a foot high off de floor. De one dat jump over it backwards an' never touch de handle, gwine boss de house, an' if bof of dem jump over widout touchin' it, dey won't gwine be no bossin', dey jus' gwine be 'genial. I jumped fus', an' you ought to seed me. I sailed right over dat broom stick same as a cricket, but when Exter jump he done had a big dram an' his feets was so big an' clumsy dat dey got all tangled up in dat broom an' he fell head long.

Marse George he laugh an' laugh, an' tole Exter he gwine be bossed 'twell he skeered to speak less'n I tole him to speak. After de weddin' we went down to de cabin Mis' Betsy done all dressed up, but Exter couldn' stay no longer den dat night kaze he belonged to Marse Snipes Durham an' he had to go back home. He lef' de nex day for his plantation, but he come back every Saturday night an' stay 'twell Sunday night. We had eleven chillun. Nine was bawn befo' surrender an' two after we was set free. So I had two chillun dat wuzn' bawn in bondage. I was worth a heap to Marse George kaze I had so many chillun. De more chillun a slave had de more dey was worth. Lucy Carter was de only nigger on de plantation dat had more chillun den I had. She had twelve, but her chillun was sickly an' mine was muley strong an' healthy. Dey never was sick.

When de war come Marse George was too ole to go, but young Marse Bill went. He went an' took my brother Sim wid him. Marse Bill took Sim along to look after his hoss an' everything. Dey didn' neither one get shot, but Mis' Betsy was skeered near 'bout to death all de time, skeered dey was gwine be brung home shot all to pieces like some of de sojers was.

(De Yankees wuzn' so bad. De mos' dey wanted was sumpin' to eat. Dey was all de time hungry, de fus' thing dey ax for when dey come was sumpin' to put in dey stomach. An' chicken! I ain' never seed even a preacher eat chicken like dem Yankees. I believes to my soul dey ain' never seed no chicken 'twell dey come down here. An' hot biscuit too. I seed a passel of dem eat up a whole sack of flour one night for supper. Georgianna sif' flour 'twell she look white an' dusty as a 94 January 24, 2010 Edition miller. Dem sojers didn' turn down no ham neither. Dat de onlies' thing dey took from Marse George. Dey went in de smoke house an' toted off de hams an' shoulders. Marse George say he come off mighty light if dat all dey want, 'sides he got plenty of shoats anyhow.

We had all de eats we wanted while de war was shootin' dem guns, kaze Marse George was home an' he kep' de niggers workin'. We had chicken, gooses, meat, peas, flour, meal, potatoes an' things like dat all de time, an' milk an' butter too, but we didn' have no sugar an' coffee. We used groun' pa'ched cawn for coffee an' cane 'lasses for sweetnin'. Dat wuzn' so bad wid a heap of thick cream. Anyhow, we had enough to eat to 'vide wid de neighbors dat didn' have none when surrender come.

I was glad when de was stopped kaze den me an' Exter could be together all de time 'stead of Saturday an' Sunday. After we was free we lived right on at Marse George's plantation a long time. We rented de lan' for a fo'th of what we made, den after while we bought a farm. We paid three hundred dollars we done saved. We had a hoss, a steer, a cow an' two pigs, 'sides some chickens an' fo' geese.

Mis' Betsy went up in de attic an' give us enough goose feathers to make two pillows, den she give us a table an' some chairs. She give us some dishes too. Marse George give Exter a bushel of seed cawn and some seed wheat, den he tole him to go down to de barn an' get a bag of cotton seed. We got all dis den we hitched up de wagon an' th'owed in de passel of chillun an' moved to our new farm, an' de chillun was put to work in de fiel'; dey growed up in de fiel' kaze dey was put to work time dey could walk good.

Freedom is all right, but de niggers was better off befo' surrender, kaze den dey was looked after an' dey didn' get in no trouble fightin' an' killin' like dey do dese days. If a nigger cut up an' got sassy in slavery times, his Ole Marse give him a good whippin' an' he went way back an' set down an' 'haved hese'f. If he was sick, Marse an' Mistis looked after him, an' if he needed store medicine, it was bought an' give to him; he didn' have to pay nothin'. Dey didn' even have to think 'bout clothes nor nothin' like dat, dey was wove an' made an' give to dem. Maybe everybody's Marse and Mistis wuzn' good as Marse George and Mis' Betsy, but dey was de same as a mammy an' pappy to us niggers."

95 January 24, 2010 Edition Walter Calloway Birmingham, Alabama

Interviewed by W.P. Jordan

"OLE JOE HAD REAL 'LIGION"

Walter Calloway lives alone half a block off Avenue F, the thoroughfare on the southside of Birmingham on which live many of the leaders in the Negro life of the city. For his eighty-nine years he was apparently vigorous except for temporary illness. A glance at the interior of his cabin disclosed the fact that it was scrupulously neat and quite orderly in its arrangement, a characteristic of many ex-slaves. As he sat in the sunshine on his tiny front porch, his greeting was: "Come in, white folks. You ain't no doctor is you?"

To a negative reply, he explained as he continued, "Fo' de las' past twenty-five years I been keepin' right on, wukkin' for de city in de street department. 'Bout two mont's ago dis mis'ry attackted me an' don't 'pear lak nothin' dem doctors gimme do no good. De preacher he come to see me dis mornin' an' he say he know a white gemman doctor, what he gwine to sen' him to see me. I sho' wants to get well ag'in pow'ful bad, but mebby I done live long 'nuff an' my time 'bout come."

Quizzed about his age and antecedents, he began his story: "Well, Sir, Cap'n, I was born in Richmond, Virginny, in 1848. Befo' I was ole 'nuff to 'member much, my mammy wid me an' my older brudder was sold to Marse John Calloway at Snodoun in Montgomery County, ten miles south of de town of Montgomery.

"Marse John hab a big plantation an' lots of slaves. Dey treated us purty good, but we hab to wuk hard. Time I was ten years ole I was makin' a reg'lar han' 'hin de plow. Oh, yassuh, Marse John good 'nough to us an' we get plenty to eat, but he had a oberseer name Green Bush what sho' whup us iffen we don't do to suit him. Yassuh, he mighty rough wid us be he didn't do de whippin' hisse'f. He had a big black boy name Mose, mean as de debil an' strong as a ox, and de oberseer let him do all de whuppin'. An', man, he could sho' lay on dat rawhide lash. He whupped a nigger gal 'bout thirteen years old so hard she nearly die, an' allus atterwa'ds she hab spells of fits or somp'n. Dat make Marse John pow'ful mad, so he run dat oberseer off de place an' Mose didn' do no mo' whuppin'.

"Same time Marse John buy mammy an' us boys, he buy a black man name Joe. He a preacher an' de marster let de slaves buil' a bresh arbor in de pecan grove over in de big pastur', an' when de wedder warn't too cold all de slaves was 'lowed to meet dar on Sunday fo' preachin'. 96 January 24, 2010 Edition Yassuh, ole Joe do purty good. I speck he had mo' 'ligion dan some of de hifalutin' niggers 'tendin' to preach nowadays. De white folks chu'ch, hit at Hope Hill over on de stage road, an' sometimes dey fetch 'dere preacher to de plantation to preach to de slaves. But dey druther heah Joe.

"Nawsuh, we didn't git no schoolin' 'cep'in' befo' we got big 'nough to wuk in de fiel' we go 'long to school wid de white chillun to take care of 'em. Dey show us pictures an' tell us all dey kin, but it didn't 'mount to much.

"When de war started 'mos' all I know 'bout it was all de white mens go to Montgomery an' jine de army. My brudder, he 'bout fifteen year ole, so he go 'long wid de ration wagon to Montgomery 'mos' ebry week. One day he come back from Montgomery an' he say, 'Hell done broke loose in Gawgy.' He couldn't tell us much 'bout what done happen, but de slaves dey get all 'cited 'caze dey didn' know what to 'spect. Purty soon we fin' out day some of de big mens call a meetin' at de capitol on Goat Hill in Montgomery. Dey 'lected Mista Jeff Davis president an' done busted de Nunited States wide open.

"Atter dat dar warn't much happen on de plantation 'cep'in' gangs of so'jers passin' th'ough gwine off to de war. Den 'bout ebry so often a squad of Confederate so'jers would come to de neighborhood gatherin' up rations for Gin'ral Lee's army dey say. Dat make it purty hard on bofe whites an' blacks, takin' off some of de bes' stock an' runnin' us low on grub.

"But we wuk right on 'twell one day somebody seen a runner sayin' de Yankees comin'. Ole mistis tell me to hurry ober to Mrs. Freeman's an' tell 'em Wilson's Yankee raiders was on de way an' comin' lak a harrikin. I hop on a mule an' go jes' as fas' as I can make him trabel, but befo' I git back dey done retch de plantation, smashin' things comin' an' gwine.

"Dey broke in de smoke house an' tuk all de hams an' yuther rations dey fin' what dey want an' burn up de res'. Den dey ramshack de big house lookin' fo' money an' jewelry an' raise Cain wid de wimmin folks 'caze dey didn't fin' what dey wanted. Den dey leave dere ole hosses an' mules an' take de bes' we got. Atter dey don dat, dey burn de smoke house, de barns, de cribs an' some yuther prop'ty. Den dey skedaddle some place else.

"I warn't up dar but I heern tell dey burn up piles an' piles of cotton an' lots of steamboats at Montgomery an' lef' de ole town jes' 'bout ruint'. Twarn't long atter dat dey tell us we'se free. But lawdy, Cap'n, we ain't nebber been what I calls free. 'Cose ole marster didn' own us no mo', an' all de folks soon scatter all ober, but iffen dey all lak me day still hafter wuk jes' as hard, an some times hab less dan we useter hab when we stay on Marster John's plantation. "Well, Cap'n, dat's 'bout all I know. I feel dat misery comin' on me now. Will you please, suh, gimme a lif' back in de house. I wisht dat white gemman doctor come on iffen he comin'."

97 January 24, 2010 Edition Geography/SES Lesson Which Way is Best?

Lesson Overview:

Students use a variety of sources, including historical Underground Railroad route maps, present day road maps to determine the distances traveled by the slaves and decide, based on distance, what the best route would be.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 6-8

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

 Use maps to locate and identify cities that could be found along routes that composed the Underground Railroad.  Students will trace a variety of routes that composed the Underground Railroad, from cities in the Southern U.S.A. where slavery was present to free cities in Canada.  Students will use scales to determine the distance of the escape routes.  Conclude which routes would be best because of the minimum distance required to travel.

Supplies: Road maps of Eastern United States and Southern Quebec and Ontario, notebook paper, Pencils or pens, string, calculator.

 Online road maps can be found free of charge at http://www.multimap.com

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up

Place students into appropriate groups based on the number of maps that you have available. Ask students to open up their maps and explain how they would locate a city (Using the index they would receive a grid number that would identify where on the map the city was located.) Ask students to locate a variety of cities; try to keep the examples specific to the activity (Savannah, Charleston, Richmond, etc.)

Introductory Activity

Next ask the how one would calculate the distance between cities (explain that the marking on the map represented travel routes, roads, and that roads have to be use to get from one place to 98 January 24, 2010 Edition the next.). Ideally a student should suggest using a piece of string to trace out the route, measuring the string and using the scale that the map gives to determine distance. Again, have the students practice this activity using activity specific cities (Charleston to Washington, Savannah to Philadelphia, etc.)

Students will then practice using the scale given on the map to convert the linear distance traveled to real life distances, with all answers being in kilometers. (Note 1.6km = 1 mile if only American resources are available)

Discussion

Lead students in a discussion of general questions to answer when determining and idea escape route:

 In which cities did the slaves have to escape from?  Which city did the slaves want to reach to achieve freedom?  Which major cities would have to be visited, passed through to receive rest, food and guidance?

Allow students to look at maps of possible Underground Railroad routes, beginning cities, cities traveled through and final destination cities. (See “sources” on pages 97)

Allow students ample time to discuss with their group members possible routes that the slaves could take.

Independent Activity

Students will trace a variety of routes that composed the Underground Railroad, from cities in the Southern U.S.A. where slavery was present to free cities in Canada. Students are to select one starting city. From that city the students are to come up with at least three different routes to freedom. The criteria should include (this may be varied by individual teacher):

 Route must go through at least 4 major cities where the slaves can stop, rest and receive important information.  The route must end in Canada.  The route must follow present day roads that are present on the road map (students may not calculate distances ‘as the crow flies’).  Students must show their detailed calculation of the distances from city to city and the total distance of each route.

Special Ed Accommodations

 Using scale to convert distances may prove to be too difficult, allow students to hand in answers in centimeters (not converted)  If the student has difficulty following lines, visual or fine motor, allow student to use city to city ‘as the crow flies’ measurements. 99 January 24, 2010 Edition

Closure:

Have students organize their three routes on a large map (technology may be used here with a computer map displaying map) on Bristol board. The group will present their findings to the class. Each student will also be required to hand in the three routes, all the cities visited and the distances calculated.

Have students share there escape routes with the class and welcome question and challenges from their peers with regards to the routes chosen.

Assessment:

Use the Assessment Rubric (page 98) provided to evaluate routes and calculations. You may wish to have a separate rubric for the group-participation assessment.

Extensions: Depending on the amount of previous knowledge of physical geography that the students have and if a topographic map or a vegetation map is available students may use this information to critique the routes that the students previously completed.

GIS extension may include the use of satellite maps that would determine many varying factors, elevation, landforms, rivers, etc. that may impede or aid the slaves in their travels. Use this information to critique the routes that the students previously completed.

Sources:

Web: http://education.ucdavis.edu/NEW/STC/lesson/socstud/railroad/images/map16.gif http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/underground/detailedroutes.htm

100 January 24, 2010 Edition Which Way is Best?

Assessment Rubric Student Name: ______

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Number of Trade Routes Included more Included 3 trade Included 2 trade Included 1 trade than 3 trade routes routes route routes

Began in the Began in the Began in the May not have Trade Routes deep south, deep south, deep south, began in the visited at least 4 visited 3 cities visited 2 cities deep south, may cities and ended and ended in and ended in have visited only in Canada Canada Canada 1 city and may not have ended in Canada

Map was Map was labeled Most of map was Some of map perfectly labeled and features labeled and most was labeled and Map and features reflected purpose features reflected some features clearly reflected purpose reflected purpose purpose

Calculation were Calculation were Most calculation Some extremely precise and were precise and calculation were Calculations precise and correct most were precise and correct correct some were correct

Rational was Rational was Rational was Rational was Rationale convincing and believable debatable poor believable

Presentation was Presentation was Presentation was Presentation was clear and clear, body somewhat clear not clear and Presentation thorough, body language was and body body language language was good language was was poor excellent good

101 January 24, 2010 Edition Telling Stories Through Artifacts (English)

Lesson Overview:

Students will continue learning about the time of the Underground Railroad. Students will hear the short story Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, which is a story told from a doll’s perspective about the time of the Underground Railroad. Then students will examine various artifacts representing the time of the Underground Railroad. In small groups, students will discuss possible events that may be told from that artifact’s perspective and create a tableau to share with the class. Finally, students will choose an artifact and write a story from that particular artifact’s perspective.

Length of Lesson: Three - five 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 6-8.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

. Continue to discuss the time of the Underground Railroad. . Use various reading strategies (such as predicting and inferring) while listening to a short story. . Examine various artifacts representing the time of the Underground Railroad. . Use various artifacts to create a tableau. . Create various stories in groups. . Develop communication skills in small groups. . Write a story from an artifact’s perspective.

Supplies:

. Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson . Various artifacts (dolls, cotton, quilt, chains, lantern, bucket, apron, whip, ladder, stick and sac, hat, needle and thread, dress, diary, bandanna, etc…) . Foreboding music . Sound system . Story outline (attached) . Paper and pencils

102 January 24, 2010 Edition Instructional Plan:

Warm up

Remind students about what they have been learning about the Underground Railroad. Tell them that they will hear a story about the time of the Underground Railroad, Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson.

Before the story is read, create a picture walk through the book and ask students to predict what the story will be about. Ask students to keep their predictions in mind as the story is being read.

After the first page of the story is read, ask students: Who is telling the story? The story is being told from the doll’s perspective. Ask students to think of any other artifacts that the story could be told from (discuss after the story). During the story, stop as needed to discuss predictions, connections, or any other issues students may wish to discuss.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Have various artifacts laid out such as dolls, cotton, quilt, chains, lantern, bucket, apron, whip, ladder, stick and sac, needle and thread, cap or hat, dress, diary, bandanna, etc

Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas and Garret Smith – “The Conductors” After the story and discussion is finished, draw students attention to the artifacts laid out. Play foreboding music (to create mood) as students quietly gather around and examine the artifacts. After a short while have students return to their seats (if students are not in groups, arrange small groups for the next activity).

Have one group member return to the artifacts and choose one to bring back to the group. The group will discuss what the significance of the artifact is and how it is connected to the Underground Railroad. Then the group will create a tableau to show the significance of the artifact and present the tableau to the rest of the class. After the tableau is presented, the group will explain why they chose that particular scene to be presented in a tableau.

