Level U/50
Escape to Freedom: The Underground Railroad
Social Studies TEACHER’S GUIDE
Skills & Strategies
Anchor Comprehension Strategies
•• Analyze Character
•• Draw Conclusions
Comprehension
•• Retell
•• Use text features to locate information
Vocabulary/Word Study Strategy
•• Antonyms used to determine word
meaning
Social Studies Big Idea
•• The Underground Railroad was one of
many attempts to abolish slavery and
realize the ideals of the Declaration of
Independence.
Theme: The Civil War
• Battles of the Civil War: Antietam
• Technology and the Civil War
• Voices from the Civil War
B
e n c h m a r k
E
d u c a t i o n
C
o m p a n y
Core Lesson Planning Guide
This five-day lesson plan shows one way to use the chapter book for explicit strategy instruction.
Activities
Day
1
Page 3: Prepare to Read
• Build Content Background
• Introduce the Book
Pages 4–6: Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1
2
3
4
5
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
• Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Character
• Use Antonyms to Determine Word Meaning
Pages 7–8: Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
• Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Character
• Use Antonyms to Determine Word Meaning
Pages 9–10: Apply Strategies: Chapter 4–Conclusion
• Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
• Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Character
• Use Text Features to Locate Information: Primary Source Documents
Page 11: Synthesize Information
• Administer Ongoing Comprehension Assessment
• Complete KWHL Chart
Using Navigators Chapter Books
Explicit Strategy
Instruction
Use the complete guide to model,
guide, and support students as
they apply comprehension and
word-study strategies. Use portions
of the guide to scaffold reading
instruction for students who do
not need modeled instruction.
2
Small-Group Discussions
Independent Reading
Introduce the book and model
strategies. Have the group set a
purpose for reading based on the
introduction. Students read the
book, or parts of the book,
independently. Then have them use
the Small-Group Discussion Guide
as they discuss the book together.
Have students select titles at
their independent reading levels.
After reading, have students
respond to the text in reader
response journals or notebooks.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or
transmitted in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-4108-6309-6
Prepare to Read
E nglish L anguage Learners
on.
Build Content Background
•Tell students that they are going to read about the
Underground Railroad, a group of people who helped
slaves escape to freedom. Use the paintings on pages 2,
3, and 4 to provide visual references to slavery.
•Display a KWHL chart as shown.
•Ask: What do you know about the Underground Railroad?
Brainstorm with students and write their ideas in the first
column of the chart.
•Ask: What do you want to know about the Underground
Railroad? How are you going to find out what you want to know?
Write students’ ideas in the second and third columns of
the chart.
•Explain that some of the information in the book may be a
review. Other information will help students find out what
they want to know.
•Save the chart for students to complete after they read
the book.
K
What I know
about the
Underground
Railroad
W
What I want to
know about the
Underground
Railroad
H
How I will learn
about the
Underground
Railroad
L
What I learned
about the
Underground
Railroad
Introduce the Book
•Give students a copy of the book. Have them read the title
and look at the cover.
•Have students turn to the table of contents.
Ask: Which chapter has the title “The Underground Railroad”?
(Chapter 1)
•Have students turn to Chapter 1 and skim the chapter,
looking for boldfaced words. Ask them to read aloud
examples of the boldfaced words in the chapter. Use the text
and glossary to define the boldfaced words.
•To introduce key words and text/graphic features found in
this book, use the inside front cover of the book.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Students may think that the
Underground Railroad was an
actual train. Help them understand
that this book is not about a real
railroad, but about a group of
people who helped slaves.
As students skim their books, have
them focus on the historical paintings.
Discuss the concept of slavery with
them. Who were slaves in the United
States in the 1700s and 1800s?
Where did they come from? What
were their lives like?
Discuss the concept of heroism.
Encourage students to identify
heroes and to tell what they believe
makes someone a hero.
I nformal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Assess students’ ability to skim for
boldfaced words and to define
these words using the text and
the glossary.
2. Document your observations in a
folder or notebook.
3. Keep the folder or notebook at
the small-group reading table for
handy reference.
