Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

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FOR/AS Learning– this lesson is designed as the beginning of a deeper unit on social justice and literacy. Students will learn about social justice issues while instilling reading, listening and speaking strategies. iPad slide show with pictures of ways people tried to obtain freedom for visual reference (pews, boxes, etc.) We will share some written thoughts and ideas aloud on the carpet, and once shared aloud (and approved), we will have a discussion about its value to the Wall, and add the card to the Freedom Wall Strand(s): Oral Communication & Reading, Creating and Presenting & Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing, & Understanding Context McCully, Emily Arnold. The Escape of Oney Judge: Martha Washington’s Slave Finds Freedom. Farrar, 2007. ISBN-13: 9780374322250

demonstrate an understanding of appropriate listening behaviour by adapting active listening strategies to suit a range of situations, including work in groups Fradin, Dennis Brindell. Bound for the North Star: True Stories of Fugitive Slaves. Clarion, 2000. ISBN-13: 9780395970171 Finish by having the students look at the Freedom Wall in a gallery walk and reflect alone or in a Think, Pair, Share Prior to this lesson students will have a base knowledge understanding of equity, freedom and slavery. This lesson will introduce the idea of escape and the underground railroad in North America for subsequent lessons to build upon Literary Elements at Work: There are two important literary elements at work in this story: artistry and the straightforward narrative of Henry’s life and plea as representative of all life and everyone’s plea: I am a human being, and I long to be free. The paintings throughout this book are inspired by a mid-nineteenth century anti-slavery artist, Samuel Rowse. Mr. Rowse’s original paintings of Henry were used to raise funds for the abolitionist movement. Mr. Nelson uses crosshatch pencil lines, and layers of watercolor and oil paint for each painting, giving an aged, almost folk art feel to each scene. These paintings are visually stunning; this is a beautiful storybook. Mr. Nelson’s facial expressions, use of color, and scene context provide a thoughtful engagement with the emotion of Henry’s story as well as a thoughtful understanding and interpretation of the word story Ellen Levine tells. Ellen Levine tells the story of Henry’s life, from a young boy in his mother’s lap to his rending away and separation from his boyhood family when he is given to another master; and again in his later life, from his courtship and marriage to Nancy, resulting in three children, to his own family’s rending away and separation from him. Throughout Henry’s tale, Ellen Levine cleverly gives voice to many of the atrocities that all slaves faced: agelessness, slaves did not have birth dates; namelessness, slaves did not have ancestral or recorded names; disconnectedness, slaves’ marriages were not honored and families were separated; powerlessness, slaves had no human voice, no economic voice, no political voice, no social voice, and yet, in the midst of social, political, economic, and personal isolation, slaves scratched, clawed and created a cultural and spiritual identity and network that enabled some to escape to freedom. Interestingly, Henry gives himself a birth date when he arrives in Philadelphia. Henry’s freedom date becomes his birth date, giving Henry in particular, and therefore slaves in general, a beginning grounding point.Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom. Illus. by Kadir Nelson. Hyperion/Jump at the Sun, 2006. ISBN-13: 9780786851751 B2.1 express personal responses and make connections to characters, themes, and issues presented in their own and others’ drama works view and compare their ideas and add to their perspectives through a gallery walk of a Freedom Wall use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;

A3. Understanding Context: demonstrate an understanding of significant experiences of, and major changes and aspects of life in, various historical and contemporary communities in Canada

B1.1 engage actively in drama exploration and role play, with a focus on examining issues and themes in fiction and non-fiction sources from diverse communities, times, and places I will then share some pictures from my iPad/Apple TV connection of other ways people escaped to freedom (eg. church pews, boxes, mail, etc.) Self-Regulation – students can monitor, assess and control their own behaviours to suit the needs of the class and activities

Tingle, Tim. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom. Cinco Puntos, 2006. ISBN-13: 9780938317777

CRITICS HAVE SAID

Very small introduction to Underground Railroad – a system of paths, safe houses, secret codes, etc. to obtaining freedom across north America and beyond I may have a second set of volunteers come up and pretend to be Henry’s children or wife if time allows The volunteer will take on the character of Henry. They will answer the audience’s questions by pretending to be the character and speak from his point of view Student A – will sit next to peer models and be given copies of the text to help guide him. He will highlight text evidence that exhibits Henry’s bravery in his pursuit of freedom to help guide him compose a question

Product– Students will add a card to the Freedom Wall with a comment or word of their choice. This activity is meant to collect thoughts into one place, and get students to reflect on various aspects of social justice A BIG box – minds on – to encourage students to think about the ways people were willing to go to obtain freedomAnecdotal notes will be taken to indicate who is a respectful listener, and on the depth of student comments, questions and peer discussions. I will use this form of assessment to get an idea of what students think and how they see the world, and so that that I can start to lay the foundation of what this unit needs to touch on Diagnostic– Getting an idea of what students think and how they see the world is incredibly important so that teachers can start to lay the foundation of a topic. The freedom wall will help inform me of various mindsets in my classroom. Students will reflect on the fact that this is a true story with real life significance and consequences