The Book:
Winter, J. (1988). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Dragonfly Books.
Summary:
This story tells how a folksong became a map for slaves running toward the North and freedom. One family follows the Drinking Gourd, The Big Dipper, and uses the lyrics of the song to map their escape route. This book can be used as a jumping off point to talk more about the Underground Railroad and the ways slaves escaped. It can also be used to talk about code or songs of the slave culture and the civil war.
Lesson: Songs of code
SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.
Indicators:
3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans. (H, E)
3-4.2 Summarize the institution of slavery prior to the Civil War, including reference to conditions in South Carolina, the invention of the cotton gin, subsequent expansion of slavery, and economic dependence on slavery. (H, E, P)
Objectives:
The student will analyze and decode an underground railroad song.
Assessment:
The student will be assessed by their participation in decoding the song.
Materials:
Copies of the song Follow the Drinking Gourd & Another slave song if possible.
The book, Follow the Drinking Gourd
Copies of Underground Railroad Code Dictionary and Code Phrases
Procedure:
1. TTW introduce the idea of code and what that word means. TTW ask for any examples that the students can think of who would use code and how they would use it. [Spies, passing notes, superheros, detectives, computers, Morse code].
2. TTW reintroduces the Underground Railroad and activate prior knowledge. TTW say that another way for the slaves to communicate about escape was through song. TTW read the story Follow the Drinking Gourd.
3. Each reading group will get a copy of several slave songs and using their Underground Railroad code dictionaries, find all of the hidden meanings for the words. They can then make up a song of their own if time allots.
Winter, J. (1988). Follow the Drinking Gourd. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Dragonfly Books.
Summary:
This story tells how a folksong became a map for slaves running toward the North and freedom. One family follows the Drinking Gourd, The Big Dipper, and uses the lyrics of the song to map their escape route. This book can be used as a jumping off point to talk more about the Underground Railroad and the ways slaves escaped. It can also be used to talk about code or songs of the slave culture and the civil war.
Lesson: Songs of code
SC Social Studies Standard 3-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the events that led to the Civil War, the course of the War and Reconstruction, and South Carolina’s role in these events.
Indicators:
3-4.1 Compare the conditions of daily life for various classes of people in South Carolina, including the elite, the middle class, the lower class, the independent farmers, and the free and the enslaved African Americans. (H, E)
3-4.2 Summarize the institution of slavery prior to the Civil War, including reference to conditions in South Carolina, the invention of the cotton gin, subsequent expansion of slavery, and economic dependence on slavery. (H, E, P)
Objectives:
The student will analyze and decode an underground railroad song.
Assessment:
The student will be assessed by their participation in decoding the song.
Materials:
Copies of the song Follow the Drinking Gourd & Another slave song if possible.
The book, Follow the Drinking Gourd
Copies of Underground Railroad Code Dictionary and Code Phrases
Procedure:
1. TTW introduce the idea of code and what that word means. TTW ask for any examples that the students can think of who would use code and how they would use it. [Spies, passing notes, superheros, detectives, computers, Morse code].
2. TTW reintroduces the Underground Railroad and activate prior knowledge. TTW say that another way for the slaves to communicate about escape was through song. TTW read the story Follow the Drinking Gourd.
3. Each reading group will get a copy of several slave songs and using their Underground Railroad code dictionaries, find all of the hidden meanings for the words. They can then make up a song of their own if time allots.
This kind of activity would really engage your musically-inclined students. Having them create their own song really takes it to the next level! Nice idea!
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