Online Field Trips

Pathways to Freedom
During the time of slavery, numerous brave Marylanders guided slaves through to freedom through a unique collection of covert byways and secret hiding places. Take a closer look at Maryland's unique role in the Underground Railroad and gain a greater understanding of its citizens' commitment to liberty and civil rights for all.

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Lesson Plans

African Americans Shape History -- Students will read short biographies about the contributions of famous African Americans and learn that their contributions helped form American culture.
Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies
Grades: 3

After Reconstruction: Problems of African Americans in the South -- Students identify problems and issues facing African Americans immediately after Reconstruction using text based sources.

The African-American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920 -- American Memory -- explores the diversity and complexity of African-American culture in Ohio. These manuscripts, texts, and images focus on themes that include slavery, emancipation, abolition, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and Reconstruction.

American Visionaries: Frederick Douglass -- features items owned by the famous abolitionist, human rights and women's rights activist, orator, author, journalist, publisher, and social reformer.

Finding Your Way: The Underground Railroad -- This lesson, from Xpeditions, introduces students to the Underground Railroad. They learn about the dangers that escaping slaves faced and the things they used (e.g. songs and quilts) to help them find their way.

Frederick Douglass Papers at the Library of Congress -- The Frederick Douglass Papers, document the activities of the noted abolitionist, writer and publisher. Included within this collection are copies of Douglass's writings, correspondence with noted abolitionists including Henry Ward Beecher, Ida B. Wells, Gerrit Smith, and Horace Greeley, and scrapbooks documenting his activities. Also included is a biography of his wife of forty-four years, Anna Murray Douglass, written by their daughter, Rosetta Douglass Sprague.

Harriet Tubman Integrated Unit: Lesson 1 -- In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from ARTSEDGE, students research and report on Harriet Tubman's life and accomplishments. They use a variety of sources, including photographs and artwork.

John Brown and the Underground Railroad -- In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students analyze John Brown's attitudes and actions against slavery. They then compare Brown's views with those of other people who were active in the Underground Railroad and the abolitionist movement.

Quilting: The Story of the Underground Railroad -- In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students use the Internet to research the dangers that escaping slaves faced along the Underground Railroad and the factors that helped the slaves make it to freedom.

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Student Activities

Counting the Miles To Freedom -- Travel the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman as your guide in this NTTI lesson plan that introduces students to the Underground Railroad using two interactive Internet sites.
Subjects: Social Studies
Grades: 4 - 6

Freedom's Song -- Slaves who wanted to escape to freedom in the North often relied on song lyrics to guide them to the "promised land." In this activity, students will use the Secrets: Signs & Symbols interactive to uncover the mystery of coded songs and hidden messages.
Subjects: Language Arts
Grades: 6 - 8

Judge Robert B. Watts -- In this activity students learn about the life and accomplishments of Judge Robert B. Watts, the first African American Judge appointed to the Municipal Court in Baltimore.
Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies
Grades: 4 - 6

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Video

Dr. Nathan Carter Part 1 (Windows Media)
Dr. Nathan M. Carter, Morgan State University Choir Director and Chairperson of Morgan’s Fine Arts Department, takes an artist’s approach to choral music.

Dr. Nathan Carter Part 2 (Real Video) and (Windows Media)
Dr. Nathan M. Carter is known for his leadership and direction of the Morgan State University Choir. Born in Selma, Alabama, Dr. Carter excelled in education and received a doctorate from Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.

Duke Ellington (Real Video) and (Windows Media)
A story about the life of Duke Ellington, one of the greatest African-American piano players of all time.

Frederick Douglass Part 1 (Real Video) and (Windows Media)
Frederick Douglass was a brilliant speaker and a leader in the abolitionist movement. Douglass tirelessly fought to end slavery in the United States. In this piece, learn about Douglass’s life as a Maryland slave and his introduction to the anti-slavery movement.

Frederick Douglass Part 2 (Real Video) and (Windows Media)
Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom from slavery and did so in 1838 at age twenty. In this segment, learn how Douglass networked with slaves and non-slaves to escape north to freedom.

Highland Beach (RealVideo) and (Windows Media)
In this segment, learn how Charles Douglass, son of the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass, founded Highland Beach after he and his wife were turned away from the Bay Ridge Pavilion because of their race in 1893.

Mother Mary Elizabeth Lang
In the early 19th century, Elizabeth Lang, a young refugee from San Dominique, came to Baltimore. In this clip, learn how Lange used her own money to provide education for African American children.

Station on the Underground Railroad: Emmanuel Episcopal Church (RealVideo)
The Emmanuel Episcopal Church, built on the remains of a fort, served as a station on the Underground Railroad. Learn about this and other African American historical sites in this video clip featuring stories of Cumberland, Maryland. (Closed Captioning)

Thurgood Marshall (RealVideo) and (Windows Media)
Thurgood Marshall, a Baltimore native, was a pioneer in the civil rights movement and the first African American to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. In this clip, learn about Marshall’s fight for equal rights for all Americans

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