2009-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Underground to Canada

This WebQuest has been adapted by Lynn Thomas from a WebQuest written by Nardaya Dipchand and Bruce Hill from Howard Robertson Public School. It has been designed to supplement a study of the novel, Underground to Canada, by Barbara Smucker.

Task 1 – “TO LIVE LIKE A SLAVE”
“Old John and the other slaves at the Hensen plantation knew about the buying of Virginia slaves. Word of it spread like a wind-whipped flame to one plantation and then another. Rumours spread. Some said the buyer lined the slaves up one by one like cows and pigs.” Chapter 1

The Task:
1) In Chapter One, an advertisement appears on the Court House door saying: “WILL PAY TOP PRICES TOMORROW FOR PRIME FIELD HANDS”. By visiting the sites listed below, find out how much a slave may have sold for at that time.
2) Listen to an interview with a slave, Fountain Hughs, as he describes his life as a slave, and the slave auctions. Read the interviews with some of the other slaves.
3) Using the information from your sites, compare the lives of the characters in the novel with the stories you researched on-line. This report should explain what it was like to live as a slave.

Suggestions:
Select similarities between the experiences described by the slaves in the interviews that you have read, and the experiences of the slaves in the novel Underground to Canada.
Make an organized chart to compare living conditions of the slaves in the novel and the slaves whose experiences you have read of in the interviews.
Tell how these people felt about being slaves, about being sold, about those many activities that we take for granted, but which they were not free to do. Don’t forget to give examples.

The Links:
Slave Prices: This site lists average prices for slaves and cotton in New York in the 1800's.

American Slaves Narratives:
Site 1: This site contains an interview with Fountain Hughes, a former slave in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Site 2: This site contains life stories of a variety of former slaves. There is also a wealth of information about a variety of topics related to what it was like to live as a slave.

Task 2- “ARRIVAL AT THE PLANTATION”
“This wasn’t like Massa Hensen’s slave quarters... At Massa Hensen’s there had been gardens around the huts and a hen scratching here and there. But here the huts were low and ugly. The doors sagged on broken hinges, and the walls of logs spread wide where the mud chinking had fallen out.” Chapter Five

The Task:
1) Tour Historic Latta Plantation. While you are there, read about the lives of Sukey and Peter, two slaves who lived there. Make a brief visit to Boone House Plantation.
2) Print photos of the slaves houses you see. (Your teacher may choose to help you with this.) Make careful notes of any details that illustrated the living conditions of slaves. Do the same for those who lived in the “big house.”
3) Using the information from your tours, explain

a) Living conditions for the slaves on a plantation, and for the plantation owner

b) A short history of the lives of the two slaves Sukey and Peter.

Compare the information you learned from the web to the living conditions with the characters in the novel.

Suggestions:
A picture one of the slave's houses from the web as well as a drawn picture of your impressions of Julilly and Liza's house should be included in your report.
Compare the living conditions of the slaves and plantation owners.
Use a graphical organizer (T-chart) to make your comparisons clear.
Use a visual aide such as a timeline to help illustrate the lives of Sukey and Peter.

The Links:
Historic Latta Plantation: An early 19th century Living History Farm locate near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Boone Hall Plantation: This is a simple page of photos showing details of restored Boone Hall Plantation, posted by a professor at The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Task 3 – “FOLLOW THE DRINKING GOURD”
"A girl in the line named Bessie, who was tall and strong like Julilly, moved near Liza.“How you know where to find that North Star girl?” she asked.Liza answered with certainty and precision. “You look in the sky at night when the clouds roll back.Right up there, plain as the toes on my feet, are some stars that make a drinking gourd.”“The front end of the drinking gourd,” Liza went on,” points straight up to the North Star. You follow that. Then you get to Canada and you are free.” Chapter Eight

The Task:
1) Print a copy of the words to the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd”. (Your teacher many choose to help you with this.)

2) Run the slide show located at the “Follow the Drinking Gourd” site. Listen and observe very carefully.

3) Using the information from the slide show, explain:

a) How to locate the North Star in the night sky:

b) The secret meaning of the words of the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”

Suggestions:
Make a simple star map of “The Drinking Gourd,” the North Star, and any other nearby constellations that would help you in your explanation. Make careful notes about the words to the song. Follow along on a map of North America.

The Links:
Follow the Drinking Gourd: This NASA site is slide show with sound and pictures. (Be patient! There are many pictures, so the site takes time to load.) The slide show covers three topics:

a) It explains how to locate the North Star in the night sky;

b) It explains the meaning of the words to the folk song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” The words to this song actually describe a secret map of the Underground Railway route to Canada, if you understand them.

c) It tells the story a group of runaways who follow this secret map in their quest for freedom.
Explanation of Follow the Drinking Gourd: This NASA site gives a brief explanation of the word to the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd".

Task 4- “I’VE BEEN WORKING ON THE RAILROAD”
‘There’s a password, Adam said again very softly. We say to this man who gives the bird call, “Friends with a friend” He answers the same thing and then we trust him.” Chapter 11

The Task:
The Underground Railroad that you have read about in the novel Underground to Canada was a secret network designed to help slaves escape to freedom. It was neither underground nor a railroad. Find out:

a) How it operated.

b) Who were the people who made it work.

c) How the slaves escaped.

Suggestions:
Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter investigating the Underground Railroad. Write a report about the Underground Railroad. Prepare an interview (in role) with one of the heroes of the Underground Railroad, and discuss with them, their involvement.
Be sure to read “Methods of Escape” at this site. To guide you in your visit to this site, answer the following questions
a) Who was a “conductor?”

b) What is the definition of “abolitionist” given here?

c) When did the Underground Railroad begin?

d) Name some of the religious groups that assisted in the organization of the Underground Railroad?

e) How was information passed on?

f) What were some of the hiding places used?

g) How did the slaves travel?

h) What were the roles of some important figures such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Levi Coffin and Josiah Henson? (choose 2)

The Link:

Footsteps to Freedom: This is an historical website that, among many other things, retraces the Underground Railroad. Page 1 provides a useful glossary of terms. Pages 5, 6, and 7 deal specifically with our topic.

Task 5: “THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY”
"They …. Stopped abruptly when they saw the flickering light of a single candle from the window of a small log cabin. “That’s the cabin of Jeb Brown, “Julilly said and started towards it…A dog growled inside. Then came a man’s voice. “Who’s there?” “A friend with friends.” Julily used the faithful password." Chapter Fourteen

The Task:
1) Explore National Geographic’s “Underground Railway” site.

2) Visit Harriet Tubman’s site.

3) Make careful notes of the places mentioned on your journey and the people who help you.

4) Using the information from your tour of the Underground Railway, and Harriet Tubman’s site, explain:

a) What the Underground Railway was.

b) One or more of the Underground Railway routes.

c) The contribution of Harriet Tubman to the Underground Railway.
Suggestions: Make a map of the Underground Railway routes. (A map is provided on site; your teacher can help you.) Harriet Tubman’s life was spent overcoming severe hardships. A timeline would be useful here.

The Links:
The Underground Railway: An outstanding and elaborate site created by National Geographic Magazine.
Harriet Tubman:A site is dedicated to this remarkable heroine of the era of slavery.

Underground to Canada Webquest