Meeting
Individual Needs
For students who struggle with
skimming for boldfaced words, model
by skimming the Introduction with
them. Point out that there are two
boldfaced words in the Introduction,
and have students find them with you.
The Underground Railroad
3
Model Strategies: Introduction–Chapter 1
ABOUT THE STRATEGY
Retell
What? Good readers take notes
about the main ideas in their reading
and any questions they have about them.
These notes help readers retell what
they have read.
Why?
Retelling helps good readers
reflect on what they’ve read. Taking
notes helps readers understand and
remember the main ideas so they can
retell the ideas afterward.
When?
Good readers take notes
before reading to help set a purpose.
They take notes during reading to help
them understand and remember main
ideas so they can retell them later. They
retell the main ideas after reading to
help them synthesize what they have
read. This strategy may also be used
when returning to reading after several
days have passed.
How? Good readers look for main
ideas as they read. They also stop when
they have questions about a word or an
idea. They note ideas so they can retell
them and questions so they can answer
them during and after reading.
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
•Use a real-life example of retelling.
Say: Sometimes when I read a book, I want to be sure I
remember the most important ideas in the book. So I write notes
about the main points and important details I want to remember.
Sometimes I write my notes on paper. Sometimes I write my notes
on self-stick notes and use them to mark the important words and
ideas I should include when I retell. I can also make notes about
words or facts that I need to find out more about.
•Read pages 2–5 aloud while students follow along. Stop
when you come to important ideas or words that might be
challenging to students. Share your thought process aloud
with them. Have students state the main ideas on the pages.
Write these ideas on self-stick notes and place them in the
book as students observe. Some ideas that students might
discover are:
The first Africans to arrive in the American colonies were
not slaves.
Later, the colonies passed laws making Africans slaves.
Many slaves worked on large Southern plantations.
Slaves wanted to escape to freedom.
•Use the self-stick notes to retell information from pages 2–5.
Demonstrate that retelling means using one’s own words, not
the author’s.
During Reading
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Ask students to read pages 6–11 silently to find out about the
Underground Railroad and how it worked. Have them make
notes in their journal or on self-stick notes about the main
ideas and vocabulary they find and any questions they have.
Students can use the notes they take to explain in their own
words how the Underground Railroad worked.
4
The Underground Railroad
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
After Reading
Discuss the Reading
•Say: I found that Chapter 1 tells about how the Underground
Railroad worked, including the names of its parts. What were the
conductors?
(people who took escaped slaves from one safe house to
another)
•Call on students to retell what they learned about the agents,
packages, and stations of the UGRR. Suggest that they use the
notes they wrote while reading the chapter. Then have them
ask any questions from their notes about words or ideas they
did not understand. Have other students answer the questions.
If no one knows the answer, help the class find a reference
book with the information.
•Repeat the process. Let students retell facts about the
stationmasters and routes of the UGRR. Then have them
ask questions from their notes. Offer the following questions
for students to consider:
How was a UGRR stationmaster different from an agent or a
conductor?
Why was it dangerous to be a UGRR agent?
Why did many slaves go to Canada?
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the
questions for the Introduction and Chapter 1 found on the
Comprehension Through Deductive Reasoning Card for this
chapter book.
Informal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Monitor students as they write
notes and then use them to retell
the text.
2. In a folder or notebook, jot down
what you see each student doing.
3. Students should be taking notes as
they read. Document students who
are and are not using this monitorreading strategy.
Meeting
Individual Needs
For students who struggle with
this activity, model the strategy
again and point out the text features
that can help them, such as the
boldfaced words. Remind students
that these ideas will be important
when they retell.
Rapid readers can share notes with
partners to see what important ideas
either partner may have overlooked.
Comprehension Strategy:
Analyze Character
•Say: When I read about interesting people in history, I always
imagine what it would be like to talk with them. I try to learn
about their personalities, or characters, from my reading. I look at
what they say and do, and I think about what the author or other
characters say about them. Then I analyze, or draw conclusions
about, the kinds of people they are.
•Distribute the graphic organizer “Analyze Character”
(blackline master, page 14 of this guide). You may want to
make a chart-sized copy of the graphic organizer or use as a
transparency.
