​rethink.

Overview: In this unit plan, the following lessons cover the brief history of Slavery in the United States during the Civil War. A main focus throughout each lesson was the Underground Railroad and the important people, places and things that were involved. In lesson one, the instructor will help introduce the unit by reading Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold. The students will then take the themes and artwork of this book into consideration and use these ideas to create a “freedom quilt.” In lesson 2, the students will analyze Steve Marc’s artwork and recreate it using a poem that they wrote. This will get them to connect to the time of slavery in a more personal way, and put them in the shoes of those who were enslaved. The third lesson encourages students to research prominent figures in the Civil War. They would choose their own historical figure to create a biography on and create a BioCube about them. The fourth and final lesson acts as an interactive wrap up of the whole slavery unit with a classroom scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt will take unit elements (persons, places and things) related to the Underground Railroad and send students on a scavenger hunt for clues around the classroom. Once each team of students find all their clues around the classroom they must determine together as a team what element that the clues lead up to.

 

Rationale:The Underground Railroad had a powerful impression on our nation’s history in the Civil War era. The focus of this unit was to expose students to the many stories of this time in our nation’s history despite it not being their own generation. The following lessons range from art projects, physical activites, and general research to touch on the range of the different aspects of this time in history.

 

Standards: 

1.4.3.A: Write poems and stories including detailed descriptions of people, places, and things. 1.5.3.A: Write with a focus, with an understanding of topic, task, and audience

1.5.3.F: Use grade appropriate conventions of language when writing and editing including spelling common, frequently used words correctly, using capital letters correctly, punctuating correctly, and using correct grammar and sentence formation.

8.1.3.C: Conduct teacher guided inquiry on assigned topics using specified historical sources. (Reference RWSL Standard 1.8.3 Research)

8.3.3.B: Identify and describe historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United States history.

8.3.3.D: Identify and describe how conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations have impacted the history and development of the US (ethnicity and race).

9.1.3.F: Identify works of others through a performance or exhibition

9.2.3.E: Analyze how historical events and culture impact forms, techniques and purposes of works in the arts

10.2.3.D: Identify the steps in a decision-making process.

10.3.3.D: Identify and use safe practices in physical activity settings (e.g., proper equipment, knowledge of rules, sun safety, guidelines of safe play, warm-up, cool-down).

RI.4.3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

W.4.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

W.4.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

W.4.9(a) Apply grade 4 reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text- character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

L.4.3(c) Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g. presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g. small-group discussion).. Click here to add your own text and edit me. I’m a great place for you to tell a story and let your users know a little more about you.