Now take what you have learned and put it into action! Choose any one, or more, of these activities to do by yourself, with a family member of friend, or with your classmates.
Create a Board Game
With accurate information from the resources listed in this pathfinder, create an Underground Railroad board game. Make sure your game follows the following guidelines:
1. Decide on a theme/name fro your game
2. Create game cards that go with your theme (minimum of 20 question cards)
3. Create additional game cards (at least 7) that add excitement to your game. Example: STOP! A patroller is nearby. Lose 1 turn.
All cards should be related to the Underground Railroad.
4. Scenery - Creatively decorate your board to go with your theme.
Minimum of 40 spaces (make sure they are big enough to land on!
5. Game pieces - Create game pieces for players.
6. Write instructions for your game.
Create a Timeline
Use one of the following websites, or a blank piece of paper and a ruler to create a timeline of slavery and the Underground Railroad. Make sure you check your dates with one or more of the resources in this pathfinder to ensure accurate information.
Create a Quilt Piece
Using software such as TuxPaint, create a quilt square for the Underground Railroad. Before you start, look through this pathfinder for websites and books about slavery and Underground Railroad quilts to get some ideas.
Sample Quilt Piece:
Follow the Drinking Gourd
(Made with TuxPaint)
Create a Slave Story
Using the information from this pathfinder, write a story from the perspective of a slave. Tell the reader who you are, where you live, and what you do as a slave. Tell us about your family, and your master. Make a decision, are you going to run away, or are you going to remain as a slave. Through your writing, tell the story of a slave in first person.
Create a KWL Chart
Choose one aspect of slavery. Using the KWLChart, write everything you Know about that aspect of slavery in the first column. In the second column, add questions, things you Want to know. Then, take some time to look through the resources in this pathfinder. Look for the answers to your questions. Finally, compete the KWL chart by adding things that you Learned from this pathfinder.