•Explain that as students read, they will complete the first two
rows together. They will complete the last row in pairs or
independently.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
The Underground Railroad
5
Introduction–Chapter 1 (continued)
Person
Clues
William wanted to free
slaves; gave
Still
slaves money,
legal help, and
shelter; admired
strong slaves
who were
running away
Analysis
caring; willing to
take risks;
thoughtful
Reader Response
William Still probably had to
take risks to help runaway slaves. What
would you be willing to risk to help
other people? Write a response in
your journal and share your thoughts
with a group member.
6
The Underground Railroad
Comprehension Strategy:
Analyze Character (continued)
•Have students turn to page 9 and follow along as you model
how to analyze character. Read aloud the first part of the
sidebar.
Say: It says that William Still was an active abolitionist, a person
who wanted to free slaves. Still’s Vigilance Committee gave runaway
slaves shelter, money, and legal help. I will write these clues to Still’s
character in the Clues column of the chart. Now I will look for other
clues in the text.
Use information from the graphic organizer on this page to
continue the think-aloud.
•Say: Now that I have recorded clues about Still, I can analyze, or
draw conclusions about, his character. I will write my ideas in the
Analysis column.
Read aloud the ideas to students. Then ask them how they
would use these ideas to write an analysis of Still’s character.
Use Antonyms to Determine Word Meaning
•Remind students that two words that have opposite meanings
are called antonyms. Have them turn to page 2 and read the
caption under the painting. Point out that two of the words in
the caption are antonyms. Ask students to find the antonyms.
Point out that bought and sold are antonyms because they
have opposite meanings.
•Have students turn to page 4 and read the first paragraph.
Ask: Which word in this paragraph is an antonym for enslaved?
(free)
Discuss how students used the clues in the paragraph (enslaved
Africans did work that free people would not do) to find the
antonym.
•Have students find the antonyms in the feature box on
page 6 (right/wrong) and in the first paragraph on page 8
(attics/cellars).
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Guide Strategies: Chapters 2–3
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
•Remind students that they took notes on main ideas and
vocabulary and on questions they had as they read Chapter 1.
Point out to them that writing about and retelling what they
have read can help them understand and remember the facts.
•Turn to page 12 and read aloud the first two paragraphs.
Say: I read in the Introduction that slaves dreamed of freedom. This
text says that many slaves did more than dream about freedom,
even before the UGRR existed. I am going to write a note that says,
“Many slaves ran away before the UGRR.”
Place the self-stick note on the page.
•Explain that as students continue to read, they should use selfstick notes to write main ideas and details about abolitionists
and the UGRR. Students will be asked to retell the facts they
find at the end of the chapters.
During Reading
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Have students finish reading Chapters 2–3. Encourage them to
find out about what it was like to escape on one of the UGRR’s
routes. Tell them to write main ideas and questions on self-stick
notes or in their journals as they read.
After Reading
Discuss the Reading
•Ask students to retell the chapters by sharing some of the main
ideas and details they wrote about those who supported and
resisted slavery and what it was like to escape on the UGRR.
•Have students share questions they noted as they read. Invite
others to answer the questions by recalling the text or looking
up information in a reference book.
•Have students read the checkpoint on page 10. Explain that
talking about what we read is one way to help us get more out
of the information. Have students discuss the prompt with a
partner.
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions
for Chapters 2–3 found on the Comprehension Through
Deductive Reasoning Card for this chapter book.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
E nglish L anguage Learners
Observe ELL students as they read
the text. If they are not making
notes of main ideas and questions,
they may not be understanding the
text. Ask them to share some of
their notes so you can check their
comprehension.
Meeting
Individual Needs
For students who struggle with
this strategy, model again by retelling
part of the text based on self-stick
notes. Then have students read one
page and note the main ideas they
find on it. Have them share the main
ideas they noted and explain how
they identified them.
Rapid readers can make notes on
different strategies that escaping
slaves used to avoid being detected.
Encourage students to retell events
using a time line, beginning with when
slaves would be most likely to leave.
What difficulties would they encounter
at different times on their journey?
