Courageous Spirits

Resource Ideas

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Interdisciplinary Connection

• Social Studies - Unit 2

Possible Contexts

• Historical, Philosophical; create Literature Circles around novels about African-American slavery; discuss issue statements such as, "Black slaves fought for and finally won their freedom, but are still striving to gain social equality".

• Racial discrimination. Grades 6-8. Kit #1 [kit] / compiled by Curriculum ---
  Materials. -- [S.l. : s.n.], c1968-1994.
  26 books (various titles), 1 videocassette.
  • Contains some fictional material to support this topic.
    Grade level: Int - Jr.
    Contents: Ain't lookin' -- Arilla Sun Down (2 c.) -- Black in Selma : the
    uncommon life of J. L. Chestnut, Jr. -- Clover -- Escape from slavery --
    The freedom side -- John Brown : one man against slavery -- Last chance
    for freedom -- Long journey home -- Make your move -- Now let me fly :
    the story of a slave family -- Out of the gang -- A picture book of
    Sojourner Truth -- Pourin' down rain -- Song of Be -- Steal away -- Steal
    away home -- To be a slave (2 c.) -- To walk the sky path (4 c.) --
    Trials and triumphs : the story of African-Canadians -- Walker
    (videocassette) -- With every drop of blood.

Web Resources

• To Be a Slave - In this middle years English Language Arts unit literature circles and writing process techniques are used to explore historical fiction, legends and biographies on the topic of slavery. Canada's connection to the Underground Railroad is stressed. Visual art, music and drama activities are also included and students are given opportunities to conduct research on the world wide web.
• Underground to Canada - from the Online Learning Centre (scroll down to view) comes this series of lesson plans, web quests, and study guides to Barbara Smucker's novel Underground to Canada.
• Slavery: The Underground Railroad - These sites are about the Underground Railroad movement that helped runaway slaves escape to Canada. Learn about Harriet Tubman and other influential leaders. Listen to songs and read the lyrics that secretly told the escape route. Play a game that allows you to face the same decisions the runaway slaves faced. Includes maps and historic photographs, plus a link to an eThemes Resource on the slave trade.

Web Quests

• Underground Railroad - Students can experience it was like for African slaves to take flight to freedom with this webquest. This webquest utilizes a jigsaw instructional strategy and tasks are differentiated.

Related Novel Sets Available from the Curriculum Materials Centre

• North by Night: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Katherine Ayres - Presents the journal of a sixteen-year-old girl whose family operates a stop on the Underground Railroad.
• The Captive by Joyce Hanson - Kofi's safe world is suddenly shattered by ghostly white men who have arrived from the coast, stealing his people to sell into slavery. And Africans who speak and dress like the white man are helping them.
• Runaway to Freedom by Barbara Smucker - Two young slave girls escape from a plantation in Mississippi and wind a hazardous route toward freedom in Canada via the Underground Railroad.
• Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker - This book is also titled: "Runaway to freedom : a story of the underground railway"
• The King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder - Evyn, a young Welsh serf, has dreamed all his life of becoming a storyteller. But in a cruel twist of fate, Evyn and his father suffer a brutal attack by a group of murderous ruffians. Evyn's tongue is cut off and his father is killed. Orphaned and unable to speak, Evyn assumes he is destined to a life of slavery. But Evyn is resilient and teaches himself to read and write. He is then appointed the personal companion to Earl Harold of Wessex, who later becomes the King of England. The two travel the countryside together, forming a close father-son bond.
• The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox - Kidnapped by the crew of an Africa-bound ship, a thirteen-year-old boy discovers to his horror that he is on a slaver and his job is to play music for the exercise periods of the human cargo.

Do you have a lesson plan, resource or web site you would like to contribute to this page? Contact us at: Online Learning Centre

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