Guided Practice Activity

The teacher will pick up an artifact that has not been used in the tableau and model how a story can be told from the artifact’s perspective. Then each group will get a new artifact and discuss how a story may be told from that artifact’s perspective. Each group will briefly share what they have thought of. This discussion should generate several unique ideas for the following independent activity.

103 January 24, 2010 Edition Independent Activity

Students will now reflect on all of the ideas presented in class and write their own story from an artifact’s perspective. Students are to choose one artifact only and base their story from it’s perspective. Provide students with a story map (page 103) to guide them. Remind students to include all elements of a story (review if necessary – characters, setting, plot, beginning, middle, end, problem, solution, etc.). Have the short story, Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, available for students to reference if necessary. Allow time for students to work on their stories.

Closure

Once stories are complete have students present them to the rest of the class. Students may wish to have music playing in the background that matches their story.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed using a rubric for their stories (page 102).

Extensions:

Have students create a drama based on their stories (students may choose to video tape their dramatic creations). Students may present to other classes.

Sources:

Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

National Underground Railroad Museum web site (used for artifact ideas) http://www.coax.net/people/lwf/urmuseum.htm

The Kennett Underground Railroad Centre web site (used for artifact ideas) http://undergroundrr.kennett.net/news.html

104 January 24, 2010 Edition

105 January 24, 2010 Edition

Student’s Name: Where does the story take place? Date:

Book title:

Who is in your story?

What is the problem? Story

Map

What Happened in the story? How Did It End?

106 January 24, 2010 Edition

Mapping Routes to the Underground Railroad

Lesson Overview:

Students will examine maps showing the slave areas, free areas, and escape routes used by slaves and then reproduce that map showing the unsafe areas, safe areas, and possible escape routes. Then students will use the scale to determine the actual length of the routes.

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 5-8.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

. Activate prior knowledge to discuss the Underground Railroad. . Use mapping skills to locate states that were slave states and free states. . Make a map indicating slave states, Free states, escape routes, and a compass rose. . Use scale to measure the length of the escape routes and compare with others. . Develop communication skills in partners and groups.

Supplies:

. String . Map of the Underground Railroad showing the routes, the slave states, and the free states (on overhead paper) (attached or may be taken from a resource listed below) . Overhead projector . Map of the United States (attached) . Pencil crayons . Rulers

Instructional Plan: Warm up

Begin the lesson by activating students’ prior knowledge about the Underground Railroad. Have students discuss what they have been learning about the Underground Railroad and possible escape routes in small groups or pairs for a few minutes. Then bring all students to an open area of the room to participate in a string web activity.

In this activity, all students will stand (or sit) in a circle. The teacher will model the first step, where he/she will explain one idea about the Underground Railroad, then hold one end of the

107 January 24, 2010 Edition string then toss the other end to another member of the circle. The person who catches the string will continue the process until all members have a turn.

After the web activity is finished, review important points mentioned and be sure to discuss slave states and Free states (if not already mentioned) and how escape was possible. Also, draw attention to the intertwined web. Point out how each student is connected to each other, but in an intricate way, just like how all the people involved with the Underground Railroad were connected with each other, also in an intricate manner.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Tell students that they are going to map what was discussed in the web activity.

Put a map on the overhead of the United States of America showing the slave and Free State and the possible escape routes. (Page 107) The map can be found at one of the references listed below and printed in colour, or there is one attached (suggestion: colour the map with overhead markers to enable the students to visually see the distinction between the slave states and the Free states).

Map of routes of the Underground Railroad as well as slave and free states: http://www.cr.nps.gov/NR/travel/underground/routes.htm

Map of routes of the Underground Railroad may also be located on pages 18 and19 in:

Greenwood, Barbara. (1998). The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press.

Review the map with students. Point out how the Underground Railroad ran from the South to the North. The slave states were located in the South and the free states were located in the North, as well as Canada, which is why all escape routes ran from the South to the North. Explain the legend to the students and ask questions to ensure their understanding.

Ask students to name a few slave states and a few Free states. Then review the escape routes shown on the legend and map. Remind students about all of the safe houses that must have been located along the routes. Point out that there were many physical features of earth that must have been obstacles for the people escaping.

Tell students they will map the slave states, the free states, one to three escape routes, and then use scale to determine the length of the escape routes.

Guided Practice Activity

Before students begin their maps, review the mapping skills required. Guide students through a review of the key components of a map (title, key/legend, compass rose, etc.).

There are two maps of the United States of America (Page 109-110). One map is blank and students would have to label the actual States, the other map has the States labelled. Younger grades could use the map with the States already labelled. Teacher decides. (You can find many maps at www.eduplace.com)

108 January 24, 2010 Edition The teacher also must decide if the overhead of slave states and free states will be left up for the duration of the lesson, or if only the names of the slave states and free states will be provided and the students would have to locate the States.

Tell students they will have the opportunity to make up their own legend for their map and colour the slave states one colour and the Free states another colour. They will use pencil crayons to colour their maps. Students must also make a compass rose indicating North/South/East/West. Lastly, students must choose one to three escape routes (depending on the grade) and draw the routes on the map and identify the route in their legend.

Independent Activity

Have students follow the directions provided to create a map showing the slave states, the free states, escape route(s), title, and a compass rose.

Closure

The final activity will involve measuring the escape routes that each student drew on their map. The teacher will model how to measure the escape routes using the scale and a ruler. (A 12 minute video may also be viewed to refresh the concept of scale: Scale-The Magic Lantern Video Collection). This video is available from the DPCDSB AV department. If students have more than one escape route, they may measure all of them and point out the shortest route. Students may compare with partners or group members.

Assessment: Students will be assessed using a rubric (page 111) on the information they included in their maps.

Extensions:

1. Visit a list of sites of ‘Safe Houses’ across the United States of America at: http://www.cr.nps.gov/NR/travel/underground/states.htm Have students map the safe houses onto a map and connect possible Underground Railroad escape routes. Then have students work with a partner to compare the safe houses map to the map created above. Discuss findings in groups.

2. Have students examine the physical features of the land that was crossed for the Underground Railroad escape routes. Have students discuss possible set backs or other issues that may arise when passing through varying landforms during escape.

Possible websites: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/usphys.pdf OR http://www.landforms.biz/ Or use page 249 of the grade seven geography text: Draper, Graham, et al. (2000). Physical Geography: Discovering Global Systems and Patterns. Toronto, ON: Gage.

Sources:  Web: Map of North America www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/n_america.html  Underground Railroad Information www.valdosta.edu/~tross/lesson4.html

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113 January 24, 2010 Edition Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #1

Student Name: ______

Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Legend Clearly and Correctly Most slave states Some slave states correctly identified identified slave and free states and free states slave states and states and free correctly identified correct, while free states states others are not Escape Route Clearly and Correctly Correctly Did not correctly correctly identified identified escape identified escape identify escape escape route and route and route, but did not route clearly identified it identified it on include it on on legend legend legend Compass Rose All four cardinal All four cardinal Two or three Only one direction directions labeled, directions labeled directions labeled labeled plus the directions in between

Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #2

Name: ______Teacher: ______Date: ______

CRITERIA 1 2 3 4 POINTS Compass Rose No Only one or two Three directions All directions attempt directions correctly correctly identified correctly identified identified Legend No Some slave states Most slave states Correctly identified attempt and free states and free states slave states and free correct, while correctly identified states others are not Escape Route No Did not correctly Correctly identified Correctly identified attempt identify escape escape route but escape route and route did not include it identified it on on legend legend Levi Coffin's No Identified with Identified with Correctly identified Safe House attempt minimal accuracy some accuracy where Coffin's where Coffin's where Coffin's house was located house was located house was located TOTAL POINTS EARNED TOTAL POINTS 12 POSSIBLE

114 January 24, 2010 Edition Telling Stories Through Artifacts (English)

Lesson Overview:

Length of Lesson: Three - five 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 6-8.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

Supplies:

102 January 24, 2010 Edition Instructional Plan:

Warm up

Before the story is read, create a picture walk through the book and ask students to predict what the story will be about. Ask students to keep their predictions in mind as the story is being read.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Have various artifacts laid out such as dolls, cotton, quilt, chains, lantern, bucket, apron, whip, ladder, stick and sac, needle and thread, cap or hat, dress, diary, bandanna, etc

Guided Practice Activity

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Closure

Once stories are complete have students present them to the rest of the class. Students may wish to have music playing in the background that matches their story.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed using a rubric for their stories (page 102).

Extensions:

Have students create a drama based on their stories (students may choose to video tape their dramatic creations). Students may present to other classes.

Sources:

Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

National Underground Railroad Museum web site (used for artifact ideas) http://www.coax.net/people/lwf/urmuseum.htm

The Kennett Underground Railroad Centre web site (used for artifact ideas) http://undergroundrr.kennett.net/news.html

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Student’s Name: Where does the story take place? Date:

Book title:

Who is in your story?

What is the problem? Story

Map

What Happened in the story? How Did It End?

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Mapping Routes to the Underground Railroad

Lesson Overview:

Length of Lesson: Two 45-minute periods

Notes: This lesson is particularly suitable for grades 5-8.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

Supplies:

Instructional Plan: Warm up

In this activity, all students will stand (or sit) in a circle. The teacher will model the first step, where he/she will explain one idea about the Underground Railroad, then hold one end of the

107 January 24, 2010 Edition string then toss the other end to another member of the circle. The person who catches the string will continue the process until all members have a turn.

Introductory and Developmental Activities

Tell students that they are going to map what was discussed in the web activity.

Map of routes of the Underground Railroad as well as slave and free states: http://www.cr.nps.gov/NR/travel/underground/routes.htm

Map of routes of the Underground Railroad may also be located on pages 18 and19 in:

Greenwood, Barbara. (1998). The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press.

Tell students they will map the slave states, the free states, one to three escape routes, and then use scale to determine the length of the escape routes.

Guided Practice Activity

Before students begin their maps, review the mapping skills required. Guide students through a review of the key components of a map (title, key/legend, compass rose, etc.).

Independent Activity

Have students follow the directions provided to create a map showing the slave states, the free states, escape route(s), title, and a compass rose.

Closure

Assessment: Students will be assessed using a rubric (page 111) on the information they included in their maps.

Extensions:

Sources:  Web: Map of North America www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/n_america.html  Underground Railroad Information www.valdosta.edu/~tross/lesson4.html

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113 January 24, 2010 Edition Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #1

Student Name: ______

Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #2

Name: ______Teacher: ______Date: ______

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113 January 24, 2010 Edition Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #1

Student Name: ______

Underground Railroad Geography Lesson Rubric #2

Name: ______Teacher: ______Date: ______

114 January 24, 2010 Edition Activity or Centre Ideas

The following are possible activity or centre ideas focused around the Underground Railroad that may be used at the primary, junior, or intermediate level. There are reading, writing, oral, and word study activities. The activity or centre ideas may be adapted to fit any theme.

The picture books that most of the activities refer to are:

Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson and Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson

Retell

Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson as a read aloud or have students read it on their own. Have students retell the story on a large paper divided into four or six sections (depending on the grade level). Each section should include a sentence or two and a picture (in proper order). Then have students number the sections and cut them out and staple them in order. The students now have a mini retell book to share with their reading buddy or parents.

Another retell activity would be to have students in small groups and retell the story using puppets (Popsicle sticks as puppets or have students make larger puppets).

Sculpting

Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson as a read aloud or have students read it in groups. Have students use play dough to sculpt what was visualized as the story is being read. Sculpting may occur several times throughout the story. After each time a student sculpts, have others guess what was sculpted (guessing may be saved until the end of the story).

115 January 24, 2010 Edition Visualizing

This activity is similar to the sculpting activity. Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson as a read aloud or have students read it in groups. Throughout the story, pause several times to allow for students to draw what was visualized from the story. Drawing should occur several times throughout the story. At the end of the story, have the student share their visualizations (other students may guess what the drawing represents). Then see if the students can retell the story using their visualizations.

Listening Centre

Have students listen to Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson on tape (have an older student record it with expression) while following along with the actual book. After listening to the story, have students do shared reading while focusing on their expression while reading aloud. Students may also tape record themselves reading then listen to their own expression and reading fluency.

Story from a Picture

Provide students with a picture from the time of the Underground Railroad (pictures may be taken from picture books such as Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson or from the following websites:

 http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html,  http://www.ushistory.com/railr.htm,  http://americanart.si.edu/images/1967/1967.59.1146_1b.jpg,  http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/tubman/images.htm,  http://ntap.k12.ca.us/whs/projects/history/underground.html)

Have students create a story to match the picture individually, with a partner, or in a group (students may write down their story or just tell it verbally). Students may present their story to the class.

Character Guessing Game

Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson. Have a student choose a character from the story to pretend to be (without telling the other students). Other students ask questions (with a yes or no answer only) to determine which character the student has chosen to be. Once the character is determined, all other students may have a turn.

116 January 24, 2010 Edition Character Profile

This activity is similar to the Character Guessing Game. Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson. Have a student choose a character from the story to pretend to be (without telling the other students). Other students ask questions to try to determine which character has been chosen. The questions cannot have yes or no answers, they must involve answers to gain insight into whom the character may be (e.g., How did you feel when __ happened…). Once the character is determined, all other students may have a turn.

Word Wall Detective

A student chooses a word from the selected words based on Read Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (Page 116-117). Other students ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions to try to guess the word, such as “Is the word a compound word?” or “ Does the word have more than one syllable?” or “Does the word end in ‘ing’?” All students take turns choosing and guessing words.

Wordo

Wordo is similar to Bingo. Each student will use a Wordo card (see attached) and write words chosen from a section of words from the word list based on Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (see attached). The section of words should also be cut up and placed in a container for the Wordo caller to choose and call out. The game continues just like Bingo, one row wins. To save paper, the Wordo cards may be laminated and reused.

Pick Up Sticks

Students choose words from Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (see attached for list) and write the words on Popsicle sticks (one word per Popsicle stick). The Popsicle sticks are gently dropped in a pile. Students take turns trying to remove one Popsicle stick at a time without disturbing the other Popsicle sticks. Each time a student removes a Popsicle stick, they make a sentence using the word on the Popsicle stick they just removed and then spell the word.

117 January 24, 2010 Edition What Word Fits

Words have been blanked out from a poem (see attached for Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, Jr.). Students will work together to try to determine which possible words fit. Have students generate several possible words and then choose one to fill in (this works well with a clear sheet over the poem so students may use marker –wipe later =save paper). After all blanks are filled in, students may check with the actual poem to see if their words match. It is alright if their words do not match, as long as the words they chose made sense.

Word Scramble

Use words from Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (page 117). Write the words correctly on the left side and scrambled up on the right side. Students must match the two columns. Each time a word matched, students must make a sentence related to the story using that word.

Word Search

Use words from Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (page 116-117) and put selected words into a program that creates word searches http://www.edhelper.com/puzzles.htm. Have students do the word search activity.

Scrabble

Use words from Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson or Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson (page 116-117) and write selected word letters on large lima beans or papers (several times). Place letters in a container and have students use the letters to create the words from the list. Have the list there as a guide. Once a word is created then students may make a sentence with that word that is related to the story. (This can be done with magnetic letters too).

Definition Match Up

After reading Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson have students match words from the story with their definitions (Historical Words and Phrases page 223 – cut up and students will match). After students match, have them work together to create sentences that relate to the story.

118 January 24, 2010 Edition Word list for Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson p. 1 plantation, farm, field hand, cried, whispered, truth, dreaming p. 3 hoeing, clumsy, weeding, cloth, scraps, patterns, stitches, seamstress, complained p. 5 tomorrow, frightened, corn bread, knotted, overseer p. 7 needle, hand, watching, burst p. 10 helpers, kitchen, listened, master, runaways, swamp, Underground Railroad, free, forever, quiet p. 12 walking, Canada, North Star, beaten, map p. 13 cabins, dirt, picture, patch, blanket p. 16 quilt, careful, dress, pillowcase, work, pattern p. 17 buzzing, caught, east, stick, drew p. 19 long, months, wait, Big House, Quarters, pink, bigger, miles, north, guide, colth p. 22 night, done, moving, hidden, boat, Ohio River, memory p. 23 thunderstorm, freedom quilt, path, struck, hunting, dream p. 26 hid, day, night, darkness, cabin, fast, shining p. 27 aunt, look, cover, old, follow p. 29 word, lucky, spread, walk

119 January 24, 2010 Edition Word List for Almost to Freedom by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson p. 1 rags, Virginia, plantation, Miz Rachel, bandanna, old, cloth, hair p. 2 Lindy, Sally, friends, doll, important p. 3 cotton, ties, sweat, overseer, hollers, whip p. 5 sundown, stories, slaves, massas p. 6 folks, freedom, serious, run, North p. 7 strangers, chain, wagon, away, cried p. 8 sky, singin’ p. 9 whipped, overseer, spell, name, reading, writing, watch, ground, blacksnake, p. 10 tears, mercy p. 11 whisperin’, field, hurry, hush, grabs, important p. 13 hand, sneak, behind, shack, runnin’, feet, burs, hide, breathin’, worryin’, soon p. 15 waitin’, quiet, cross p. 16 hurry, oars, glide p. 17 leads, lantern, glowin’, owl, motions p. 19 kitchen, storeroom, ladder, darkness, safest, obliged p. 21 shack, blankets, pillow, softest, heaven p. 22 floor, scared, stew, bread p. 23 bucket, privy, dangerous, freedom p. 25 shakin’, catchers p. 26 waist, apron, fallin’, floor p. 27 tears, loneliness, leave p, 29 griven’, place, lay, house p. 30 mouse, scurries, company, lonely p. 31 praise, blanket, tired, tearful p. 32 dust, keep, seams p. 33 men, faces, serious, friends

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WORDO ! Free Space

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125 January 24, 2010 Edition A JAZZ TALK SHOW Grades: 4-8

Subject areas: Music, History, Language Arts, Theatre

Estimated time of completion: 6 - 50 minute sessions

Summary:

Students will explore the lives of various jazz musicians. They will become familiar with the social and historical events that were present during the lives of these individuals. They will listen to the music of the artists and become knowledgeable about their styles. This activity will culminate in the production of a news/talk show created and performed by the students highlighting the lives of these musical figures.