The Underground Railroad
7
Chapters 2–3 (continued)
Person
Clues
Harriet from a family that
Beecher wanted to abolish
slavery; listened
Stowe
to other people’s
stories; wrote
book that had
huge impact on
people
everywhere; knew
story was true
Analysis
caring; good
listener; careful;
patient; able to
connect with
others on
emotional level;
honest
Reader Response
Do you think that books such as
Uncle Tom’s Cabin can be powerful
enough to change the way people think?
Why or why not? Write a response in
your journal and share your thoughts
with a group member.
Comprehension Strategy:
Analyze Character
•Remind students that they can analyze, or draw conclusions
about, a person’s character based on what the person says or
does or what the author or other characters tell them about
the person’s actions, beliefs, or motivations.
•Have a volunteer read aloud the sidebar about Harriet Beecher
Stowe on page 14.
Ask: What clues in this text tell you about Harriet Beecher Stowe’s
character?
(She was from an abolitionist family, and she listened carefully
to the stories of many different people.)
•Have students skim pages 14–15 for additional clues. Write the
clues on the chart. Then help students use them to write an
analysis of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s character.
Use Antonyms to Determine Word Meaning
•Remind students that antonyms are words that have opposite
meanings. Have them turn to page 12, read the second
paragraph, and identify the antonyms in the paragraph (tried/
failed). Point out that in this case the word and is a clue
word to the antonyms.
•Have students look for antonyms in the second paragraph on
page 13 (supporters/opponents) and in the first paragraph
on page 15 (heroes/villain).
•For additional practice, have students complete the blackline
master on page 16 of this guide.
1. slavery, freedom
2. despised, admired
3. injured, healthy
4. safe, risky
5. left, returned
6. rich, poor
7. live, dead; The word but indicates opposites. Antonyms are opposites.
8.rest, work; The word instead indicates opposites. Antonyms are
opposites.
8
The Underground Railroad
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Apply Strategies: Chapter 4–Conclusion
Before Reading
Monitor-Reading Strategy: Retell
•Remind students that they have been writing notes about main
ideas in Escape to Freedom: The Underground Railroad so they can
retell them. They may also have written notes about questions
they had about the text. Point out that these notes can help
them understand and remember the important ideas. Then they
can retell the important ideas they have learned.
•Read pages 24–25 aloud while students follow along.
Say: According to the first paragraph, the main idea of this chapter
is that UGRR workers had to be courageous. One courageous worker
was Harriet Tubman, who was born a slave, escaped, and then
returned many times to help other slaves escape. I will make a
note about the main idea and read on to find other supporting
details about this idea. Remember, I will use my notes to retell what
I have read.

Teaching Tips
After discussing the reading, have
students remove self-stick notes from
their books and place them in their
journals on a page titled “Retell.” Use
this page to review retelling
throughout the year. You might also
pair students and have them tell each
other how to use the strategy.
During Reading
Set a Purpose for Reading
•Have students read the rest of the book silently. Remind them
to make notes about main ideas and their own questions as
they read. Have them write their questions on self-stick notes
or in their journals.
•Have students look for details that explain why these people
worked for the UGRR.
After Reading
•Call on students to retell the facts in Chapter 4 by checking the
main ideas they wrote in their notes.
Ask: What was unusual about Harriet Tubman and her work with
the UGRR?
(She was one of the few conductors who went into the South
to rescue people.)
•Have students turn to page 25 and locate the checkpoint.
Remind them that reading more about people is another way
to better understand their ideas, feelings, and actions. Have
students work independently to complete the prompt.
Ask: How did Levi and Catharine Coffin help escaping slaves?
(Their house was one of the biggest stations on the UGRR.
They helped at least 2,000 escaping slaves by giving them food
and shelter.)
•For text-dependent comprehension practice, ask the questions
for Chapter 4 found on the Comprehension Through Deductive
Reasoning Card for this chapter book.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
The Underground Railroad
9
Chapter 4–Conclusion (continued)
Person
Clues
Analysis
Harriet
Tubman
born a slave;
suffered life-long
blackouts after
childhood injury;
escaped North;
returned South
many times
to bring out other
slaves; often
tough on
passengers; never
caught
tough; a survivor;
brave; daring; did
whatever it took
to bring others
to safety, even if
unpleasant;
determined;
resourceful
Informal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Watch students as they analyze
character. Ask yourself:
How have students progressed with this
strategy? What problems are they still
having?
