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Catchy Title: Fact or fiction?
Theme/Topic of Lesson: reading, history
Time Commitment: two ninety-minute class periods
Subject Area(s):
Language Arts - History
Language Arts - Reading
Grade Level(s): 5
Standards Alignment:
Class Challenge Question: How do fictional and non-fictional texts help you understand the past in different ways?
Overview:
Throughout their schooling and later in life, students will encounter a variety of texts written in a variety of formats. In order to make sense of information presented in different ways, students need to become familiar with the purposes and styles of different forms of writing. Also, because historical fiction is widespread in both popular and high culture, students should have the opportunity to examine it critically and assess its literary and historical value.
In this lesson, critical thinking skills will be emphasized by encouraging students to question information presented and by seeking information from multiple sources. Students will read and compare two texts about the Underground Railroad. One is a nonfiction account, and the other is a fictional story. Students will note similarities and differences, analyze authorial intent, and discuss what can be learned from each kind of source. Students will then create a brief news story/article about the fictional story.
Students should have a basic understanding of the concept of slavery and/or the Underground railroad, though this is not imperative. It would be helpful if students had some familiarity with both primary sources and news writing, but again, this is not absolutely essential. Teachers, however, should have a solid understanding of the Underground railroad, slavery, and the use of primary source documents.
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Learning Objectives:
The Students will:
- Read, understand and summarize an expository text.
- Read, understand and summarize a fictional narrative.
- Compare and contrast the style, tone and purpose of fictional and expository texts.
- Make inferences about a text
- Connect the information in the texts to previous learning about the Underground Railroad.
- Identify additional sources of information about the Underground Railroad.
Assessment
Students will be assessed based on the Assessment rubric that includes four categories: the completion of three activity sheets and a news presentation. A total of 12 points is recommended.
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Resources
Materials
Per classPer Student- Text: "Ben on the Run" from The Last Safe House: a Story of the Underground Railroad" by Barbara Greenwood, pp. 44-53
- Activity Sheet 1 (Underground Railroad Nonfiction) (View)
- Activity Sheet 2 (People of the Underground Railroad) (View)
- Activity Sheet 3 Ben's Story (View)
Vocabulary
- nonfiction - writing that is factual
- fiction - writing that tells an imagined story
- historical fiction - fictional writing based on actual historical events, people, or times
- fugitive - someone who is running away or has run away
Procedures
Students will review nonficiontaly, statistical data about the about the Underground Railroad in various parts of Maryland. They will also explore biographies about specific people involved in the Underground Railroad, collecting, organizing, and analyzing information that will be reported to the class.
During the next day's activities, students will read a fictional account of slavery, that is based partially on fact. They will then compare the different accounts of fiction and nonfiction, and conclude with a brief news story.
This lesson includes whole-group discussion, small group work, think-pair-share, hands-on and multimedia activities. Students should already have some familiarity with the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad. Before the lesson begins, you can assess their knowledge informally with a class discussion. To meet the needs of students with diverse reading skills, you can have them read in pairs or small groups if necessary. These pairs / groups should include both stronger and weaker readers. When dividing students into pairs and small groups for activities, group them heterogeneously by reading and writing ability, so that those who need additional support can get help from their partners or group members. As you teach the lesson, emphasize the importance of critical reading: whether we are reading nonfiction or historical fiction, it is important to question the information presented and seek as many sources of information as possible.
Day 1: Getting on board
Daily Challenge Question: How do non-fiction sources of information help us learn about the past?
ninety minutes
Set-up Directions:
Each student will need copies of Activity Sheet 1: Underground Railroad, Nonfiction and Activity Sheet #2: People of the Underground Railroad" Also, students will need access to computers, either individually or in pairs. For Activity #2, students will need to broken up into five groups, so to save time, this should be decided ahead of time.
Bookmark all URLs listed in the resource section ahead of time. Also, check that the resources are working and are age-appropriate for your students.
Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Ask students: What was the Underground Railroad?
Have them reflect on what they have learned in the past, then turn to a partner and talk for a minute or two about what they know. Afterwards, choose volunteers from several different pairs to tell the class what they remember about the Underground Railroad. Use this opportunity to answer any questions that arise and to fill in significant gaps in their understanding, if necessary.
Ask: How do we know what we know about the Underground Railroad? (letters, diaries, oral histories, other documents). Make sure students understand the difference between primary and secondary sources. Explain that in today's lesson we will be reading secondary sources, or texts that are written by historians based on information they have collected.
