Procedures: This lesson will require at least 2
class periods.
Day 1
Help the class brainstorm different types of
decisions. What are examples of easy decisions? What are examples of
difficult decisions? What were particular difficulties that slaves faced
when they made decisions?
Explain to the students that they will be working in
pairs to examine decisions in greater detail. Discuss the importance of
thoughtful decisions in their lives. Give each student a copy of the
handout entitled Decisions, Decisions. The students should complete
the handout and discuss it with their partners. Then each pair should pick
one example to share with the class.
Day 2
Explain to the students that they will be studying
decisions made in the past. Discuss the particular difficulties that slaves
faced in their decisions making. How did slaves deal with these obstacles?
Distribute copies of The Underground Railroad
and the Decision Analysis handout to each pair. Discuss the
vocabulary on the handout. Pick one decision from the book to do as a class,
demonstrating thoughtful responses. Following the teacher-led class example,
each pair should complete the handout for 1-3 decisions (depending on the
available time).
Discuss the choices made by the students. Did they
consider alternative options? Discuss the impact of their decisions on the
other characters in the story. Discuss the role of chance and fate. What
factors were beyond their control?
Have the class develop a list of steps for effective
decision-making.
Individual assignment (homework): Students choose one
of the following projects:
Write several letters from your character to
another character in the story explaining the choices you have made.
Create an anti-slavery pamphlet based on the
experiences of the characters in The Underground Railroad.
Research the lives of Frederick Douglass and
Harriet Jacobs and create a poster illustrating several key decisions
that they made.
Design a map illustrating the journey your
character made. Include the obstacles and dangers he or she faced along
the way.
Rationale: This lesson encourages students to
consider their decisions carefully. It also emphasizes a close reading of the
text and fosters a greater appreciation of the difficulties slaves confronted in
their daily lives.
Extensions: Students may research the role of the
family in the lives of slaves. What were the unique pressures put on slave
families? Are there any connections to families of immigrants today? (Students
might consider the fear and reality of separation of family members). What role
did family considerations play in the decisions made by Harriet Jacobs?
Resources:
Lassieur, Allison. The Underground Railroad.
Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press, 2008.