2. Watch students as they complete the
graphic organizer. Ask yourself:
Who is still struggling with this strategy?
How can I help them?
3. Jot down your thoughts in your folder
or notebook. For students who
struggle with analyzing character,
review the strategy.
Comprehension Strategy: Analyze Character
•Review the graphic organizer with students and explain that
they will complete the chart with facts about one of the heroes
discussed in Chapter 4: Harriet Tubman, Levi and Catharine
Coffin, John Rankin, John Parker, Arnold Gragston.
•Ask if students have any questions before they begin. Monitor
their work and intervene if they are having difficulty completing
the graphic organizer. Discuss students’ responses together.
•For more practice with analyzing character, have students
complete the blackline master “Analyze Character” on page 15
of this guide.
1.B
2. C
3. A
4.Douglass spoke in support for an end to slavery, but he also cared about
homeless people, women’s rights, and prison reform.
Use Text Features to Locate Information:
Primary Source Documents
•Have students turn to the Eyewitness Account feature on page
29. Read the blue text aloud. Explain that this account of a river
crossing on the UGRR is by an eyewitness, a person who was
actually there at the time. Primary, or original, sources such as
eyewitness accounts, letters, photographs, and journal entries
provide firsthand accounts of an event or of the times.
•Ask: How did Arnold Gragston feel as he rowed passengers across
the river?
(He was afraid. He was trembling and worried.)
Why is this eyewitness account useful to us?
(It gives a clear, accurate picture of what it was like to travel on
the UGRR.)
•Encourage students to examine other primary source
documents in the book, such as the map on page 7; the
Eyewitness Accounts on pages 9, 18, 21, and 26; and the music
score on page 23.
Reader Response
Which of the people in this
chapter do you admire most? Why?
Write a response in your journal and
share your thoughts with a group
member.
10
The Underground Railroad
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Synthesize Information
Administer Ongoing Comprehension
Assessment
•Have students take Ongoing Assessment #1 on pages 38–39 in
the Comprehension Strategy Assessment Handbook (Grade 5).
Complete KWHL Chart
•Refer to the KWHL chart students prepared before reading the
book.
K
What I know
about the
Underground
Railroad
W
What I want to
know about the
Underground
Railroad
H
How I will learn
about the
Underground
Railroad
L
What I learned
about the
Underground
Railroad
•Remind students that the chart shows the facts they knew
before they read the book. It then shows some questions they
wanted answered by the text and some ideas about how to
locate the answers. Now they must determine what they
actually learned by reading the book.
•Encourage students to think about the Underground Railroad
and to suggest information they learned from the book that
complemented or extended what they already knew. As they
recall information, work with students to record the
information in the last column.
•When the chart is complete, have students check to see what
questions in the W column were answered by information in
the L column. Circle the unanswered questions, and write three
more questions at the bottom of the chart. Have students
choose one question and locate information to answer it. (They
can look back at the H column for suggestions about where
the information might be found.) Provide class time for students
to share their research findings.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
I nformal
Assessment Tips
original
1. Score assessments and determine if
more instruction is needed for this
strategy.
2. Keep group assessments in a smallgroup reading folder.
3. Look closely at students’ responses.
Ask yourself: Why might this student
have answered the question in this
manner? For in-depth analysis, discuss
responses with individual students.
4. If needed, reteach this strategy and
administer Ongoing Assessment
#2 on pages 40–41 in the
Comprehension Strategy Assessment
Handbook (Grade 5).
5. Use ongoing assessments to
document growth over time, for
parent/teacher conferences, or for
your own records.
E nglish L anguage Learners
Scaffold the graphic organizer
activity by discussing one row of the
chart at a time. Ask students to read
aloud the information in each
column for that row. Help them find
the sections of the chapter book
that answer each question (if it is
answered in the text), and invite
them to reread that section aloud.