Activity 1 - Introducing the Underground Railroad
In this activity, students will read background information about the Underground Railroad and discuss important elements of nonfiction historical writing.
Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
Have students open the page: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2944.html
Ask a volunteer to read the first paragraph out loud. Explain any unfamiliar words and answer any questions students might have about the passage. Ask students to think about the 100,000 people who escaped slavery between 1810 and 1850. How many years is that? Is 100,000 a lot of people? (It depends how many slaves there were altogether; if we had that information, we could compare the number of people who escaped to the number who remained in slavery.) Compare 100,000 people to the population of your town or city to try to get a feel for the number. Remind students that these 100,000 fugitives were spread out not only across 40 years but across large distances; people traveled many different routes on the Underground Railroad.
Explain to students: You will notice that this passage contains a lot of information about numbers, dates, and names of people and places, among other details. As you read, think about the kinds of factual information the author chose to include. How does this information help you understand what the Underground Railroad was like? (Note: Not all nonfiction writing contains a lot of numbers and dates, but much of it does. Why do you think this might be?) Have students read the rest of the passage on their own. As they read, they should talk with a partner about the information included. Encourage students to ask questions as they read, especially if there are words they do not understand. Write any unfamiliar words and their definitions on the board for the whole class to see.
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
Students will be reviewing non-fictional information about slaves and the underground railroad.
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
When they have finished reading and discussing with their partners, students should summarize the main points of the text. They can use Activity Sheet 1 ("Underground Railroad: Nonfiction") to summarize. Although they will discuss the reading with a partner, each student should complete the activity him/herself.
When they have completed the activity, lead a discussion about the information they gained from the reading.
Suggested questions: Who are the Quakers? (They are a religious society who believe in the equality of all men and women. They were very active in the movement against slavery.) Why do you think people used railroading terms when talking about the Underground Railroad? (It was a kind of code to protect the secrecy of the project.) Why do you think fugitives traveled at night? (to avoid being seen) How long would it take to travel 10 - 20 miles by foot? What do you think it would be like to walk that far every night? How do you think people knew which way to go? How do you think the committees might have raised money to support the fugitives? Can you think of any organizations that raise money to help people today?
Activity 2 - People of the Underground Railroad
In this activity, students will read brief biographies of people who were involved in the Underground Railroad and the anti-slavery movement. After reading, they will share what they have learned with the class.
Modification: If computer access is limited, teachers can print out biographies.
Focus for Media Interaction
Focus for Media Interaction: The focus for media interaction is a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites or other multimedia elements.
Divide the class into five groups. Each group will be assigned one person to learn about. The five people and websites with information about them are listed below:
Viewing Activities
What will your students be responsible for while viewing this piece of multi-media or video?
Have students read the biographies of their assigned people. As they read, they will write down at least three important facts on the People of the Underground Railroad activity sheet (Activity Sheet #2).
Post Viewing Activities
How will students utilize the information they gathered while viewing the multi-media or video?
After writing down the important points, students will compare their points with others in their group to determine which points are most significant. Then they will each compose a brief paragraph about the person they have researched. Finally, each group will choose a spokesperson who will share information about that group's assigned person with the class.
After each group has reported, lead a brief discussion about the people who were active in the Underground Railroad. What sacrifices did people make in order to help others escape slavery? Why was this work so difficult? What made people work so hard in spite of the sacrifices they had to make? Point out that the most famous conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, is not included on this list of people because her story is already so well known. Ask students what they know about Harriet Tubman and her work in helping hundreds of people escape slavery.
(For a very brief sketch of Tubman's life, see: http://pathways.thinkport.org/library/people.cfm#tubman
Wrap Up:
Tell students: Today you have learned about the Underground Railroad by reading nonfiction texts. Nonfiction is factual information presented in an organized way to explain something clearly and directly. In the next activity (the following day), we will read a fictional account of the Underground Railroad and we will compare the two different kinds of writing.
Day 2: Tell me a story
Daily Challenge Question: What can you learn about the past from historical fiction?
ninety minutes
Set-up Directions:
Each student will need a copy of "Ben on the Run" from The Last Safe House: A Story of the Underground Railroad, pp. 44-53, and a copy of Activity Sheet 3, "Ben's Story."
Teacher Presentation & Motivation:
Review with students: Yesterday you read a nonfiction account of the Underground Railroad. Nonfiction writing is designed to give you factual information in a clear and organized way.