Objectives:

 Students will listen to, analyze, and describe music.  Students will gain an understanding of music in relation to history and culture.  Students will gain experience in theatre arts skills.  Students will gain experience in the general skills and strategies of writing.  Students will gain experience in the general skills and strategies of reading.  Students will use the Internet to do research.

Music

 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.  Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

History

 Understands the folklore and other cultural contributions from various regions of the United States and how they helped to form a national heritage.

Language Arts

 Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of writing.  Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of reading.  Gathers and uses information for research purposes.

Technology

 Knows the characteristics and uses of computer hardware and software including the Internet.

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Theatre

 Demonstrates competence in writing scripts.  Uses acting skills.

Designs and produces informal and formal productions

Materials:

 Computer(s) with Internet access will be used for online activity and research  Available library resources  Available jazz recordings  Available video equipment  Writing materials

Procedure:

1. http://pbskids.org/jazz/nowthen/index.html

Access the Then component of Now and Then. As a class, read some of the biographical material on the musicians found there and listen to the sound bites. Use the questions below to spark discussion about the information they have just been exploring.

o What did these musicians share in common? o What were the events and/or social influences that shaped their music? o Ask the students if any of them share anything in common with these musicians (i.e. play the same instrument, live or have lived in the same region/city as the musician, etc.)

2. Move to the Now area. Read some of the student submissions. Share any thoughts the students have on these: o Are there any experiences in this section that they can personally relate to? What? Why? o What comparisons can you make with the musical experiences read in the student submissions in “Now” and the biographies in “Then”?

3. Explain to the class that they are going to be creating a talk show. The focus of this show is jazz and they will be interviewing famous historical and contemporary jazz personalities. Students will choose several jazz musicians to research. These will be some of the guests on the show. After the personalities are selected, divide students into groups to begin researching them. (The number of personalities and students assigned to each will depend on class size and available computer access and resources).

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4. Research can be done online, at home, the library, etc. All students will contribute to the scripting stations used by the hosts. This will be based upon their research. Students should carefully consider the different perspectives they were exposed to in Now and Then and create questions that will reveal biographical, historical and social/cultural events that are prevalent in the time of the musician’s life and are/were influences on their music when interviewing their musical guests. Students should have listened to (and may incorporate into the show) sound bites/recordings of the famous musician's music. 5. When research is completed, students will select individuals to play the parts of the musicians they have studied. A host and co-host will also be selected. Students will perform this show in an available venue (i.e. for another music class, parent, etc.) 6. Written research will be handed into the teacher for evaluation. This can take the form deemed appropriate by the teacher (notes collected during research citing sources, reports including resources, etc.)

Assessment:

 Students should have completed all assignments and actively participated in all discussions.  Teacher assessment of student's knowledge on various musical figures through observation and anecdotal notes of performance.  Student evaluation of project:  Was enough information shared about the musician during the interview?  If not, what else should have been included?  Were audio musical examples used?  What were the strong points in the presentation? Weak points?  Suggest on area that could be improved and how you would do it?  What was the most outstanding/interesting thing you learned during this process?

Extensions and Adaptations

This presentation could be video taped and shown (in whole or segments) as part of the school news and/or in other classrooms.

 Commercials (aural and/or video) advertising the show could also be taped. These commercials should be related to upcoming school events (public service announcements) or musically relate. (I.e. commercial for a fictitious brand of the instrument played by the guest on that segment of the show).  Students could write theme music for the show and include it at the beginning and in advertisements.  Interview local jazz musicians. Videotape these interviews to be used on the show. Invite these musicians to come on the show "live" and meet with the class and play for the students.

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Assessment:

Extensions and Adaptations

This presentation could be video taped and shown (in whole or segments) as part of the school news and/or in other classrooms.

128 January 24, 2010 Edition MAKE AN ABC BOOK OF SLAVERY AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Subjects: Language Arts, Art, Social Studies

Suggested Grades: Grades 4-8

Description

Is there any adult who does not recall with affection a favorite ABC book from childhood? ABC books aren't just for children these days; they're being used for inspiration from kindergarten to college. In this lesson, students review ABC books in general, and then work together over several class periods to create an ABC book using the themes of slavery and the Underground Railroad.

Time Needed - 3 to 4 periods of 45 to 60 minutes each

Objectives

 To help students learn about a topic through research, drawing, and the production of a finished product  To use thinking skills, research skills, art skills, and cooperative learning skills  demonstrate the ability to do informational narrative writing  exhibit the ability to select appropriate materials in preparation for personal and informational writing  engage in peer conferences to clarify meaning  choose appropriate pieces to bring to publication  expand vocabulary in written pieces by using various resources including thesaurus and dictionary  use a variety of strategies to show the ability to make connections between prior knowledge and new information during the writing process  respond to integrated curriculum themes individually and collaboratively through a variety of writing experiences  The student understands the rapid growth of the "peculiar institution" after 1800 and the varied experiences of African American under slavery  Describe the plantation system and the roles of their owners, their families, hired white workers, and enslaved African Americans  Identify the various ways in which African Americans resisted the conditions of their enslavement and analyze the consequences of violent uprisings  Identify significant individuals from the region's past

129 January 24, 2010 Edition  Examine historical developments that have impacted today's culture

Materials Needed

 Copies of the "Designing ABC Books" Activity Sheet  Samples of ABC books on various themes selected from the library  Access to research materials (textbooks, encyclopedias, library books) about slavery and the Underground Railroad  (OPTIONAL) Access to computers with Internet access to search for sites related to slavery and the Underground Railroad  Coloured paper, pencil, crayons, or other media

Notes for the Teacher

 This activity is ideal for concluding a unit of study on slavery and the Underground Railroad or for Black History Month activities in February.  There are many resources about ABC books online and in libraries. See the "Further Resources" section.  Encourage older students to make more sophisticated ABC books by writing longer captions and identifying more than one term or object for each letter.  If you are a social studies/history teacher, this activity creates an opportunity to team teach with language arts and art teachers as well as the school librarian. It is also an ideal cooperative learning activity for students.  If you have the appropriate computer software and hardware, consider creating the ABC book online.

Procedures

 Discuss ABC books with students. What are their favorites? Why?  Introduce one or more ABC books to the class. Read one aloud and share the pictures. See the notes section for suggestions.  Use the "Designing ABC Books" Activity Sheet with the class to discuss how ABC books are formatted and designed. Have several ABC books with different formats on hand for students to compare.  Assign the task of researching, writing, and designing ABC books using the themes of slavery and the Underground Railroad as a class project.  There is lots of information on the web site of the national Underground Railroad Freedom Center that students can use to research topics. The site has a timeline, short biographies, a map of Underground Railroad sites, and more. Go to the "Slavery's Past" button on the site at www.undergroundrailroad.org  There are a variety of ways to structure the assignment. One suggestion is to divide the class into groups of three, with each student taking leadership on different aspects of the project. One student might be in charge of the research, one in charge of writing, while a third leads the design. Assign each group specific letters of the alphabet to work on.  Have the class decide on a design format. Also decide whether to create the project online or on paper.  Break the project down into specific tasks that students can work on in order.  Review ABC books.

130 January 24, 2010 Edition  Research the topic of slavery and the Underground Railroad.  Identify people, places, things, events, actions, or terms associated with these themes that begin with the assigned letters of the alphabet.  Decide what and how much to write for a caption about the person, place, thing, event, action, or term.  Find or draw an illustration of the person, place, thing, event, action, or term.  Design a page for each assigned letter. Include letter, caption, and illustration.  Compile all the pages alphabetically.  Create a cover for the book and a credit page.  Provide needed research materials and art supplies for students to work with.  When students have completed their ABC books, "publish" the results on your school web site or by displaying them in the school.

Lesson Extensions

 Have students write to authors of ABC books.  Create ABC books in conjunction with other units of study during the school year.  Start a collection of ABC books for the classroom or school library.  Have students bring their favorite ABC books to class to share.  Present the finished ABC book project to the school library.

Additional Resources

Examples of ABC books  Prairie Primer A to Z, Caroline Stutson and Susan Condie Lamb, Puffin Books.  A Gardener's Alphabet, Mary Azarian, Houghton Mifflin.  The Wacky Wedding: A Book of Alphabet Antics, Pamela Duncan Edwards and Henry Cole, Hyperion Books.  The Boat Alphabet Book, Jerry Pallotta, Charlesbridge Publishing.  Amazon Alphabet, Martin and Tanis Jordan, Kingfisher Books.

Online articles and information about ABC books Education World - "New and Original Alphabet Books Debut!" Education World - "Catch a New Batch of ABC Books!" Education World - "More New Alphabet Books!" Education World - "ABC Books Aren't for Babies!" AskERIC Lesson Plan - "Create an Alphabet Book" (#:AELP-INT0012)

 Review the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center web site (www.undergroundrailroad.org) for links to other relevant sites.

 For an interesting look at the history of ABC books, visit the web site created by the Watkinson Library at Trinity College, where you can view an online exhibition of ABC books published between 1808 and 1986. www.trincoll.edu/depts/library/exhibit2/abc.htm

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Activity Sheet

Reading ABC books is a great way to have fun and learn at the same time. Pick out a couple of ABC books and look at them for enjoyment first. Then go back and study how they are made. Once you know how it's done, create your own ABC books in class.

REVIEWING ABC BOOKS

1. What do you like about ABC books? 2. Bring one of your favorite ABC books to class to share. Tell why you like it. 3. Study several ABC books to see how they are put together. Consider these aspects:

 What is the format? Is it "letter object" or "letter object word?"  Where are the letters placed on the page? How big are the letters?  Are letters shown in both upper and lower case?  Is the typeface used for the letters plain or fancy?  How many objects or words are shown with each letter?  Are objects shown as drawings or photographs?  Are the words and objects used common everyday ones or strange and unusual? Did you have to look up any words? Did you know what every object was?  Is any other information given about the objects or words shown with each letter? In other words, is there a caption?  Does the ABC book as a whole have a theme? What is it?  How is colour used? Does each letter have a different colour? Does the colour of the word or object match the colour of the letter?  Does the ABC book use rhyme? Tell a story?  What did you learn from the ABC book?

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Coming to North America: Then and Now

BACKGROUND - Indentured Servitude and the Origins of Slavery

When the Atlantic slave trade began in the 1440s, there was little "culture gap" between European and African societies. The assumption that Africa was a backward continent was largely invented after the slave trade was well underway, when western societies were looking for justifications for permanently enslaving blacks. In 1440, West African cities were comparable in size to those of Europe, with sophisticated systems of religion, politics, and commerce. For this exact reason, Europeans did NOT, as commonly supposed, regularly raid coastal Africa for slaves; the existing African kingdoms were too powerful to permit such depravations. This notion that the slave trade developed when advanced Europeans swept down on helpless Africans is false. It is more correct to say that two relatively sophisticated cultures, European and African, developed a commercial partnership, in which Africans traded gold, ivory, and slaves to Europeans in exchange for guns, horses, and textiles. Thus the early history of the Atlantic slave trade could only have proceeded with the cooperation of the African kingdoms themselves.

It is important to remember though that slavery in this period differed substantially from what it would become in America before the Civil War. Slavery was not a new social phenomenon for either Europeans or Africans. Slavery had nothing to do with skin colour. Anyone could be the slave of anyone else, if they were unfortunate enough to fall into the wrong hands

Within Africa itself, slavery had existed for centuries. It was accepted, there as elsewhere, without question as a part of human organization and as just another sign and method of accumulating wealth. One became a slave by being an outsider or an infidel, by being captured in war, by transgressing the laws of one's society, or by selling oneself into bondage to make money for one's family.

For centuries, African societies had been involved in an overland slave trade that transported black slaves from West Africa across the Sahara to the Roman Empire and the Middle East. When the Portuguese made landfall on the west coast of Africa in the 1440s, then, slaves were just another commodity the Africans traded with their new European trading partners.

The Atlantic slave trade was of only minor commercial importance until European expansion to the New World created a vast shortage of labor. The Spanish needed miners to work the gold and silver deposits of South and Central America, then the Spanish, Dutch, and English needed agricultural slaves to work sugar, rice, and tobacco plantations.

This new demand for laborers dramatically changed the tempo and character of the Atlantic slave trade. Where before Africans had sold into slavery, now they went out actively to capture huge cargoes of what came to be called "black gold." Thus began the largest forced migration in 133 January 24, 2010 Edition human history as over the next four centuries 12 million Africans were dragged from their homes to work the brutal plantations of the New World. The Journey Begins

It is impossible now to imagine what it would have been like to have been captured and sold into this new form of slavery. The first shock usually came when African slave traders attacked a village at night, setting fire to huts, killing any who resisted, and yoking the remainder together in neck braces of wood and leather. The first leg of a slave's journey took them on a forced march from the West African interior to the coast. It is not surprising that some Africans attempted to kill themselves by gorging on clay or preferred being shot to being enslaved. Once they reached the coast they suffered the indignities of being inspected, branded, and thrown into jails to await transport to the slave ship.

From there things got much worse. The horrors (see pages 139-140 for pictures) of the "middle passage" have been so often described that it is difficult now to get a fresh perspective. The sea voyage was fairly miserable regardless, taking three weeks to three months, depending on the winds. But as the African coast began to recede from view, the Africans on board tended either to give way to despair or rise up in great violence. Some attempted to jump overboard, preferring drowning or consumption by sharks to whatever awaited them. To prevent this, slave ships tended to extend netting from both sides of the ship. Other slaves either refused to eat, preferring starvation, or attempted to consume vast quantities of anything that would kill them. Such attempts were dealt with harshly. Those who didn't eat were severely flogged or had hot coals applied to their lips and their mouths pried open by a device invented for the purpose.

Of greater concern to the slave-traders, of course, was the possibility of insurrection among the slaves. To combat this, slave-traders used sadistic punishments to create an atmosphere of fear that might stifle insurrectionist tendencies. It was not beyond a slave ship captain to torture or mutilate one slave so that the others might understand what might happen if they attempted to resist.

Most horrendous, of all, however, were conditions in the hold where the slaves spent most of their hours. "Under the decks," remembered Olaudah Equiano, "I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life: so that with the loathsomeness of the stench and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat [and I] wished for the last friend, death, to relieve me."

Slavery is at its base an economic system--an exploitative one, to be sure--but economic nonetheless. As such, it depends for its character and form on the economic circumstances to which it is adapted. In those places where slaves were employed as artisans and domestics, the system tended not to be as brutal. In those areas where slaves were employed in high numbers on arduous and repetitive agricultural tasks, the system could be very brutal. In the malarial rice swamps of South Carolina, for instance, where blacks outnumbered whites, labor had to be coerced and slaves had to be brutally controlled for fear of insurrection. This gave slavery a 134 January 24, 2010 Edition different character than it had in the Old World, where slaves were seen more as members of the household and given certain legal protections and privileges. Trans-Atlantic Passage: The People and the Pain

Lesson Overview

This lesson will give students the chance to explore the people involved in the Atlantic Slave Trade, which resulted in the enslavement of 12-13 million Africans between the early 1400s and the late 1800s. Using the Atlantic Slave Trade map (page 138) as a starting point, the lesson will focus on those who were directly involved in the Trans-Atlantic Passage. The class will be divided into pairs to research the roles listed below. Pretending that everyone involved spoke the English language, student pairs will write a short dialogue between the person that they have researched and a slave affected by that person’s actions. In this dialogue, they will attempt to describe the point of view and emotions of BOTH persons. Students will also have an opportunity to explore artwork and literature related to the role that they are researching. This lesson is applicable at many grade levels, with each level delving into the subject at a depth that is developmentally appropriate.

Curriculum Connections

1. Students will assess the impact of European exploration on African slaves in the following ways:

 Examine the reasons for slavery in the New World; e.g., cotton, sugar, tobacco.  Trace the beginnings of the slave trade in the Americas.  Investigate the transportation of African slaves to the Americas, i.e. triangular trade routes and the middle passage.  Students will compare and contrast the founding and organization of Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires to northern European trading empires as follows:  Assess the expansion of Portugal and Spain into Africa, India, and Southwest Asia.  Examine the political and military conflict between the Spanish, Portuguese, and the peoples of the New World.  Assess the impacts of the exchange of ideas and goods on the New and Old Worlds.  Investigate French, Dutch, and English merchants’ impact on European overseas expansion.