Alternatively, students can create
questions as a group and search
together to answer those questions.
The Underground Railroad
11
Reading/Writing Connections
Write a Personal Response

Teaching Tips
Transfer personal response prompts to
a piece of large chart paper and hang it
in the room. Students can refer to the
list throughout the year.
Scoring Rubric
4
The prompt is well developed.
There is strong evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
3
The prompt is developed. There is
adequate evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
2
The prompt is somewhat
developed. There is minimal
evidence of focus, organization,
voice, and correct conventions.
1
The prompt is weakly developed.
There is little evidence of focus,
organization, voice, and correct
conventions.
Invite students to respond to the book in a way that is
meaningful to them. The prompts below provide a variety of
alternatives.
•Think about the heroes in this book. Who is a hero to you?
What do you think makes that person a hero? (text-to-self)
•Do you think problems such as slavery still exist today? What
can people do to help solve those problems? (text-to-world)
•What parts of this book confused you? What did you do
when you came to a confusing part? (self-monitor)
•Describe what you felt about the slaves’ lives as you read this
book. Explain why you felt that way. (personal response)
•What big ideas about the Underground Railroad were
discussed in this book? Tell about those ideas in your own
words. (synthesize information)
•What did you like best about this book? Would you
recommend it to a friend? Why or why not? (evaluate)
•Compare this book about the Underground Railroad to other
books you have read about people helping other people.
(text-to-text/compare and contrast)
Write to a Text Prompt
Use the prompt below as a timed writing activity. Students have
a maximum of one hour to draft, revise, and edit a response.
Use the rubric provided in the sidebar to score students’
writing.
Why do you think people chose to work on the UGRR
despite the risks? Use information from the book to
support your answer.
Write to a Picture Prompt
Use the following picture prompt to develop students’ visual
writing abilities.
Look at the picture on page 12. What do you think life
was like for this runaway slave? Write a response in your
journal and share your thoughts with a group member.
Use details from the picture to support your answer.
12
The Underground Railroad
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Date___________
Small-Group Discussion Guide
Directions: Use this sheet to talk about the book.
Rules for a
Good Discussion:
1. Be prepared.
Word Study:
Write words you did not know. Discuss the meanings
with your group. Use the text to clarify the meanings.
2. P
ay attention to
the person who is
talking and do not
interrupt him or her.
3. T
hink about what
others are saying so
you can respond.
4. Use inside voices.
Questions:
Write two or three questions you had while reading this
book. Discuss the questions and answers.
5. L et everyone in
the group have a
turn to speak.
6. B
e respectful of
everyone’s ideas.
Adapted from Guiding Readers and
Writers (Grades 3–6): Teaching
Comprehension, Genre, and Content
Literacy, Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su
Pinnell (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Publishing Co., 2001).
Ways to Make
Connections
Make Connections:
Write three connections you made with the text.
Discuss them with your group.
Adapted from Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-Centered Classroom, Harvey
Daniels (Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 1994).
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Text-to-Self: This
reminds me of a time
when I . . .
Text-to-World:
What’s going on
in this book is like
what’s happening right
now in . . .
Text-to-Text: This
book reminds me of
another book I read
called . . . . It was about . . .
Name_____________________________________ Date__________________
Analyze Character
Person
Clues
Analysis
William Still
Harriet
Beecher Stowe
Another Hero
of the UGRR
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name_____________________________________ Date__________________
Analyze Character
Directions: Read the character sketch. Then complete the exercise below.
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. As a young man in Maryland, he
was recognized as being very bright. He learned to read and write and passed
this knowledge on to other African Americans. When he was older, he became
a great speaker. He had a deep voice and could be very dramatic.
Douglass escaped from slavery in 1838. He started working for a newspaper
called The Liberator. He and the newspaper’s founder, William Lloyd Garrison,
were both abolitionists. Douglass spoke to many people about the goals of
the abolitionists.
Douglass traveled to England in 1845 to speak against slavery. He also spoke
on behalf of homeless people in Europe. He wanted voting rights for women, and
he wanted to reform prisons. He wrote, “I cannot allow myself to be insensitive to
the wrongs and sufferings of any part of the great family of man.”
