Following the Drinking Gourd
This was the name of the secret route used to escape slavery.
Underground Railroad
This was Harriet Tubman's nickname.
Moses.
This 1850 law made escaping slavery more dangerous.
"Drinking Gourd" was a code for this constellation.
Big Dipper
Ann Petry wrote this genre of book about Harriet Tubman.
A biography.
Explain why escapees traveled at night rather than during the day.
To avoid being seen or caught by slave catchers.
Describe the risks Harriet took each time she returned to the South.
She could be captured, killed, or punished.
Identify two historical events that affected Harriet's mission.
Explain the role of a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad.
A person who guided fugitives between stations.
Explain how Petry uses imagery to show the danger of escape.
Vivid descriptions of terrain, fear, and tension.
Analyze how nature (like the North Star) helped guide Harriet Tubman and others.
It provided a reliable direction without needing maps or speaking aloud.
Explain how Harriet's head injury influenced her visions and motivation.
Her injury caused seizures and spiritual visions, which she saw as signs from God.
Analyze Harriet's relationship with John Brown and her support of his raid.
She admired his passion and was involved in his plans.
Interpret why Harriet threatened to shoot anyone who turned back.
To protect the group from betrayal or capture.
Analyze how Petry develops Tubman as a heroic figure.
Through her bravery, moral strength, and leadership.
Compare two different survival strategies Tubman used on her journeys.
Using disguises and changing routes frequently.
Evaluate what personal qualities of Harriet made her a successful conductor.
Bravery, resourcefulness, and commitment.
Compare life for escaped slave in Canada vs. in the Northern U.S.
Canada offered more protection from re-enslavement due to lack of slave laws.
Assess the importance of coded language in maintaining secrecy.
It allowed planning and movement without alerting slave catchers.
Evaluate Petry's balance between historical fact and narrative storytelling.
She blends real events with emotional and personal detail to engage readers.
Design a safe escape route for a group of fugitives based on what you learned about the Underground Railroad.
A logical plan with code use, safe houses, timing, and landmarks are accepted.
Create a 30 second speech Harriet Tubman might have delivered to inspire others to fight for freedom.
A persuasive, historically grounded speech with emotional appeals is accepted.
Develop a short timeline connecting Harriet's missions with major U.S. historical events.
A multi-event timeline with dates and cause/effect reasoning is accepted.
Create a 30 second fictional code song that could help guide someone north.
A creative song with metaphorical lyrics with embedded directions is accepted.
Compose a short narrative paragraph mimicking Petry's style to describe one of Tubman's escapes.
A creative historical writing with strong imagery and character insight is accepted.