2. Students will also:

 Identify and describe selected periods or movements of historical change within and across cultures.  Identify and summarize specific examples of international trade throughout history, such as the Roman Era; European, African, and Asian trade routes; mercantilism; and post- Cold War economic unions.

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Time required

Two hours, as follows:

 Part 1: 30 minutes--Anticipatory Set  Part 2: 60 minutes--Group Division, research, and writing of short piece  Part 3: 30 minutes--Presentation of group pieces / Discussion

Note: You may extend the lesson time by having students participate in the extension activities. Or, you may shorten the lesson time by specifying the research materials students should use.

Materials

 Copy of Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (not completely necessary as excerpt is included)  Paper and pencil  Access to or printed copies of web pages at the following web sites (you may decide whether students should access the information themselves online or whether you will provide student pairs print-outs from the websites):

 http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16647  http://www.SlaveryinAmerica.org  http://www.africanhistory.about.com  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia  http://www.historyonthenet.com/Search/search.php?zoom_query=slavery&zoom_per _page=10&zoom_and=1&zoom_sort=0

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

1. As you begin the lesson, consider dimming the lights to simulate not only the darkness in the holding area of a slave ship, but also the figurative darkness of this historical event. Share with students these two images from the slaveryinamerica.org Image Gallery (pages 138-139). Then, tell the students that these were two ways slaves were arranged as "cargo" in the hold of the ship.

2. Next, share the story line of Slave Dancer by Paula Fox with the class. You should then read to them the following passage from the book, in which young Jessie, who has lost

136 January 24, 2010 Edition the pipe he uses to "dance" the slaves for exercise on their voyage across the Atlantic, is ordered into the hold to find it:

"You’ll climb down as I want you to," he said. "And you’ll look here and there until you find your pipe. After that, we can get on with things." As he spoke, he slowly brought me back to the deck. I caught sight of a black face turned up toward the light. The man blinked his eyes, but there was no surprise written on his face. He had only looked up to see what was to befall him next. I went down the rope knowing my boots would strike living bodies. There was not an inch of space for them to move to.

I sank down among them as though I had been dropped into the sea. I heard groans, the shifting of shackles, the damp sliding whisper of sweating arms and legs as the slaves tried desperately to curl themselves even tighter. I did not know my eyes were shut until fingers brushed my cheeks. I saw a man’s face not a foot from my own. I saw every line, every ridge, a small scar next to one eyebrow, the inflamed lids of his eyes. He was trying to force his knees closer to his chin, to gather himself up like a ball on top of the cask upon which he lived. I saw how ash-coloured his knees were, how his swollen calves narrowed nearly to bone down where the shackles had cut his ankles, how the metal had cut red trails into his flesh.

All around me, bodies shifted in exhausted movement. I was a stone cast into a stream, making circles that widened all the way to the limits of the space that contained nearly forty people.

Suddenly I felt myself dropping, and I heard the wooden thunk of the two casks, which I had, somehow, been straddling. Now I was wedged between them, my chin pressed against my chest. I could barely draw breath, and what breath I drew was horrible, like a solid substance, like suet, that did not free my lungs but drowned them in the taste of rancid rot. I tried to bend back my head, and I caught a blurred glimpse of Stout’s face in the white sunlight above. With what I was sure was the last effort of my life, I heaved up the upper part of my body, but my legs had no leverage. I sank down. I began to choke.

3. Initiate a discussion about how it would have felt to be forced into Jessie’s situation. Then, shift the focus to how it would have felt to be one of the slaves in the hold of the ship. Point out that the voyage to America took 40–60 days, depending on the weather. Ask students what questions they think the slaves would have asked the ship’s captain if they had been able to do so. Write down some of these questions as they suggest them. Tell them that these types of questions will be the basis of their research assignment.

4. You may also choose to read a poem about slavery or an excerpt from a book other than the one provided from Slave Dancer. Students can find such examples at these web pages:  http://www2.bc.edu/~richarad/asp/atln.html  http://www2.bc.edu/~richarad/asp.html  http://www.poets.org/poets/poets.cfm?45442B7C000C0E01  http://www.poets.org/exh/Exhibit.cfm?prmID=7

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Procedures

Pair Assignment, research, and writing of short dialogues:

1. Have students study the map on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade so they can see the big picture. You can initiate discussion by looking at the start points and destinations. You also can generate further discussion about European holdings or negotiations with local tribes by looking more closely at the West African Slave Ports. (page 141)

2. Divide students into pairs. Then, have each pair research one of the four roles listed below and, working together, write a short dialogue that might have taken place between the captured African and the other party if both had been able to speak English. You can guide students to resources listed underneath each role to aid them in creating their pieces. If the groups do not have ready access to the Internet, you may decide to print the necessary information for students.

3. The African, who was also a Slave Trader and who captured other Africans as slaves and took them to the African coast:

1. http://africanhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa080601a.htm

 Those who ran the forts:

2. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p272.html 3. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p260.html

 The Captain of the Ship:

4. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1i3002.html 5. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p275.html 6. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h280.html

 The Slave Trader in America:

7. http://www.historyonthenet.com/Slave_Trade/slave_auction.htm 8. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h304.html

Make sure that students know their dialogues should represent the emotions of BOTH parties involved in these historical episodes. Remind them that those who acted upon the Africans had their own realities, which justified, in their minds, their actions. Although this behavior is unacceptable by today’s standards, students must understand that those acting upon Africans did not believe they were acting unsuitably. Equally or more important, students must also be able to identify with the Africans who were acted upon, in the hope that they will never instigate or condone any similar occurrence themselves. 138 January 24, 2010 Edition

Presentation of Dialogues/Discussion:

At the end of the allotted time for creating the dialogues, reconvene the class. In chronological order, ask pairs to present their pieces. Following the presentations, have the class discuss what they’ve heard and their feelings about the material.

Assessment

Use the rubric (on page 137) to grade the assignment. You may give additional points for extra work students do, as suggested in the Interdisciplinary Links and Extension Activities section below.

Interdisciplinary Links and Extension Activities

 A number of activities, of which the following are just a sampling, would lend themselves nicely to study of the Trans-Atlantic Passage. The Teacher Guide section of the PBS "Africans in America" web site http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia is an excellent source teachers can use to generate further ideas.  Mathematics: Many activities could be designed to look at the number of slaves per ship. Using discussions, students could explore the decision many slave ship captains made to pack their ships heavily with slaves to make up for those who would die. Conversely, the decision to carry a heavy load of slaves also led to more deaths than would have occurred if captains ensured that their "cargo" was treated more humanely. Students could explore mileage charts on maps showing the Triangular Trade Route.  Art: Students could research individual photographs and paintings, as well as collections with a wide variety of material at the sites below:

o http://gropius.lib.virginia.edu/Slavery o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h322.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h297.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h296.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h321.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h290.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h287.html o http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h280.html

Poetry:

Students could explore poetry about the slave trade at the PBS web page: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h296.html or by going to the poetry links listed in the "Anticipatory Set" section.

139 January 24, 2010 Edition Rubric for Grading Pieces Presented to the Class

Criteria Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Roles Described the Described the roles Described the roles Described the roles roles of each of each participant of each participant of each participant participant with good accuracy with some accuracy with minimal accurately with and with good and with some detail accuracy and with great detail detail minimal detail Event Described the Described the Described the events Described the events events accurately events with good with some accuracy with minimal with great detail accuracy and with and with some detail accuracy and with good detail minimal detail Location Described and Described and Described and Described and identified the identified the identified the identified the locations locations with locations with some locations with accurately with good accuracy and accuracy and with minimal accuracy great detail with good detail some detail and with minimal detail Emotions Described and Described and Described and Described and identified the identified the identified the identified the emotions of emotions of slaves emotions of slaves emotions of slaves slaves accurately with good accuracy locations with some with minimal with great detail and with good accuracy and with accuracy and with detail some detail minimal detail Total 4 Points 3 Points 2 Points 1 Points Points

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This map shows the various slave holding points in Western African used by European traders around 1750. These African points of embarkation included port towns, forts, and castles that changed hands among European powers and African powers frequently in the 400 years of the slave trade. The greatest numbers of enslaved persons taken from Africa came from the Congo region. Out of these ports came 10 to 15 million African captives. Before the 1830s, almost four times as many Africans came to the Americas as European migrants, and almost all of them left from the points indicated on this map.

143 January 24, 2010 Edition Passages to Canada: A Modern Day Look In the previous lesson, Trans-Atlantic Passage: The People and the Pain, a detailed lesson outline was provided. It illustrated ways to teach what life was like for slaves who had to travel to the Americas, under dreadful conditions.

This section, titled Passages to Canada, looks at life for immigrants to Canada, as they traveled here from their home country. Like their African slave counterparts some 250 years earlier, many of these newcomers to Canada came under unique circumstances. It is left to the teacher to decide how best to use these narratives in the context of either comparing these stories to that of Black slaves, or whether to simply analyze them on their own.

The first three narratives are short, personal stories that tell the tales of three immigrants of colour, to Canada. These immigrants, Dr. Godwin Eni, Emmanuel Chinyeaka Okoli, and Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, talk of the need to come to Canada, the struggles they faced, and what Canada means to them.

Suggested activities:

 Present each case and then comparing and contrasting each immigrant’s story.  Students can create a personal time line for each story, along with a summary of the basic forces that have affected the immigrant’s life.  Students can write about what life was like for the immigrant, in their home life. Some research may be necessary.  Students can dramatize the life of the immigrant, emphasizing decision making aspects and conflict resolutions skills, as exemplified by each immigrant.  Students can draw/paint/sketch, scenes depicting the travels of each immigrant.  Students can use maps and atlases to calculate distances traveled by each immigrant, the route they took and natural and man-made obstacles on route to their new home.

The last two narratives, Dany Leferriere and Ken Wiwa offer accounts of coming to Canada from Africa. Like their Africa counterparts some 250 years ago, their stories are filled with concerning issues.

 Teachers can use some or all of the suggested activities listed above, and/or can use the Critical Thinking and Web Projects….See www.passagestocanada.com for:

o The Challenges to Immigration sheet that offers 8 activities. o Teachers can also discuss the qualifications immigrants now need to become Canadian citizens and have students attempt the Citizenship test. o Students can also use different scenarios to determine immigration eligibility through the Immigration Ranking System. Ultimately, the Passages to Canada section can be modified to suit students’ needs and can be adapted to accommodate all learners including ESL, level 1 to 4 students, Gifted and Special Needs students.

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Passages to Canada

Based on www.passages tocanada.com Dr. Godwin Eni

I’m Dr. Godwin Eni. I am from Nigeria… from the eastern part of Nigeria. I belong to the Ibo tribe, which is the third largest ethnic community in Nigeria.

I came to Canada because of the trauma that I encountered during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. I was completing my studies at the university during the war, and Ibos were being killed in the streets, and war was declared against the members of the Ibo tribe in eastern Nigeria. And eastern Nigeria seceded and called itself Biafra. So during the war, it was a very traumatic experience for Ibos who were living outside of Ibo land. I was unable to return to eastern Nigeria, and many Ibo professors and students had find a way to save themselves, so we escaped into the bush, and lived in the bush for a very long time.

En route from Heathrow airport to Montreal, we were given a certificate. It was the fiftieth anniversary of Canada. And each passenger was given a certificate in commemoration of that date – October nine, I believe, eight or nine, 1970 – as we were flying over the Atlantic. I still have the certificate with me.

Then, shortly before we arrived in Montreal, I was told… I mean, the pilot announced that there was a riot, and that the British Trade Commissioner by the name of James Cross has been kidnapped, and that there were soldiers at the airport trying to prevent some separatist groups from leaving the country. I was traumatized by this news because I thought Canada was a… Canada was a peaceful, quiet, neutral country. I was surprised to hear about this, so I was quite afraid. I thought there was a war going on in Canada. In fact, I wished I could go back to Nigeria and be killed in Nigeria, than to be killed in Canada, because I didn’t know anyone, and I didn’t have any relatives, or any acquaintances. So when I arrived at Mirabel – I believe it was Mirabel airport then, international airport – I refused to leave the airport, because when I looked out through the window outside, I saw a military tank rolling across! And I was quite afraid.

After a different period, I summoned the courage to get into a taxi, and I told the taxi to take me to the nearest hotel. He took me to a hotel, which was a short distance, I believe. I had only fifty pounds in my pocket, so I gave it to the taxi driver, and I asked him to keep the change, (laughing) because I didn’t know about Canadian money or the value of fifty pounds. I was only too anxious to get into a building where I can protect myself.

January 24, 2010 Edition Emmanuel Chinyeaka Okoli

My name is Emmanuel Chinyeaka Okoli. My middle name, Chinyeaka, is “May God Help Us,” a beautiful name. I’m originally from Nigeria – Nigeria on the west coast of Africa, and it’s the most populous black nation in the whole world, with almost 136 million people.

I came to Canada for my Masters program for studies, and having finished the program I saw the cultural setup of Canada, and a lot of potential. And so I decided to stay, and now I’m a citizen of Canada.

It wasn’t very easy for the fact that I was in my thirties when I came, and most of my cultural roots were so deep into me. So coming at that later age to adjust was a little bit tough and difficult for me. The philosophy with my people is that wherever you find human beings existing, just watch, study and follow, and you will adapt. So I tried to adjust to the Canadian environment.

The areas that I had problems mostly were in terms of language and communication - things having to do with accent. So even though I taught English language to university students and people like that, when I came here it was difficult communicating with people freely. At times, they don’t understand me and I have to repeat myself several times. And it’s kind of a little bit depressing, frustrating – but in the end you begin to adjust gradually, with patience and a little bit of effort. Talking slowly, and trying to let people understand what you’re saying. I took it in good faith, knowing that no person is deliberately wanting to punish you, just you trying to adjust.

I have not been to too many parts of the world, but from my deep and extensive study, I’ve found Canada as one of the best culturally. I feel that it’s the capital of multiculturalism of the whole world. Because there’s this openness to allow people to celebrate their culture, while at the same time holding on to the real Canadian culture. So ever since I came, I’ve had the opportunity and I’ve been given the chance to try to show those good aspects of African culture that I feel that can help and enhance the Canadian cultural mosaic.

146 January 24, 2010 Edition Ceta Ramkhalawansingh My name is Ceta Ramkhalawansingh, and I moved to Toronto in August 1967. I came with my family, which included my mother, my father, my brother and a sister. The five of us moved here in part because our parents wanted us to attend university in Canada. We moved from Trinidad and Tobago, and although there are very good schools there, I think that they thought that travel and living overseas would be a very good thing for us to do.

When I moved to Toronto in 1967, I attended one year of high school and then entered the University of Toronto, where I became very involved in a range of student activities, in addition to going to school, of course. And I became very involved in student government as one area of activity. That is the student administrative council, as well as various course union programs, because at that point in time in 1968 onwards, there was a move afoot to change the curriculum of the University of Toronto towards a more integrated, interdepartmental approach to curriculum, rather than very rigid programs of study. And then I became very involved in advocating and working towards establishing a feminist studies program.

Having spent quite a bit of time at the University of Toronto – I did graduate study there as well in child psychology, child development, sociology, and have graduate degrees from the University of Toronto in a number of disciplines. Somewhere in the middle of that process, it was in the early ‘70s – and this connects to the work I’m doing now – I worked for about a year and half with the Toronto school board, and in particular, I worked with a group of school trustees who were working on rewriting school board curriculum and programs to address the issues and the barriers faced by immigrant families with the Toronto school system, and to really try to work towards achieving a multicultural ideal in our school system. That program really had the effect of going a long way towards involving parents – parents from various ethnic backgrounds, racial backgrounds – in the school system, through the establishment of the School Community Relations Department.

As well as looking at curriculum, which incorporated and included the heritage of students who were in the school system, because in the early ‘70s, it was noted that a significant portion of the school population came from homes where English was not the first language, or did not come from Anglo-British heritage.

The work that I currently do is at the City of Toronto, and I work in the Diversity Management office, and the purpose of this office is to really work towards removing barriers to access and equity for the population of the city of Toronto. That means that we work with city departments to make sure that our programs and services are sensitive to the needs of our population. We carry out advocacy work on issues around immigration policy, for example. We address issues related to race relations and hate activity, and will carry out public education programs on a number of diversity-related themes. One of the areas that is really important in our work is that we provide resources to community organizations – community- based organizations – to build their capacity, and therefore to make it easier for members of their communities to become more integrated into our city. One of the things that I’m responsible for is administering an access and equity grants program. 147 January 24, 2010 Edition We work, again, to recognize the contributions made by members of the public towards having a city that is more inclusive, and one of the things that we do as well is to implement an awards program, where volunteers within the community are recognized by city council for the efforts that they make regarding a range of human rights issues.

So that gives a broad overview of how I continue to work with immigrants in this city, and people who come from immigrant backgrounds. At this point in time, nearly half the city’s population is an immigrant, and just over forty percent of the city’s population comes from a racial minority background, and I think that all of these efforts work towards making Toronto one of the best cities in the world to live in.

Canadian Symbols The Canadian Flag

The Arms of Canada

The Beaver

The Royal Union Flag

The Maple Leaf

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153 January 24, 2010 Edition The Monkey Wrench

A quilt made of Monkey Wrench block patterns was the first quilt to be displayed as a signal for slaves to get ready if they were planning to escape to the north. The Monkey Wrench told slaves to gather their ‘tools’.

