Preparation
You can set this lesson up either by showing one of the two videos listed below, or by using the song Follow the Drinking Gourd. Both the song and lyrics are available on this site. There is a Flash Version for network, cable, or DSL users, and also an HTML version (sorry, no music) for those on dial-up connections.
If you're not using one of these, write the words to
the song Follow the Drinking Gourd onto large chart paper so students
can read it aloud together. Use the link to the HTML version above if
you need the words.
Prepare room to show the video.
Introduction
Gather students together and show the video: Follow
the Drinking Gourd - Reading Rainbow Episode 96
or
Follow the Drinking Gourd - Told by Morgan Freeman; Rabbit Ears Productions
Following the video, read 'A Note About The Story' from the book Follow the Drinking Gourd, By Jeanette Winter ISBN 0-394-89694-7
How did Peg Leg Joe tell the slaves about the way to freedom?
What was the way to freedom?
What was the Drinking Gourd? Where was it?
How did people know when to try to escape? Why was that the best time?
Why did the riverbanks make a very good road?
Wasn't it hard to see at night? Why did the runaway slaves travel at night?
What were the dangers along the way?
How did the safe houses tell the slaves it was safe to come to the door?
How would you know what direction to go in when you escaped?
The Drinking Gourd is also called the Big Dipper. It always points to the North Star. The free country Canada is in the north. (show either "United Stations Map" or US map) The runaway slaves needed to walk north to Canada.
Homework Extension
At the end of day before dismissal read The Big Dipper, By Franklyn M. Branley ISBN 0-06-020511-3
Tonight your homework will be to find the Big Dipper and the North Star. Ask your parents to go out with you and look up to find it, it may be hard to see if your neighborhood has many city lights at night, but do your best. Portrait of a Star printable here. Draw what you see on this dark blue paper with white crayon or pencil, write a description to explain what you can or cannot see.
on on to Sun and Shadow
Copyright
© 2003 by the Network for Instructional TV, Inc.
All rights reserved.