Outline of Lessons

If you are interested in doing a similar unit on Thomas Garrett to our team, below is our scope and sequence of the unit. We used this as a tool to navigate us throughout the unit.

Introductory Lesson	Introductory Lesson: Who Actually Rode on the Underground Railroad? Introduction of Miss Jennings and Miss Florio to students Understanding background of Thomas Garrett Value Thomas Garrett in an introduction of how he was involved in Underground Railroad Activity: Students participated in a timeline of the Civil War in an outline form to understand how Thomas Garrett was involved in the fight for freedom for slaves.
Lesson 1	What is the Historical Background of the Underground Railroad? Fugitive Slave Act Emancipation Proclamation 13^th Amendment Prohibiting the importation of Slavery Activity: Students will write their own newspaper article from an abolitionist point of view, such as writing for The Liberator, and will discuss the legislation points above and their effect on the people fighting for slavery to be abolished and America at that time.
Lesson 2	How Would You Write about the Events of the Past? Fugitive Slave Act newspaper reading Civil War Proclamation newspaper reading Activity: Students will read adapted newspaper articles from the 1800s on the events from lesson one from an abolitionist view and will write their own newspaper article based on one of the events from an abolitionist point of view.
Lesson 3	Lesson Three: How did Fugitive Slaves Travel through the Underground Railroad? Students went on a simulation to experience what it might have been like to be a fugitive slave in the 19th century. Reflections based on experience Activity: Students will be read information about how slaves escaped, and will be put into two groups (slaves and slave catchers). The students will follow through several pre-determined steps (much like a scavenger hunt) taking them throughout designated spots in the school. The slaves were trying to 'escape' and run away from the catchers while the slave catchers were trying to catch the slaves. The slaves will eventually be caught and students will do a response writing on their emotions from the activity
Lesson 4	Lesson Four: How would You be influenced by Thomas Garrett as a slave? Interactive website participation http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/ Smart Board interaction Free write about Garrett Activity: Students would be given the interactive website shown above and the Smart Board and would have to work together to decide which path to take on the website as they try to escape to freedom. The students would then do a writing assignment discussing what they find most important about what they know about Garrett and what they want to learn about him.
Lesson 5	Lesson Five: Who was Thomas Garrett? Reader’s theatre of skits involving Garrett’s life Free Write of why Garrett is considered a hero Students will complete an information sheet about Thomas Garretts life by completing a Cloze Procedure. Activity: Students will be given three different skits involving events in Garrett’s life that defined him as a hero. The students will be given different roles, and they must play those roles out by reading the skit and acting the part. Activity will define times in Garrett’s life when he acted like an American Hero.
Lesson 6	How will You Remember Thomas Garrett and his Influence on American Freedom? Read about Garrett’s funeral Read about plaque and “Thomas Garrett day” in Delaware from 1991 Creation of timeline involving the Civil War and Thomas Garrett’s life Activity: Students will be given information about the end of Garrett’s life, and information about how Garrett’s African American friends buried him, and will discuss the importance of the symbolism of the burial. Students will then choose events from Garrett’s life and from the Civil War that were related and important and will create a timeline that includes the Civil War and Thomas Garrett’s life.