154 January 24, 2010 Edition The Monkey Wrench Quilt

155 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Wagon Wheel Quilt Block

The second quilt to be displayed on the fence was the wagon wheel pattern. This quilt was as a signal which alerted slaves to pack up the supplies they would need on their journey to survive as if they were packing up a wagon.

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The Wagon Wheel Quilt

157 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bear’s Paw Quilt Block

Slaves on their journey to freedom were told to follow the bear’s trails over the Appalachian mountain range. Bears knew routes through the mountains and bears knew where to find water and fish for food.

158 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bear’s Paw Quilt

159 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Cross Roads Quilt Block

In the code, the crossroads was Cleveland, in the free state of Ohio. Cleveland was the place where many overland trails began, from here travelers could chose from 4 or 5 different paths to Canada. Special preparations may have been needed to be made before the next part of the journey to Canada began.

160 January 24, 2010 Edition The Cross Roads Quilt

161 January 24, 2010 Edition The Log Cabin Quilt Block

This part of the code may be telling the traveler to draw a picture in the dirt for a ‘Conductor’ to see, or to look for a cabin displaying a quilt with this pattern. By this point in their journey, the slaves would have been tired, cold and hungry.

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The Log Cabin Quilt

163 January 24, 2010 Edition The Shoofly Quilt Block

It is believed this part of the code was telling people to look for free blacks who knew about the Underground Railroad. Shoofly may have been a special person who would help the travelers to get rid of their dirty, torn and tattered old clothes.

164 January 24, 2010 Edition The Shoofly Quilt

165 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bow Tie Quilt Block

This was a signal to dress in a disguise, or put on a change of clothes. The Bow Tie Quilt advised an enslaved Black person to rid himself of his obvious slave clothing and disguise himself with new clothing. “Bow tie” pattern could also mean that once the “Shoo Fly” meets you, you would be given new clothes. Runaways generally had so few clothes that they were more ragged than those living in Cincinnati and they needed to blend in better because they could be turned over to the authorities.

166 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bow Tie Quilt

167 January 24, 2010 Edition The Flying Geese Quilt Block

Geese fly north in the springtime and their flight path could tell travelers which direction they were heading.

168 January 24, 2010 Edition The Flying Geese Quilt

169 January 24, 2010 Edition The Drunkard’s Path Quilt Block

Slave catchers from the south hunted for runaways with tracking dogs. Drunkards walk in a crooked line, back and forth, never in a straight line. This pattern told the runaway slaves to zigzag on their journey to confuse the dogs.

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The Drunkard’s Path Quilt

171 January 24, 2010 Edition The North Star Quilt Block

The North Star quilt was a signal to escaping slaves to seek out Polaris ─ the North Star. The North Star became a symbol of freedom to slaves as well as a guide star.

As soon as they were old enough to understand, slave children were taught to locate Polaris by using the stars of the Big Dipper. (The two stars at the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper point over to Polaris, the North Star, which is the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.)

Instead of a fancy metal dipper, slaves used a hollowed-out gourd to scoop water out of a bucket to get a drink. So they referred to the Big Dipper as the Drinking Gourd

172 January 24, 2010 Edition The North Star

173 January 24, 2010 Edition The North Star Quilt

174 January 24, 2010 Edition The North Star Quilt

174 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bear’s Paw Quilt Block

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The Bear’s Paw

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap-booking paper or wrapping paper in 3 different colours

One 7 X 7 grid One 7 X 7 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 7 X 7 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

17 squares of colour A

Step 1 (continued).

Use your 7 X 7 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

8 squares of colour B

176 January 24, 2010 Edition Use your 7 X 7 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

24 squares of colour C

Step 2. Lay out the 7 X 7 grid.

Step 3. Cut all 8 squares of colour B along the diagonal to make 16 right triangles.

Cut 8 squares of colour C along the diagonal to make 16 right triangles in total. Leave the other 16 squares intact.

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Leave all 17 squares of colour A intact.

Glue the triangles on the 7 X 7 grid to produce this pattern: Bear’s Paw

178 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bow Ties Quilt Block

Runaway slaves needed to wear new clean clothes so they would look like free blacks who lived in the north. They may have been hidden in a church until it was time for the next part of their journey.

179 January 24, 2010 Edition The Bow Ties

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 5 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

2 squares colours A and B 2 squares colours C and D

180 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 1 (continued).

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

8 squares of colour E

Step 2.

Cut all squares of each colour along the diagonal as shown:

Step 3. Lay out the 4 X 4 grid.

Step 4. Glue the triangles on the 4 X 4 grid to produce this pattern: The Bow Ties.

181 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Monkey Wrench Quilt Block

When slaves saw a quilt made of Monkey Wrench block patterns they were being given a signal to get ready if they were planning to escape to the north. The Monkey Wrench told slaves to gather their 'tools.'

182 January 24, 2010 Edition The Monkey Wrench

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 2 different colours

One 3 X 3 grid

One 3 X 3 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 3 X 3 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

5 squares colour A 4 squares colour B

Step 2.

Lay out the 3 X 3 grid.

183 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 3. Cut 2 squares of colour A along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles in all. Cut 2 squares of colour A in half horizontally. Leave one square uncut.

Step 4.

Cut 2 squares of colour B along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles. Cut the other 2 squares of colour B in half horizontally.

Step 5. Glue the rectangles and triangles on the grid to produce this pattern: The Monkey Wrench.

184 January 24, 2010 Edition The Wagon Wheel Quilt Block

The wagon wheel pattern was the second quilt to be displayed on the fence as a signal which alerted slaves to pack up the supplies they would need on their journey to survive as if they were packing up a wagon.

185 January 24, 2010 Edition The Wagon Wheel

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 4 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

7 squares colours A

186 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 2.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

3 squares of colour B

Step 3.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

4 squares of colour C

Step 4.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

3 squares of colour D

187 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 5.

Lay out the 4 X 4 grid.

Step 6.

Cut the appropriate number of squares of colour A along the fold lines shown to make the appropriate shapes:

Cut 4 squares Cut 2 squares like this. like this.

Cut 1 square like this.

Step 7….Cut the appropriate number of squares of colour B along the fold lines shown to make the appropriate shapes:

Cut 3 Cut 3 squares squares like like this. this.

Step 8….Cut the appropriate number of squares of colour C along the fold lines shown to make the appropriate shapes:

Cut 2 Cut 1 square squares like like this. this.

Step 9….Cut the appropriate number of squares of colour D along the fold lines shown to make the appropriate shapes: 188 January 24, 2010 Edition

Cut 2 squares Cut 1 square like

like this. this.

Step 10….Make the following squares:

Make 4 squares Make 4 squares like this. like this.

Glue the triangles on the 4 X 4 grid to produce this pattern: The Wagon Wheel.

189 January 24, 2010 Edition The Crossroads Quilt Block

In the code, the crossroads was Cleveland, in the free state of Ohio. Cleveland was the place where many overland trails began; from here travelers could chose from 4 or 5 different paths to Canada. Special preparations may have been needed to be made before the next part of the journey to Canada began.

190 January 24, 2010 Edition The Crossroads

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap-booking paper or wrapping paper in 3 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

8 squares Colour Step 2.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

6 squares of colour B

191 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 3.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

2 squares of colour C

Step 4….Lay out the 4 X 4 grid.

Step 5.

Cut each square of colour A along the diagonal to make 16 right triangles.

Step 5.

Cut each square of colour B along the diagonal to make 12 right triangles.

192 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 6.

Cut each square of colour C along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles.

Step 7.

Assemble 12 squares with this configuration:

Assemble 4 squares with this configuration:

Step 7.

Glue the squares on the 4 X 4 grid to produce this pattern: The Crossroads.

193 January 24, 2010 Edition The Flying Geese Quilt Block

Geese fly north in the springtime and their flight path could tell the travelers which direction they were heading.

194 January 24, 2010 Edition

To make this quilt block, you will need 8 squares in total.

For the background, you will need four 10cm X 10 cm squares

For the ‘geese’ formation you will need 4 squares, each a different colour. To find the measurement of this square, lay one background square flat. Use a ruler to find the centre of each side as shown.

Join these points to form a square.

195 January 24, 2010 Edition The Flying Geese

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 5 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler white glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

2 squares colours A and B 2 squares colours C and D

196 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 1 (continued).

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

8 squares of colour E

Step 2.

Lay out the 4 X 4 grid.

Step 3.

Cut each square of colour A, B, C and D along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles of each colour.

197 January 24, 2010 Edition Cut all 8 squares of colour E along the diagonal to make 16 right triangles in total.

Step 4.

Glue the triangles on the 4 X 4 grid to produce this pattern: The Flying Geese.

198 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Drunkard’s Path Quilt Block

199 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Drunkard’s Path

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 2 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One circle template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 grid as a template. Make 2 squares of colour A that are one-quarter the area of the 4 X 4 template.

200 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 2.

Use your 4 X 4 grid as a template. Make 2 squares of colour B that are one-quarter the area of the 4 X 4 template.

Step 3.

Use your circle template to make two circles of colour A and 2 circles of colour B. (For your information the diameter of the circle is 2/3 the length of the side of the square you made in Step 1.)

201 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 4.

Fold the squares and circles into quarters.

202 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 5.

Glue each circle onto the center of a square of the opposite colour. Use the lines to position the circles.

203 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 6.

Cut each square into quarters along the marked fold lines. You will now have 16 small squares.

Step 7.

Each Drunkard’s Path block is made up of 4 smaller identical blocks. Assemble the first small block as shown.

204 January 24, 2010 Edition Step 8.

Assemble 3 more identical small blocks. To form the Drunkard’s Path block, the small blocks are rotated 90 degrees starting in the upper left corner. A second diagram showing the placement of the 4 blocks on the 4 X 4 grid is shown to assist you in placing the small blocks.

Step 9. Your finished Drunkard’s Path quilt block should look like this.

205 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Shoofly Quilt Block

This part of the code was telling people to look for free blacks who knew about the Underground Railroad. Shoofly may have been a special person who would help the travelers to get rid of their dirty, torn and tattered old clothes.

206 January 24, 2010 Edition

The Shoofly

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 2 different colours

One 3 X 3 grid

One 3 X 3 strip template

Scissors

Ruler

White glue or glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 3 X 3 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

3 squares colour A 6 squares colour B

207 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 2.

Lay out the 3 X 3 grid.

Step 3.

Cut 2 squares of colour A along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles in all. Leave one square uncut.

Step 4.

Cut 2 squares of colour B along the diagonal to make 4 right triangles. Leave the other 4 squares of colour B .

Step 5. Glue the rectangles and triangles on the grid to produce this pattern: The Shoofly.

208 January 24, 2010 Edition The Log Cabin Quilt Block

This part of the code was believed to be telling the traveler to draw a picture in the dirt for a 'Conductor' to see, or to look for a cabin displaying a quilt with this pattern.

209 January 24, 2010 Edition The Log Cabin

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 5 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 3 X 3 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

3 squares colour A

3 squares colour B

2 squares colour C

210 January 24, 2010 Edition

2 squares colour D

1 square colour E

Step 2. Lay out the 3 X 3 grid.

Step 3.

Colour A. Cut two squares into halves. Cut one square into quarters. Discard two of the quarter squares.

Step 4.

Colour B. Cut two squares into halves. Cut one square into quarters. Discard two of the quarter squares.

Step 5.

Colour C. Cut one square into halves. Cut one square into quarters. Discard two of the quarter squares.

211 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 6.

Colour D. Cut one square into halves. Cut one square into quarters. Discard two of the quarter squares.

Step 7.

Colour E. Leave square intact.

Step 8.

Place the rectangles and squares on the 3 X 3 grid to create The Log Cabin quilt block.

212 January 24, 2010 Edition

The North Star Quilt Block

During his CBC Massey Lecture in 1967, Conscience for Change, Dr. Martin Luther King said that in the history of black America, "Canada was the north star." In the language of the quilt code, the North Star design gave slaves the hidden advice to keep their eyes on the Big Dipper, a constellation of stars that includes Polaris, the North Star said to point the way to "heaven," which in the case of escaping slaves, was Canada.

213 January 24, 2010 Edition The North Star

To make this quilt block, you will need:

Construction paper, wallpaper, scrap booking paper or wrapping paper in 3 different colours

One 4 X 4 grid

One 4 X 4 strip template

Scissors

Ruler glue stick

Step 1.

Use your 4 X 4 strip template to cut the correct number of strips of paper to make:

4 squares colour A

8 squares colour C

4 squares colour B

Step 2. Lay out the 4 X 4 grid. 214 January 24, 2010 Edition

Step 3.

Cut all 4 squares of colour A along the diagonal to make 8 right triangles in all.

Step 4.

Cut 4 squares of colour B along the diagonal to make 8 right triangles. Leave the other 4 squares of colour B intact.

Step 5.

Leave the 4 squares of colour C intact.

Step 6.

Glue the squares and triangles on the grid to produce this pattern: The North Star.

215 January 24, 2010 Edition Recommended Readings and Resources

If you are interested in learning and reading more about the Underground Railroad, you may find these books both informative and inspirational. Ask the librarian at your school or public library for these and other books about the Underground Railroad.

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson with illustrations by James Ransome (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, 1993) This fictional story is about Clara, a seamstress in the Big House who knows that she is better off than the slaves who work the fields. But slavery has separated Clara from her mother, and she can never be happy without her.

Clara dreams that they will be reunited one day and run away together - north to freedom. Then Clara hears two slaves talking about how they could find the Underground Railroad if only they had a map. In a flash of inspiration, she sees how to use the cloth in her scrap bag to sew a map of the land - a freedom quilt - that no master will ever suspect is a map to freedom.

The Secret to Freedom by Marcia K. Vaughan with illustrations by Larry Johnson (Lee & Low Books, New York, NY, 2001). This fictional story is about Lucy. After Lucy's parents are sold off the plantation, her older brother, Albert, tells her about the Underground Railroad. He explains that different patchwork quilt patterns provide secret messages to help escaping slaves and the two of them become involved in helping others find their way to freedom.

After a serious beating, Albert runs away and Lucy doesn't know his fate. After the Civil War, she becomes a teacher and marries. Then one day, she receives a scrap of fabric in the mail from her brother in Canada. He is alive and well and bringing his family to visit her.

Under the quilt of night a young slave girl leads her loved ones away from the slave master who worked them: "hoeing and picking, / mending and sewing, / till my hands got raw."

In this sequel to Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt, the author, Deborah Hopkinson uses the rhythm of verse to echo the drumming of the slaves' feet as they travel along the Underground Railroad in pre-Civil War times.

216 January 24, 2010 Edition Other children’s books of interest:

Ayres, Katherine. North By Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad.

Munjo, F.N. The Drinking Gourd.

Petry, Ann. Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad.

Smucker, Barbara. Underground to Canada.

Ringgold, Faith. Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky.

Winter, Jeannette. Follow the Drinking Gourd.

Websites:

http://www.osblackhistory.com/ This website is dedicated to the black history of Owen Sound, Ontario.

http://city.owen-sound.on.ca/cairnproject.htm This website is filled with rich information about the Owen Sound Cairn.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/ You are a slave in Maryland in the 1800s. Can you escape? Learn what challenges slaves faced in National Geographic's Underground Railroad adventure.

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/0301/adventures/ This on-line magazine gives you a chance to experience the Underground Railroad.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/fieldtrp/socstu/explore.htm This is an internet field trip.

http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/ A complete history

The Underground Railroad Table of Contents http://education.ucdavis.edu/new/stc/lesson/socstud/railroad/contents.htm

Harriet Tubman http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=159

Levi Coffin: President of The Underground Railroad http://www.indianahistory.org/pop_hist/people/coffin.html

Information about the Underground Railroad originated on http://www.africanhertour.org/ an outstanding website called Follow the North Star. The website provides extensive information about Ontario’s role in its history

217 January 24, 2010 Edition Information on the history of the Cairn, the colour explanations on how to create the patterns, the history of the Quilt Code and other explanation found herein, originated from the works of Professor Lynda Colgan at Queens University.

Information about The Quilt Code originated in Hidden In Plain View. A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railway by Raymond Dobard and Jacqueline L.Tobin.

OTHER BOOKS ABOUT QUILTS

Avery, Kristin. (1994). The Crazy Quilt. Glenview, IL: Good Year Books.

Blood, Charles, & Link Martin. (1990). The Goat in the Rug. New York: Aladdin.

Bolton, Jane. (1994). My Grandmother’s Patchwork Quilt. New York: Delacorte.

Brown, Craig. (1989). Patchwork Farmer. New York: Greenwillow.

Coerr, Eleanor. (1989). The Josephina Story Quilt. New York: HarperCollins.

Ernst, Lisa. (1983). Sam Johnson & the Blue Ribbon Quilt. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard.

Flournoy, Valerie. (1985). The Patchwork Quilt. New York: Scholastic.

Friedman, Aileen. (1994). A Cloak for the Dreamer. New York: Scholastic.

Guback, Georgia. (1994). Luka’s Quilt. New York: Greenwillow.

Howard, Ellen. (1996) The Log Cabin Quilt. New York: Holiday House.