Today you are going to read another text about people escaping from slavery, but this is a fictional story. It is set in a real time and place, but the characters and their actions are created by the author. In the chapter that we are about to read, Eliza has escaped from a plantation in Virginia and has made it all the way to Canada, but on the way she was separated from her mother, Leah, and her brother, Ben. She is staying with the Reid family when Ben arrives.
Read the introduction to the chapter (pages 44 and 45) out loud to the class. Ask: Why do you think Ben feels the need to work with his hands while sitting at the table? Why do you think he jumps at the sound of the door opening? Why do you think he is surprised that strangers care about him? Have you seen examples of people helping strangers and being interested in their stories?
Explain that even though the specific events in this story did not actually take place, the more general story -- people escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad -- is true. Reading the story can help us understand the experience of being a fugitive from slavery: What it felt like to run away, to be hungry, to be scared, to be chased by dogs. Tell students: As you read the rest of this chapter, think about the differences between what you learned from the nonfiction reading and what you can learn from reading this piece of historical fiction.
Activity 1 - Ben's story
Tell students: Now you will read the rest of Ben's story on your own. (Based on students' reading proficiency, they can read silently on their own, quietly with a partner, or in a small group with you or another adult, according to your discretion.)
As you read, think about how the author makes the story come alive. What details does she use to help you feel what it is like to be in Ben's position? What historical details does she include to show you what it was like to live at that time and place? Use Activity Sheet 3 ("Ben's story") to record the details that made the story come alive for you.
Give students time to read the chapter. If necessary, write definitions of unfamiliar words on the board.
When they are finished, ask: What differences do you notice between this text and the one we read yesterday? (Accept various responses.) Does this story add anything to your understanding of the Underground Railroad (in addition to what you learned from the nonfiction text)? Discuss the sensory and historical details that both inform the reader about the setting and make the experience seem real for the reader. Remind students that they should not assume that all historical details are accurate; authors can and often do create details to make their stories exciting or satisfying. While we can learn from historical fiction, we should be cautious about taking it too literally. Use other sources to find accurate historical information. Also, point out that non-fiction sources are not always completely accurate either.
Activity 2 - A terrifying journey
Divide students into pairs or small groups, according to your discretion. Tell students: With your partner or group, discuss the main events in Ben's story of his escape. Write down at least five main events to form a summary of the plot. Describe each event in a complete sentence.
When students have completed their summaries, invite them to share the events that they have identified.
As a class, discuss the significance of each event and select several events that form an outline of the story. Tell students: With your partner, use the summary of Ben's story combined with what you already know about the Underground Railroad to prepare a brief news story about this young runaway from slavery. You will have two minutes to present your news story to the class. (You can pretend that this is a tv or radio story, keeping in mind that those media did not exist at the time. Or you can prepare it as an article for a newspaper.) In the story, provide enough background information so that listeners / readers / viewers know what is going on. Also, think about including different points of view. (Some of your sources might want to remain anonymous!)
When students are ready, have them present their news stories to the class.
Wrap Up:
Discuss students' news stories, and how well classmates combined the events of Ben's fictional escape with what they knew about the real Underground Railroad? Overall, how did these two kinds of writing (nonfiction and historical fiction) work together to increase your understanding of the Underground Railroad?
Enrichment Options
Parent-Home Connection
Have students present their news stories to their parents, either orally or in writing. Talk to them about the story and the nonfiction text you read, and the different kinds of information you got from each. Watch a movie with your family based on a historical theme. Talk about how you could learn more about the historical information. How do you know which details are accurate and which are made up?
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Math: Find out how many people escaped slavery on the Underground Railroad. What percentage of all American slaves does this represent? Make a graph showing the numbers of people who escaped in different years. Science: Many people traveling on the Underground Railroad used the stars to help them figure out which way to go. Find out which constellations are visible in the night sky and how you can figure out which way is north by looking at the stars.
Media Literacy. Expand the news story aspect of the lesson and explore in-depth journalism and how to write an effective news story. Focus on the 5Ws and all the elements of a good news story.
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As a reflective practitioner, note how this lesson could be adjusted after its initial implementation. How successful were the students? What did the assessment demonstrate about the students' learning? What skills do the students need to revisit? What instructional strategies worked and what made them successful? What will you change the next time you use this lesson? Why?
Author: Amy Stuart
Modified by: Donna Schnupp
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