Hopkinson, Deborah. (1993). Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. New York: Knopf.

Irons, Calvin. (1993). Baby Bear’s Quilt. San Francisco: Mimosa.

Johnston, Tony. (1985). The Quilt Story. New York: Putnam Sons.

Jonas, Ann. (1984). The Quilt. New York: Greenwillow.

Lyons, M. (1993). Stitching Stars: The Story Quilts of Harriet Powers. New York: Scribner’s Sons.

Martin, Jacqueline. (1988). Bizzy Bones and the Lost Quilt. New York: Lothrop.

Mill, Laureen. (1991). Rag Coat. Boston: Little, Brown.

Parton, Dollie. (1994). Coat of Many Colours. New York: HarperCollins.

218 January 24, 2010 Edition

Paul, Ann Whitford. (1996). The Seasons Sewn: A Year in Patchwork Alphabet. New York: HarperCollins.

Paul, Ann Whitford. (1991). Eight Hands Round: A Patchwork Alphabet. New York: HarperCollins.

Polacco, Patricia. (1988). The Keeping Quilt. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Polacco, Patricia. (1990). Just Plain Fancy. New York: Bantam.

Ringgold, Faith. (1991). Tar Beach. New York: Crown.

Ringgold, Faith. (1992). Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky. New York: Crown.

Smucker, Barbara. (1995). Selina and the Bear Paw Quilt. Toronto: Lester Publishing Company.

Whelan, Gloria. (1992). Bringing the Farmhouse Home. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Yolen, Jane. (1994). Old Dane Counterpane. New York: Philomel Books.

Zagwyn, Deborah Turney. (1990). The Pumpkin Blanket. Berkeley, CA: Celestial Arts.

Zerner, Amy. & Zerner, Jessie. (1995). The Dream Quilt. Boston: Charles E. Tuttle.

219 January 24, 2010 Edition

7 x 7 GRID

220 January 24, 2010 Edition

4 x 4 GRID

221 January 24, 2010 Edition 3 x 3 GRID

222 January 24, 2010 Edition Quilt Codes Summary Sheet

Flying Geese: A signal to follow the direction of the flying geese as they migrated north in the spring. Most slaves escaped during the spring; along the way, the flying geese could be used as a guide to find water, food and places to rest. The quilt maker had flexibility with this pattern as it could be used in any quilt. It could also be used as a compass where several patterns are used together.

North Star: A signal with two messages--one to prepare to escape and the other to follow the North Star to freedom in Canada. North was the direction of traffic on the Underground Railroad. This signal was often used in conjunction with the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, which contains a reference to the Big Dipper constellation. Two of the Big Dipper’s points lead to the North Star.

Monkey Wrench: A signal to gather all the tools required for the fleeing slave’s journey, meaning the physical tools, as well as the mental and spiritual ones.

Sailboat: A signal that either a body of water was nearby or that boats were available.

Drunkard’s Path: A warning signal to take a zigzag route to elude pursuing slave hunters and their hounds that are in the area. A slave spotted traveling south, for instance, would not be suspected of escaping. Dresden Wheel: It is possible that the Dresden Plate could be a variation of the Wagon Wheel. Records indicate that the Dresden Plate quilt pattern did not emerge until the 1920s.

Wagon Wheel/Carpenter's Wheel: A signal to the slave to pack the items needed to travel by wagon or that could be used while traveling. It could also mean to pack the provisions necessary for survival, as if packing a wagon for a long journey, or to actually load the wagon in preparation for escape. Some records indicate this symbol meant a wagon with hidden compartments in which slaves could conceal themselves, would soon be embarking for the trip to freedom.

Wagon Wheel Variation:

223 January 24, 2010 Edition

Crossroads: A symbol referring to Cleveland, Ohio, which was the main crossroads with several routes to freedom. On a less literal level, the term “crossroads” also means reaching a turning point in one’s life, where a choice must be made and then carry on. Bear's Paw: Follow a mountain trail, out of view, and then follow an actual bear’s trail which would lead to water and food.

Bow Tie (or Hourglass): A symbol indicating it was necessary to travel in disguise or to change from the clothing of a slave to those of a person of higher status.

Shoofly: A symbol that possibly identifies a person who can guide and help; a person who helped slaves escape along the Underground Railroad and who knew the codes.

Tumbling Blocks or Boxes: A symbol indicating it was time for slaves to pack up and go, that a conductor was in the area.

Broken Dishes: A symbol referring to a signal that involved broken crockery at some future landmark.

Britches: A symbol indicating the escaping slave needed to dress as a free person.

Rose Wreath: A symbol that indicated someone had died on the journey. It was an African tradition to leave floral wreaths on the graves of deceased.

Log Cabin: A symbol in a quilt or that could be drawn on the ground indicating it was necessary to seek shelter or that a person is safe to speak with. Some sources say it indicated a safe house along the Underground Railroad.

224 January 24, 2010 Edition UNDERGROUND RAILROAD CODES

Abolitionist - a person who demanded immediate emancipation of slaves

Agent - coordinator, one who plotted the course of escape and made contacts

Drinking Gourd - Big Dipper and the North Star

Freedom Train or Gospel Train - code name for the Underground Railroad

Heaven or Promised Land - Canada

Moses - Harriet Tubman

Preachers - leaders/speakers of the Underground Railroad

Pharaoh – Slave owner

Shepherds - people who escorted the slaves

Station - place of safety and temporary refuge, a safe house

Station Master - the keeper of a safe house

Stockholder - donor of money, clothing, or food to the Underground Railroad

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD CODE PHRASES

"The wind blows from the south today" - the warning of slave bounty hunters nearby

"A friend with friends" - A password used to signal the arrival of fugitives with an Underground Railroad conductor

"The friend of a friend sent me" - A password used by fugitives traveling alone to indicate they were sent by the Underground Railroad network

Load of potatoes, parcel, or bundles of wood - fugitives to be expected

225 January 24, 2010 Edition HISTORICAL WORDS AND PHRASES

 big house: the slave owner's home

 dear: expensive make water: urinate

 massa: a slaveholder usually expected his slaves to call him "master." Massa was a deliberate misuse or corruption of the term, used by slaves to diminish the respect "master" commands.

 overseer: a person who directed or supervised the work of slaves; sometimes called a "slave driver" because of the harsh treatment he inflicted

 privy: an outhouse

 skiff: a small, flat-bottomed boat

 Slave catchers: white men paid by slave owners to track and capture runaway slaves within and beyond the local area. Patrollers or "paddyrollers" were another threat to escaping slaves. Patrollers were hired by communities to police the plantation countryside.

 Steal away...: an example of a slave song. While songs provided comfort and entertainment, many were sung to pass along messages about secret meetings and escape plans.

226 Classroom Support

Archives Ontario [Website] www.archives.gov.on.ca/english/on-line-exhibits/index-black-history.aspx Provides extensive information about historical events with primary documents and photographs of historical figures. Reference is made to The Enslavement of Africans in Upper Canada and The Ontario Bicentenary Exhibition: The Act to Abolish the British Slave Trade, traveling exhibits produced by the Government of Ontario to mark the 200th anniversary of the 1807 Act to abolish slavery.

Black History Portal [Website] www.pc.gc.ca/culture/mhn-bhm/index_e.asp Material related to Black Canadian history and heritage and a link to Parks Canada Underground Railroad sites.

On-Line Institute for Advanced Loyalist Studies [Website] www.royalprovincial.com/military/black/black.htm Explores the history of the first free Black settlement in Canada. Includes primary source documents, pictures, and other archival information. Also information and personal stories about individual Black loyalists who were living in that community at the time.

Black History Canada [Website] Blackhistorycanada.ca/teachers.php In For Teachers section is a one-page overview of Canada's Black community, with links to specific resources related to that sub-heading.

The Black Community in the History of Québec and Canada [Website] www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/curriculum/social_sciences/features/missingpages/ Content is organized into eight units spanning the periods in Québec and Canadian history from the French Regime to the post-war decades of the twentieth century.

Blacks in Canada - A long history [PDF] www.statcan.ca/english/studies/11-008/feature/11-008-XIE20030046802.pdf This paper, written in 2004, is part of a series produced by Statistics Canada on Canadian social trends. The detailed analysis examines residential settlement patterns of Blacks, from a historical and current perspective.

Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration [Website] www.citizenship.gov.on.ca/english/about/bicentenary/ A backgrounder for the Bicentenary Exhibit, with frequently asked questions that give a brief account of the history and timeline of Slavery and Acts to limit and abolish slavery in Canada.

Multimedia Resources [Website] www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10166&sl=e One-minute movies portray moments in Canada's past.

Virtual Museum of Canada with archival documents [Website] www.virtualmuseum.ca/blackhistory/OnTheRoadNorth.html Site has historical images, photos, and other archival documents.

Famous Black Canadians [Website] schools.ccrsb.ednet.ns.ca/tmhs/famous_Black_canadians.htm This school site from Nova Scotia provides comprehensive links to famous Black Canadians.

Historical

Black History Portal [Website] www.pc.gc.ca/culture/mhn-bhm/index_e.asp Material related to Black Canadian history and heritage and a link to Parks Canada Underground Railroad sites.

National Archives [Website] www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/anti-slavery/index-e.html Biographical sketches of historical figures connected to the Anti-Slavery Society. Provides pictures, maps and other visuals as well as the sources of the archival documents. Copies of primary documents can be viewed on this site.

Virtual Museum of Canada with archival documents [Website] www.virtualmuseum.ca/blackhistory/OnTheRoadNorth.html Site has historical images, photos, and other archival documents.

Black History Canada [Website] Blackhistorycanada.ca/topic.php?id=158&themeid=7 Outlines contributions of African Canadians who were groundbreakers and pioneers in politics, law, medicine, education, and community affairs. Comprehensive listing of scholars, members who held public office, and heads of organizations, with reference to further sources of information.

Notable Black People [Website] www.Blackmontreal.com/id791.htm Listing of notable contemporary Black people includes African-Americans, scientists and inventors, Black Canadians and Blacks in Britain.

Senator Donald Oliver - Nova Scotia: Black History and Culture [Website] www.senatordonaldoliver.ca Background on the establishment of Black History Month and Abolition of Slavery legislation. Includes a listing of the accomplishments of many African Canadians citing their names and contributions.

Mysteries of Canada: Ten Famous Black Canadians www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Canada/black_canadians.htm Features sketches of ten famous Canadians, providing a springboard for research on the contributions of African Canadians.

Famous African Canadians [Website] www.r-go.ca/famous_african_canadians.htm Contains a listing of African Canadians organized in alphabetical order.

Famous Black Canadians [Website] schools.ccrsb.ednet.ns.ca/tmhs/famous_Black_canadians.htm This school site from Nova Scotia provides comprehensive links to famous Black Canadians. List of Black Canadians [Website] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Black_Canadians Provides a listing of Black Canadians under headings of Actors and directors; Athletes; Musicians; Politicians, public servants, and soldiers; Writers, journalists, and broadcasters; Scholars and scientists; Artists; and Other historical figures. It also includes a list of multiracial black Canadians.

Contemporary

Virtual Museum of Canada with archival documents [Website] www.virtualmuseum.ca/blackhistory/OnTheRoadNorth.html Site has historical images, photos, and other archival documents.

Famous African Canadians [Website] www.r-go.ca/famous_african_canadians.htm Contains a listing of African Canadians organized in alphabetical order.

Famous Black Canadians [Website] schools.ccrsb.ednet.ns.ca/tmhs/famous_Black_canadians.htm This school site from Nova Scotia provides comprehensive links to famous Black Canadians.

List of Black Canadians [Website] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Black_Canadians Provides a listing of Black Canadians under headings of Actors and directors; Athletes; Musicians; Politicians, public servants, and soldiers; Writers, journalists, and broadcasters; Scholars and scientists; Artists; and Other historical figures. It also includes a list of multiracial black Canadians.

Who's Who in Black Canada [Website] www.whoswhoinBlackcanada.com/links.html Description of Black success and excellence in Canada, and also further background on the Black Church in Canada, People of note in Owen Sound and Guelph. Links to other provinces and links to Black Heritage.

Authors and Storytellers

Itah Sadu 746 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2R6 Tel: 416-538-0889 Fax: 416-538-6914 Email: [email protected] Web: www.adifferentbooklist.com Itah Sadu is an award winning author, storyteller, and owner of a Toronto bookstore, A Different Booklist. Itah Sadu uses stories from Africa, the Caribbean, and North America to explore issues of race, equality, and gender. Books: Christopher, Please Clean Up Your Room!; Christopher Changes His Name; Name Calling; How The Coconut Got Its Face; A Touch of the Zebras (Canadian Children's Book Centre Choice).

Richardo Keens-Douglas c/o Annick Press Toronto: 15 Patricia Avenue, Toronto, ON, M2M 1H9 c/o Annick Press Vancouver: 341 Water Street, Suite 200, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1B8 Web: www.annickpress.com Richardo Keens-Douglas is a playwright, national radio and television host, actor, storyteller and author. He provides storytelling or storytelling combined with drama workshops. His books for young children explore the African-Caribbean experience and celebrate family. Books: The Nutmeg Princess, 1992; La Diablesse and the Baby, 1994; Freedom Child of the Sea, 1995; Grandpa's Visit, 1996; Tales From the Isle of Spice: A Collection of New Caribbean Folk Tales, 2004.

Rita Cox 801-65 Southport St., Toronto, ON, M6S 3N6 Tel: 416-762-7113 Fax: 416-762-7791 Email: [email protected] Rita was Children's Librarian and head of the Parkdale Branch of the Toronto Public Library and a member of Mariposa in the Schools. She has been on the board of the Storytellers School of Toronto and has served as chairperson. Her stories have appeared in many anthologies and school readers. Rita tells stories from the Caribbean, Africa, and around the world. She uses books and story to encourage children to pursue their hopes and dreams, and appreciate their diverse cultural heritage.

Dick "Syncona" Smith Email: [email protected] Web: www.syncona.com Dick Smith & Syncona feature an interactive program of folk and contemporary songs and rhythms, including music from Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica and variety of instruments (bass, guitar, steel drums, and other percussion). The site highlights some of the school performances of this group. Dick Smith is member of the team that founded Caribana and is a member of Mariposa in the Schools. He was lead percussionist for Mirvish productions of the Lion King, as well as Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Beetlejuice.

Charmaine Lurch Email: [email protected] Web: www.charmainelurch.com Charmaine Lurch is a visual artist, illustrator of many children's books and textbooks. She encourages students to create visually, and to express their identity through presentation and writing. She incorporates Afro-centric themes into her programs of Canadian Black Pioneers.

Adrian Harewood Email: [email protected] Adrian Harewood is a freelance writer broadcaster and speaker. He has hosted programs on radio and television (CBC Radio's "The Current," and CBC Newsworld's "Counterspin.")

Children's Books

Birtha, Becky. Grandma's Pride. (2005) Albert Whitman Books. ISBN: 0-8075-3028-X An inspirational story based on real events and memories of Black America in the 1950's. Historical notes by the author are included.

Ehrhardt, Karen. (2006) The Jazz Man. Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 0-15-205307 An introduction to nine of the era's best jazz musicians and a biography for each musician.

Grifalconi, Ann. (2008) Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me. Jump At the Sun. ISBN: 0-7868-1857-3 Loosely based on the life of Orleans Finger, this remarkable and inspiring tale of the Underground Railroad comes to life. Harrison, Troon. (2006) Courage to Fly. Red Deer Press. ISBN: 0-88995-361-9 Meg, far from her Caribbean home, finds herself very lonely as she is teased by big city kids. When she finds a small bird, her mother, a kind Chinese man, and a new friend Jenny, help her decide to release it to freedom.

Keens-Douglas, Richardo. (1992) The Nutmeg Princess. Annick Press Ltd. ISBN: 1-55037-239-4 Aglo and Petal live on the small Isle of Spice, in the Caribbean. This is story of their friendship with Petite Mama, a mountain dweller, and the tale of the Nutmeg Princess who lived in the bottomless lake.

McKissack, Patricia, (2005) Precious and the Boo Hag. Atheneum. ISBN: 0-689-85194-4 The Boo Hag is a mean and scary imaginary ghostly shape. Precious, the spunky little girl, reverses the tricks the Boo Hag tries to play and as a result this folksy tale shows how she gets back at the Boo Hag.

Sadu, Itah. (1993) Christopher, Clean up your Room. Scholastic Canada Inc. ISBN: 0-590-74034-2 A story about a young African Canadian boy who refuses to clean up his room until the cockroaches come in the night and give him a message!

Sadu, Itah. (1992) Name Calling. Women's Press. ISBN: 0-88961-204-8 A story about a group of children who are bullying each other with name calling and how the problem gets resolved.

Sadu, Itah (2003) A Touch of the Zebra's. Women's Press. ISBN: 0-88961-410-5 A story about Chelsea who struggles with being a biracial child and who to play with at school. She soon discovers she's not alone and that rainbows come in all colours.

Rappaport, Doreen. (1999). Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN: 978-0-786807147 The author of Freedom River brings Dr. King to life in this picture book, using quotes from his speeches.

Adler, David. (1990). A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday House. ISBN: 978-0823408474 An illustrated biography of the civil rights leader whose philosophy and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience helped American Blacks win many battles for equal rights.

Pinkney, Andrea. (1999). Duke Ellington: the piano prince and his orchestra. Hyperion Books. ISBN: 978-078601787 Duke Ellington was hailed as the "King of the Keys." Most people called his music jazz, but he said it was "the music of my people." He was a great man who proudly celebrated the history of African Americans.

Hart, Philip. S. Up In the Air: the Story of Bessie Coleman. Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 978-0846149782 In 1920, Bessie Coleman was the first Black person to get her pilot's license.

Novels

Burtinshaw, Julie. (2005). Freedom Jenny, The. Raincoast Books. ISBN: 1-55192-839-6 Jenny Estes and her family relate the story of African American slaves from Mississippi who immigrated to Saltspring Island, B.C., in the 1860s.

Cooper, John. (2002) Rapid Ray: The Story of Ray Lewis. Tundra. ISBN: 0-88776-612-9 Ray Lewis won medals at the 1932 Olympics and the 1934 British Empire Games. This story is about this Canadian-born athlete who worked as a railway worker and who trained by running along the tracks.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2002) Bud, Not Buddy. Yearling. ISBN: 0-440-41328-1 Young Bud, a motherless boy of ten, tries to find his father, a Jazz Musician. With his own suitcase of "special things," the story outlines an emotional journey for Bud.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2007) Elijah of Buxton. Scholastic. ISBN: 0-439-93-647-0 This book talks about a Black Pioneer Settlement in Buxton, Ontario in 1859. It talks about the life of the main character, a free-born Black man named Elijah. The story has memorable characters and provides an awareness of slavery and the people who risked their lives in the Underground Railroad.

Curtis, Christopher Paul. (2008) Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. Yearling. ISBN: 0-440-41412-1 The 'weird' Watsons head south to Birmingham during a bleak period in the country's history. The older brother becomes involved in crime and the parents make good their threat to place him in the strict care of his grandmother.

Ellis, Deborah. (2007) The Heaven Shop. Fitzhenry and Whiteside. ISBN: 1-55455-086-6 Binti and her siblings are orphaned due to AIDS and are forced to live with strict relatives. Her anger and frustration with her difficult circumstances are challenges to overcome.

Kositsky, Lynne. (2001) Rachel Book 1: A Mighty Big Imagining. (Our Canadian Girl Series) Penguin Canada. ISBN: 0-14-100252-2 10-year-old Rachel boards a ship that will take her and her mother from slavery in America to freedom in Nova Scotia. As part of the adventure and a recurring theme through all 4 books, Rachel learns how to read and write.

Kositsky, Lynne. (2002) Rachel Book 2: The Maybe House. (Our Canadian Girl Series) Penguin Canada. ISBN: 0-14-331208-1 In this story, we follow the hardships Rachel and her family face as her mother and baby Jem become ill. Their rations from the government were going to be cut in thirds and the land the settlers were to receive was still a "maybe."

Kositsky, Lynne. (2003) Rachel Book 3: Certificate of Freedom. (Our Canadian Girl Series) Penguin Canada. ISBN: 0-14-301462-5 Titan, Rachel's stepfather, begins to build their house with tools he has borrowed from the local dignitary, Colonel Blucke. Rachel's momma still isn't very happy and their living conditions are tough and miserable.

Kositsky, Lynne. (2004) Rachel Book 4: An Elephant Tree for Christmas. (Our Canadian Girl Series) Penguin Canada. ISBN: 0-14-301671-7 In this final book of the series, Rachel ends up looking after the family and the new house. Mama has gone and Rachel also becomes the teacher for the other children.

McFarlane, Brian. (2005) Book 8: The Baseball Thief. (Mitchell Brothers Series) H. B. Fenn. ISBN: 1-55168-276-1 The Mitchell boys meet Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, two famous baseball legends, when their team bus breaks down. They find themselves in the position of taking on their town's prejudice against the Black players.

Russell, Nancy. (2007) So Long, Jackie Robinson. Key Porter Books. ISBN: 1-55263-863-4 About the struggles of Jackie Robinson and his struggles as he becomes the first African-American baseball player. It is told through the eyes of 12-year-old Matt Parker, who in 1946 works at the Delorimier Downs Stadium in Montreal. He and his friends live through an exciting period in the history of baseball. Schwartz, Ellen. (2006) Stealing Home. Tundra. ISBN: 0-88776-765-6 A young boy finds himself caught in the 1947 Yankee Fever, dealing with racial prejudice, a new baseball team, and a special hero.

Schwartz, Virginia Frances. (2002) If I Just had Two Wings. Fitzhenry and Whiteside. ISBN: 0-7737-6192-6 A 13-year-old slave girl finds codes in songs about the Underground Railroad that motivate her to begin the journey north from the cotton fields in Alabama to Canada.

Smucker, Barbara. (1993) Underground to Canada. Penguin Books. ISBN: 0-14-130686-6 This classic in Canadian Black History novels for young people is the story of a young girl taken from her mother who escapes from the harsh work in the cotton fields, and escapes from slavery by way of the Underground Railroad.

Spinelli, Jerry. (1999) Maniac Magee. Little Brown. ISBN: 0-136-80906-3 This book is about the life of a runaway orphan boy who encounters racism, violence, and mystery and tackles it all with a maniacal attitude that helps him survive. It is also a story about friendship as he finally finds a family that accepts him.

Wilson, John. (2004) Flags of War. Kids Can Press. ISBN: 1-55337-568-8 A comparison of life in Canada and the United States during the American Civil War. The story revolves around cousins: Nate, the American son of a plantation owner, and Walt, a Canadian.

Wilson, John. (2005) Battle Scars. Kids Can Press. ISBN: 1-55337-703-6 This book is a sequel to Flags of War and follows up on the connections between Nate, the American boy and Walter, his Canadian cousin, and the interaction with Sunday, a former slave on Nate's father's plantation.

Canadian Flyer Adventure Wishinsky, Frieda. (2008) Hurry, Freedom. Maple Tree Press. ISBN: 1-897349-15-7 This time-travel series features Emily and Matt who arrive in Canada and join the Abolitionist movement to help slaves escape to freedom.

Teen Fiction

Bell, William. (2003). Stones. Seal Books. ISBN: 0-7704-2875-4 A girl ghost who lived 150 years ago comes back to haunt Garnet a young man of current times. In this thriller, he gains insight into an unnatural prejudice and persecution in the Black community of her time.

Draper, Sharon M. (2008) Copper Sun. Simon Pulse Press. ISBN: 1-4169-5348-5 Amari is sold into slavery but with the help of a little boy and a white indentured servant, she sets out on a dangerous journey to gain their freedom. Lester, Julius. (2007) Day of Tears. Jump at the Sun Press. ISBN: 1-4231-0409-9 A historical perspective on American History and the heart-breaking stories of slavery.

Non-fiction

Black, Ayanna, ed. (2000) Fiery Spirits & Voices: Canadian Writers of African Descent. HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-0064-8521-9 This volume combines two previous works: Voices: Writers of African Descent and Fiery Spirits, providing a rich and vibrant celebration of Canadian-African literature. It includes short fiction and poems, by a talented group of emerging and established writers. Also includes brief biographical sketches of the writers.

Blight, Dave. (2006) Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory. HarperCollins. ISBN: 1-0060-851-18x Accompanied by a host of archival photos and illustrations, this collection of essays, by fifteen respected historians, covers the history, mythology, and significance of the famous Underground Railroad.

Cooper, Afua. (2007) The Hanging of Angelique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montreal. HarperCollins. ISBN: 0-00-200553-0 Marie-Joseph Angelique, a Black woman and slave, was executed in Montreal after being tried, tortured, and condemned for starting a fire in 1734 that destroyed forty-six buildings in the city. Using trial transcripts, private letters, and other New World correspondence, Cooper offers a new perspective on slavery in Canada, at the same time shedding new light on what might have compelled a young woman to commit such a crime.

Cooper, John. (2005) Season of Rage: Hugh Burnett and the Struggle for Civil Rights. Tundra Books. ISBN: 0-8877-6700-1 This is the story of what happened to many ex-slaves who escaped the United States via the Underground Railroad only to face further discrimination in Dresden, Ontario, the centre of the civil rights struggle in the 1950s. What occurred in Dresden parallels much of what occurred in the United States on a smaller scale. Black-and-white photographs and timelines are included.

Hansen, Joyce, Laurie McGaw, Illus. (2004) African Princess: The Amazing Lives of Africa's Royal Women. Hyperion Press. ISBN: 0-7868-5116-3 A illustrated history of six royal women and the times in which they lived. It depicts the strong self determination of these women from 1473 B.C. to the present day.

Hill, Daniel G. (1992) The Freedom Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada. Stoddart Publishing. ISBN: 0-7725-5284-3 Chronicles the history of Blacks in early Canada.

Hill, Lawrence. (1993) Trials and Triumphs: The Story of African Canadians. Umbrella Press. ISBN: 1-895642-01-9 A historical perspective of the roles of Black Canadians in Canada's history. It tells of from their roots in Africa and the Caribbean and the key points of settlement and immigration. A readable and informative overview of the contributions of African Canadians.

Hundey, Ian. (2005) John Ware. Fitzhenry and Whiteside. ISBN:1-5504-1872-6 Born a slave in the southern United States, John Ware immigrated to Canada after the American Civil War. He achieved fame, success, and respect as a Black man and was one of the first settlers in the region that eventually became Alberta. His illustrated with archival photographs, maps, and drawings, and includes suggested readings and an index.

Johnston, Justin. (2005) James Robinson Johnston: The Life and Death and Legacy of Nova Scotia's Most Famous Black Lawyer. Nimbus Publishing. ISBN: 1-5510-9509-2 A brief biography of the first African-Canadian professional in Nova Scotia. The author reveals how the racial climate of the early twentieth century and the shame of his own family helped to suppress the memories of James Johnston's remarkable achievements as a civil rights activist and educator.

Johnson, Walter. (2005) Challenge of Diversity. Black Rose Books. ISBN: 1-5516-4272-7 Using Canadian and American data, the author examines the challenges posed by the increasing cultural diversity of North American society. He covers such key issues as racism, employment equity, and security. A glossary and a resource guide outline each chapter's objectives.

Sadlier, Rosemary. (2003) The Kids Book of Black Canadian History. Kids Can Press. ISBN: 1-55074-892-0 An overview of the history of Blacks in Canada from the beginnings in Africa to current day immigration from the Caribbean. It highlights the important role that Black Canadians have played in Canada's history. It also includes profiles of famous African Canadians and historical events with timelines and an index.

Sadlier, Rosemary. (1994) Leading the Way: Black Women in Canada. Umbrella Press. ISBN: 1-895642-11-6 A collection of biographies and stories about Black Women who made significant contributions to Canada's history and growth, both in the past and present. It contains pictures, maps, and historical accounts of important events.

Sadlier, Rosemary. (1995) Mary Ann Shadd. Umbrella Press. ISBN: 1-8956-4216-7 About Mary Ann Shadd, a publisher, teacher, lawyer and suffragette who advocated for both women and Blacks.

Sansregret, Marthe. (2006) Oliver Jones: The Musician, The Man. Quest Library, XYZ Publishing. ISBN: 1-8948-5222-2 Montreal jazz pianist Oliver Jones (of Barbadian roots), a regular at the Montreal Jazz Festival, gained international recognition and won a Juno Award. He taught music in Canadian universities and received, among other awards, the Order of Canada.

Shoveller, Herb. (2006) Lincoln Alexander: A Biography. Dundurn Press. ISBN: 978-1550026634 A story of one of Canada's heroes, the African-American son of a maid and railway porter, who embarked on a life path which took him to military service for his country, a thriving law career, and a political career. As he was Canada's first Black Member of Parliament, Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario, and then a university chancellor.

Professional Reference

Hill, Lawrence. (2001) Any Known Blood. Harper Perennial. ISBN: 978-0006481355 A story of five generations of African Canadians. Langston Cane, the protagonist, sets out on a voyage of discovery about his ancestors. The rich text uses his exploration to document the historical aspects of the Underground Railroad, the take-over of Harper's Ferry by John Brown, and the Ku-Klux Klan in Canada and fully integrates them into this novel.

Hill, Lawrence. (2007) The Book of Negroes. HarperCollins. ISBN: 978-0-00-225507-3 This book was also published as Someone Knows My Name. This historical novel transports the reader from an African Village to a plantation in the southern United States; from refuge in Nova Scotia and back to Sierra Leone. The female protagonist registers her name in the "Book of Negroes," a British military ledger that allowed 3000 Black Loyalists to sail from Manhattan to Nova Scotia.

Multi-media Elementary

Ellington was Not A Street [VHS and DVD] colour 12 min, Scholastic 2004 This program pays tribute to some of the most influential cultural and political African American leaders of the twentieth century.

Follow the Drinking Gourd [DVD] (Reading Rainbow Series) 30 min, GPN Educational Media 1993 Based on the song Follow the Drinking Gourd which celebrates the road to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Viewers are introduced to the history, heroes, stories, and music of the African American culture which emerged from slavery.

Father Henson: His Spirit Lives On [VHS and DVD] colour 26 min, Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site: www.uncletomscabin.org Josiah Henson was born into slavery in the United States in 1789. He and his family fled to Canada via the Underground Railroad in 1830. The segments profile the life of Josiah Henson, from his early years in slavery to the founding of the famous Dawn Settlement in Dresden, Ont.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day [VHS] colour 10 min, McIntyre Media 1992 Highlights the career of Dr. King, one of the world's foremost civil rights leader and his contributions to people throughout the world.

Voice of Freedom [VHS and DVD] (A Scattering of Seeds: the Creation of Canada Series, Season II) colour 30 min, White Pine Pictures 1998 (distributed by McNabb Connolly) Ugandan refugee, Opiyo Oloya, became the cultural centre of Toronto's diverse African community through his popular community radio programme. As a teacher he tells his story to students and learns about their experiences.

Harriet Tubman [VHS and DVD] (Animated Hero Classics Series) colour 28 min close captioned, Nest Entertainment 1996 Harriet Tubman, called "the Moses of her people," led 17 dangerous missions to the Confederate South, where she helped over 300 slaves escape to freedom.

Sojourner Truth: I Sell the Shadow [VHS] sepia toned 27 min, Women of Diversity Productions 1997 (also distributed by spearkersontour.com) Actress Kim Russell portrays Sojourner Truth, a nineteenth century former slave, abolitionist, suffragette, and social activist.

Making It Happen: Masters of Invention [DVD] colour 22 min, LightStream Media 1995 (distributed by www.mastersofinvention.net) This program utilizes archival footage to document the creativity and achievement of African Americans in the fields of engineering, science, communications, health care, agriculture, transportation, and manufacturing.

The March on Washington Remembered [VHS] colour 20 min, Central City Marketing/WGN Television Chicago 1990 (distributed by Encyclopaedia Britannica Educational Corporation) On August 28, 1963, over 200,000 people assembled near the Lincoln Memorial and demanded equal justice for all citizens. Highlights Dr. King's stirring "I have a Dream" speech.

A Proud Past, A Promising Future [VHS and DVD] colour 24 min, Ontario Black History Society 1984 This eight-unit parts video documents the arrival, settlement, and achievement of Blacks in Ontario, from 1780 to the early 1980s. The program emphasizes the political and economic causes for Black immigration to Canada. Secondary

King [DVD] colour 271 min closed captioned, MGM Home Entertainment 2005 In America during the 1950s and '60s, the civil rights movement found its leader in a Southern Baptist minister. Using lyrical eloquence, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., motivated masses of people - Black and white - to demand equality through nonviolent protest.

Honour Before Glory [DVD] colour 67 min, McIntyre Media 2001 Written, produced, and directed by Anthony Sherwood. This documentary film is about Canada's one and only African Canadian military battalion, the Number Two Construction Battalion formed during the First World War.

A Farmer from Amber Valley: J.D. Edwards [VHS and DVD] (A Scattering of Seeds: the Creation of Canada Series, Season IV) colour 23 min, White Pine Pictures 2000 (distributed by McNabb Connolly) A story of Jefferson Davis Edwards, a Black American in search of a freer life in Alberta. Chosen to go to Africa as a missionary, young Jeff opted instead to head north for the adventure of homesteading. He was one of many Black Oklahomans who looked to Canada as a land of opportunity.

Before his Time: Dr. Alfred E. Waddell [VHS and DVD] (A Scattering of Seeds: the Creation of Canada Series, Season IV) colour 23 min, White Pine Pictures 2000 (distributed by McNabb Connolly) The story of Alfred Waddell, the son of a headmaster who set out for New York in 1923 with dreams of becoming a doctor. But it was Nova Scotia's Dalhousie University that opened its doors for him to study medicine.

Journey to Justice [VHS and DVD] colour 47 min close captioned, National Film Board of Canada 2000 Meet an amazing group of Black Canadians who took racism to court. Viola Desmond kept her seat at a Halifax theatre in 1946 rather than moving to the section normally reserved for Blacks. Fred Christie, denied service at a Montreal tavern, appealed all the way to the Supreme Court in 1936. An insightful depiction of Canada's civil rights history.

Path to Freedom: Buxton Settlement [VHS and DVD] (History Lands: Canada's Heritage Sites Series) colour 23 min, Good Earth History 2000 (distributed by McNabb Connolly) The history of Buxton, Ontario is tied to the vision of one man, and the triumph of the human spirit. It is a defining symbol of the beginnings of Canada's identity as a benevolent, democratic nation.

Mary Ann Shadd [VHS] (Witness to Yesterday Series) colour 26 min, The Film Works 1998 Mary Ann Shadd, the first Black woman newspaper editor in the world, reveals the long hidden Civil War story of her role in the epochal raid of Harper's Ferry.

Rose Fortune: Rhythm Stick to Freedom [VHS] (Canadians: Biographies of a Nation Series) colour 45 min, Great North Productions 1998 Rose Fortune was born into slavery in the Southern United States in 1774. She was owned by the Devone family, who eventually made their way to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, as loyalist refugees following the American Revolution. It was in Annapolis Royal that Rose Fortune would gain her freedom.

Breaking the Ice: The Mary Ann Shadd Story [VHS and DVD] (A Scattering of Seeds: the Creation of Canada Series, Season I ) colour 23 min, White Pine Pictures 1997 (distributed by McNabb Connolly) Mary Ann Shadd, abolitionist and teacher, living in Windsor, Ontario, become the first female newspaper editor and the first female Black lawyer in North America. Steal Away: The Harriet Tubman Story [VHS] colour 30 min close captioned, National Geographic Television 1997 The story of a network of brave compatriots from different races, classes, and religions, who risked all they had to fight the institution of slavery by helping those in bondage steal away to freedom.

Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad [DVD] colour 90 min, Atlantis Films 1993 The real-life story of thousands of American blacks who escaped slavery by fleeing to Canada. It is set in the 1850s, shortly after the United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act.

Slavery, a Canadian Story: The Packwood Family [DVD] (Hymn to Freedom: The History of Blacks in Canada Series) colour 58 min, International Telefilm 1994 The Quebec story features the history of slavery in Lower Canada.

Richardo Keens-Douglas: Believe [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Like all great children's authors, Richardo Keens-Douglas is first and foremost a storyteller. Performing his work for young audiences, we see him inspire children to believe in themselves and have pride in their cultural heritage.

Pam Mordecai: Her True - True Name [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Jamaican born Pamela Mordecai has held many professional positions including teacher, TV host, editor, and publisher. An accomplished writer, her works include poems and short stories for adults and children, newspaper editorials, dance criticism, language art textbooks and studies on Caribbean culture.

Nalo Hopkinson: Fabulous Spaces [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Nalo Hopkinson's work combines Caribbean and Canadian culture, mixes her life story with folklore, blurs the boundaries between the real and the fantastic, and takes place in an invented urban landscape that reflects her hybrid history.

M. Nourbese Philip: Word Hammers [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Not one to sit still, poet, novelist, and former lawyer M. Nourbese Philip takes us on a power walk through the park using of language as a weapon in her powerful and courageous work.

Jemeni in the City [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Poet, writer, actor, comic, journalist, spoken word artist, and host of Flow 93.5's Morning Rush, Jemeni (Joanne Gairy) has become a voice that stands out in the Babel of urban Toronto.

Dwayne Morgan: The Man Behind the Mic [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 In this portrait of enterprising poet/promoter/producer, Dwayne Morgan, we witness his tireless efforts to mount rousing literary and music events in Toronto.

Creation Fire, Part 1 [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 In May 2005, Jamaica's Calabash Literary Festival celebrated its fifth year. The theme of the festival was 'The fire is Lit' and features performances by international stars. Creation Fire, Part 2 [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 Profiles writers Dionne Brand, Lynton Kwesi Johnson, Mutabaruka, Andrea Levy, and Stacey Anne Chin.

Andre Alexis: Memory Places [DVD] (Literature Alive Series) colour 30 min, Leda Serene Films 2005 In Memory Places, author and playwright Andre Alexis takes us on a tour of the places that spark his memories and stir his imagination. The documentary travels from his birthplace in Trinidad to Ottawa, where he spent his childhood, and finally to the Toronto neighbourhood he now calls home.

Whispers of Angels: A Story of The Underground Railroad [VHS and DVD] colour 60 min, Teleduction Inc. 2001 Blending dramatic scenes with stories of historical scholars, this documentary explores the dangerous world of fugitive slaves who travelled the Underground Railroad. Ed Asner and Blair Underwood portray two of the Railroad's greatest "stationmasters."

The Gift [VHS and DVD] (Jazz Series) colour 110 min, Ken Burns 2000 (distributed by PBS Home Video) This series traces the history of Jazz from its roots in the African American community of New Orleans to the present day. The Gift covers the years 1917-1924.

Gumbo [VHS and DVD] (Jazz Series) colour 110 min, Ken Burns 2000 (distributed by PBS Home Video) Jazz begins in New Orleans, where the sound of marching bands, Italian opera, Caribbean rhythms, and minstrel shows fill the streets with a diverse musical culture. Gumbo traces the evolution of Jazz from its beginnings up to the year 1917.

Bookstores

Online

Black History Society [Website] www.Blackhistorysociety.ca Fosters recognition, preservation, and promotion of the contributions of Black peoples and their collective histories through education, research, and cooperation; promoting the inclusion of material on Black History in school curriculum.

Ontario: Greater Horseshoe Region

Another Story 315 Roncesvales Avenue, Toronto, ON, M6R 2M6 Tel: 416-462-1104

Burke's Bookstore 873 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, ON, M6C 1C4 Tel: 416-656-5366 Email: [email protected]

Different Booklist 746 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2R6 Tel: 416-538-0889 Web: www.adifferentbooklist.com

Knowledge Bookstore 177 Queen Street West, Brampton, ON, L6Y 1M5 Tel: 905-459-9875 Web: www.knowledgebookstore.com Ontario Black History Society Book Store 10 Adelaide Street East, Suite 202, Toronto, ON, M5C 1J3 Tel: 416-867-9420 Web: www.Blackhistorysociety.ca/Book%20Store.htm

Parentbooks 201 Harbord Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 1H6 Tel: 416-537-8334 Web: www.parentbooks.ca

S & B Books Ltd. 3085 Universal Drive, Mississauga, ON, L4X 2E2 Tel: 905-629-5055 or 1-800-997-7099 Email: [email protected] Web: www.sbbooks.com

Tinlids Inc. 130 Martin Ross Avenue, Toronto, ON, M3J 2L4 Tel: 416-665-5663 or 1-800-461-9397 Web: www.tinlids.ca

Ontario: Central Region

The Ginger Press 842 2nd Avenue East, Owen Sound, ON, N4K 2H3 Tel: 519-376-4233 Fax: 519-376-9871 Web: www.gingerpress.com

The Bookshelf 41 Quebec Street, Guelph, ON, N1H 2T1 Tel: 519-821-3311 Fax: 519-821-6422 Web: www.bookshelf.ca

Booklore 121 First Street, Credit Creek Village, Orangeville, ON, L9W 3J8 Tel: 519-942-3830 Email: [email protected]

Firefly Books 66 Leek Crescent, Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 1H1 Tel: 416-499-8412 Web: www.fireflybooks.com

Community Sites/Plaques

Ontario: Greater Horseshoe Region

Bertie Hall 657 Niagara Parkway, Fort Erie, ON, L2A 3H9 Tel: 905-871-5833 Escaped slaves used this house as a haven after crossing the Niagara River. A Niagara Freedom Trail plaque at the site explains the history of the home. Today, Bertie Hall houses the Mildred M. Mahoney Silver Jubilee Doll's House Gallery.

British Method Episcopal (BME) Church "The Salem Chapel" 92 Geneva Street, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 4N2 Tel: 905-682-0993 Web: www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMTRY One of the last sites of the Underground Railroad, with ties to Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman lived in St. Catharines from 1851-1858 and the BME Church and Salem Chapel became her place of worship. Harriet Tubman made about eight dangerous trips back and forth, bringing back "freedom seekers" (runaway former slaves) to the church.

Fort Erie, ON Web: www.forteriecanada.com/tourism/attractions.shtml Now a marina and part of the Niagara Freedom Trail, this site was an export point for lumber coming from the settlement, "Little Africa." Many African-Americans worked at this marina during the 1840s. Fort George at Niagara-on-the-Lake 26 Queen's Parade, Box 787 Niagra-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0 Web: www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/fortgeorge/index.aspx Many Underground Railroad refugees volunteered for militia service when military threats arose. Black Canadians served with militia units at Fort George and Fort Malden in both the War of 1812 and the 1837 Rebellion.

George Brown House 186 Beverley Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1L4 Web: www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/nts_1_8828_1.html Globe newspaper editor, George Brown, and his family were staunch abolitionists and supporters of the Underground Railroad community.

Griffin House 733 Mineral Springs Rd., Ancaster, ON Tel: 905-546-2424 ext. 7220 Fax: 905-546-2338 Web: Hamilton Civic Museums: Griffin House Griffin House offers Black-history-related and educational tours by appointment and is part of the Black Heritage Network.

Lakeside Park 1 Lakeport Road, Port Dalhousie, St. Catharines, ON L2N 5B6 Web: www.stcatharines.ca/recreation/pt/lakeside_park.asp This park was a popular site for thousands of African-Americans who gathered here annually from the 1920s to the 1960s to celebrate Emancipation Day.

Norval Johnson Heritage Centre, Nathaniel Dett Chapel 5674 Peer St, Niagara Falls, ON, L2G 1X1 Tel: 905-358-9957 Fax: 905-358-8976 The British Methodist Episcopal Church was a centre of spiritual and social activities for newly arrived Blacks in Ontario in the 1800's. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2001. The chapel was named after Robert Nathaniel Dett, who was the church organist from 1898 to 1903, and world-renowned composer, music professor, choral director. The site illustrates the early Black settlement of the Niagara area and the role of the church in assisting newly arrived Underground Railroad refugees, 1836. The Norval Johnson Heritage Library holds a reference collection of print and non-print materials on the history of Blacks in Canada specifically the Niagara Peninsula.

Osgoode Hall 130 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N6 Tel: 416-947-3300 or 1-800-668-7380 Web: www.osgoodehall.com Site of historic legal trials related to extradition and also the location of the Archives of Ontario.

St. Lawrence Hall 157 King St. East, Toronto, ON, M5C 1G9 Tel: 416-392-7130 Site of public meetings and gatherings related to support for the Underground Railroad and the cause of abolition of slavery.

Ontario: Southwest Region

Buxton National Historic Site and Museum 21975 A.D. Shadd Road, Box 3, North Buxton, ON, N0P 1Y0 Tel: 519-352-4799 Fax: 519-352-8561 www.buxtonmuseum.com Contains historical documents and artifacts of local Black history. Originally called the Elgin Settlement and founded in 1849 and, it was the last stop for many on the Underground railway and one of the few Black Canadian settlements still in existence.

First Baptist Church 135 King Street East, Chatham, ON, N7M 3N1 Tel: 519-352-9553 The site where John Brown held his first "convention" to plan the raid on Harper's Ferry in Virginia, for which he was later executed.

Fort Malden National Historic Park 100 Laird Avenue South, Amherstburg, ON, N9V 1X5 Tel: 519-736-5416 Web: www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/malden/index.aspx Second British fort built in Amherstburg. The first fort was the centre of British operations during the War of 1812 battle involving African-Canadian Josiah Henson.

John Freeman Walls Historic Site and Underground Railway Museum 859 Puce Rd., Essex, ON, N8M 2X7 Tel: 519-727-6555 Web: www.undergroundrailroadmuseum.com John Freeman Walls, a fugitive slave from North Carolina, built his log cabin on land purchased from the Refugee Home Society in 1846. His family's flight is told by his descendent, Dr. Byran Walls in a book, "The Road That Led to Somewhere."

North American Black Historical Museum and Cultural Centre 277 King Street, Amherstburg, ON, N9V 2C7 Tel: 519-736-5433 Web: www.Blackhistoricalmuseum.com Includes the restored Taylor Log Cabin and the Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church. Built by former U.S. slaves and free Blacks, the church provided temporary housing and served as a school and social centre. The museum features African culture, the years of slavery and the achievements of Black North Americans. On display are leg irons and balls and chains; personal papers of Elijah McCoy, inventor of locomotive lubrication systems; and papers of Mary Ann Shadd, the first Black woman in North America to edit a weekly newspaper, The Provincial Freeman of Windsor, in the 1850s.

Sandwich First Baptist Church 3652 Peter St, P.O. Box 7087, Windsor, ON, N9C 1J8 Tel: 519-252-4917 Fax: 519-254-3427 Web: www.walkervilletimes.com/sandwichbaptist.htm Originally a log cabin but was rebuilt using bricks made by slaves escaping through the Underground Railroad. It was a centre for local anti-slavery activities and is still an active community centre. The church was completed in 1851 to accommodate the growing Black communities created by the Underground Railroad refugees.

Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site 29251 Uncle Tom's Rd., Dresden, ON, N0P 1M0 Tel: 519-683-2978 www.uncletomscabin.org School and Educational and African-Canadian Heritage Tours. Honours the life of Reverend Josiah Henson, an abolitionist who worked in the Underground Railroad. Harriet Beecher Stowe used his memoirs as a source for her 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.

The Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society ? W.I.S.H. Centre 177 King Street East, Chatham, ON, N7M 3N1 Tel: 519-354-5248 Fax: 519-354-2642 Web: www.mnsi.net/~wishc/heritageroom/ Dramatization and slide presentation of the history, and achievements of Chatham's Black community after escaping slavery. The Chatham-Kent Black Historical Society's research collection and local artifacts are located in the Heritage Room at the W.I.S.H. Centre.

Ontario: Central Region

Grey Roots Museum & Archives 102599 Grey Road 18, RR 4,l Owen Sound, ON, N4K 5N6 Tel: 519-376-3690 or 1-877-473-9766 Email: [email protected] Web: www.greyroots.com Focus on 19th and 20th century peoples and settlements of Grey County. Offers two programs on Black History: From Slavery to Freedom, Grades 1-6, and African Canadians in Grey County Grade 7+.

Oro African Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site of Canada Old Barrie Road West and Line 3 North, Oro-Medonte, ON Web: www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMF0E Located approximately 1km west of Edgar, Ontario. Last built remnant of African Canadian community uniquely rooted in the history of the United Empire Loyalists.

Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum 207 Long Point Road, P.O. Box 265, Collingwood, ON, L9Y 3Z5 Tel: 705-445-0201 Web: www.Blackhistorysociety.ca/Sheffield.htm Guided tour of the museum, and stories about early families who lived in the Collingwood Area. Model ships, photographs and artifacts on display. A large boulder engraved with the names of the early Black Pioneer families and their descendents.

Wellington County Museum and Archives, and Guelph Museums (online only) [Website] www.guelph.ca/museum/BlackHistory/index.htm Slavery in Upper Canada, Underground Railroad, and Wellington County Black Settlements.

General

African Canadian Online [Website] www.yorku.ca/aconline/literature/children.html Provides information on African Canadian artists and their work, as well as links to other Canadian resources on the web. Content is available on politicians, pioneers, sports, the arts (dance film, theatre), a bibliography of writers, including section on children's authors, as well as visual arts.

Speaker Contact List- 2009-2010

Speaker's name email contact phone number

Alvin Law www.alvinlaw.com/index.asp

Anthony Sherwood (new) (905) 495-9188

Bruce Langford (elementary) [email protected] 1-800-901-8831

Chuck Ealey (new) [email protected] (905) 306-0031 ext. 206

Chuck Winters [email protected] Secondary- Athlete focus Clint Cora (new) www.clintcora.com/youthspeaker.html

Connor Steele [email protected]

David Hudson-Athletes in Action [email protected] (905) 997-2859

David Major (new) www.motivateyourself.net 905-237-4060

Dwayne Morgan [email protected] 647-284-9135 [email protected] Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for www.fswc.ca (416) 864-9735 Holocaust Studies Harmony Movement Nana [email protected] (416) 385-2660

Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces Foundation [email protected] (905) 947-9134

James Valitchka www.jamesvalitchka.com

Jason Colero Argos- Huddle Up Against Bullying (416) 341-2762 [email protected] Jeremy Dias (new) [email protected] 613) 562-5800 ext. 6486 (877) 868-8292 ext. 6486 Jim Arnold [email protected] (905) 819-4789

Kathryn Brillinger [email protected]

Keith Hawkins [email protected] 888-604-4295 530-885-5533

Ken Dryfhout DAM (905) 826-6558 www.thedam.org Cell (416) 417-4912 Kevin Fell (new) [email protected] 647-300-2844

Kike Ojo [email protected] 905-363-6131

Mariatu Kamara Sandy Farran-agent 416- 383- 2660

Nadja Halilbegovich [email protected]

Nancy Adams [email protected]

Prubjoth Sonu Sidh [email protected] DP graduate

Reuben "Hurricane" Carter Speakers Spotlight (416) 345-1559

Sean Mauricette (aka SUBLIMINAL) [email protected] 416-939-7822 416-703-7530 (MCJB ent.) - agent Scott Gallagher www.integritychoices.com 905-771-5771

**Please note that all speakers may not be suitable for all audiences. Please review all speakers in accordance with board policy or contact the Principal of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Education ext. 24405.