Douglass encouraged President Abraham Lincoln to make freeing the slaves
an important issue in the Civil War. Douglass wrote, “The real question . . . is
whether American liberty . . . can be made to include and protect alike and
forever all American citizens.”
Directions: For items 1–3, circle the letter of the best answer. For item 4, write your answer.
1. The details about Frederick Douglass in the first paragraph show that he
A worked too hard as a slave.
C lived in Maryland.
B wanted to learn and teach.
D was not liked by other African Americans.
2. Douglass’s message to Abraham Lincoln shows that Douglass was
Adepressed.
Binsensitive.
Cconcerned.
Dangry.
3. What does the third paragraph tell you about Douglass’s character?
A He cared about people with many different kinds of problems.
B He enjoyed being an actor and speaker.
C He liked Europe more than he liked the United States.
D He cared more about the problems of women than those of slaves.
4. What clues in the third paragraph support your answer to #3?
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© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Use Antonyms to Determine Word
Meaning
Directions: Underline the two antonyms in each sentence. Use a thesaurus to check
your work.
1. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery but escaped to freedom.
2.While slave owners despised Harriet Tubman, abolitionists
admired her.
3.Although Harriet Tubman was severely injured as a child, her spirit
was healthy and her will was strong.
4.Harriet Tubman managed to stay safe even though working for the
Underground Railroad was risky.
5.Shortly before the Civil War, Harriet Tubman left for Canada, but
she soon returned to the United States.
6.At one time Harriet Tubman was rich in rewards and tributes, but
by the end of her life she was quite poor.
Directions: Underline the two antonyms in the sentences below. Then explain how
you identified the antonyms in each sentence.
7.Harriet Tubman told her passengers on the UGRR that “a live
runaway could do great harm by going back,” but “a dead one
could tell no secrets.”
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8.Even after slavery had ended, Harriet Tubman did not rest. Instead
she decided to work for the rights of women.
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© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Skills Bank
Build Comprehension
DRAW CONCLUSIONS
•• Explain Create an overhead transparency of the graphic
organizer “Escape to Freedom: The Underground Railroad” or
draw it on the board. Say: An author can’t give us every piece of
information about the topic of a book. We have to figure out some
ideas on our own. We can use the text and graphic features as
our clues. Using three or more clues to figure out an idea that the
author does not state directly is called drawing a conclusion.
•• Model Say: I will draw a conclusion about Escape to
Freedom: The Underground Railroad using clues from the
text. On page 6, I read that abolitionists risked their own safety.
Then I read that they hid escaped slaves in their homes, barns,
and churches. Next I read that they led them through dangerous
swamps. Finally, I read that they rowed them in small boats across
wide rivers. Record these four clues in the first Clues box on
the graphic organizer. Say: Now I will use these clues to draw
a conclusion. I can conclude that abolitionists were determined to
let nothing stop them from helping escaped slaves get to freedom.
Write this conclusion in the first Conclusion box.
People Who Made
a Difference
Assign small groups of students
one of these people discussed in
the book: Harriet Beecher Stowe,
Josiah Henson, Harriet Tubman,
Levi Coffin, Catharine Coffin, John
Rankin, John Parker. Ask the
groups to research the person
and prepare a brief biographical
sketch that contains at least three
new facts about the person. Invite
the groups to present their
sketches to the class.
17
The Underground Railroad
•• Guide Say: Now let’s draw a conclusion about the problems
slaves faced when they ran away. Look at the top caption on page
7. What does it tell you about runaway slaves’ problems? Now
look at the text on page 11. What problem does it add? (Allow
time for students to respond, assisting if needed.) Yes, most
slaves were not allowed to learn to read. Runaways had no maps
or directions. Slave catchers pursued fugitives, even into the free
states. Record these clues in the second Clues box on the
graphic organizer. Then ask: What idea can we figure out from
these clues? What conclusion can we draw? (Again allow time
for students to respond.) Yes, we can conclude that most slaves
needed help from others to run away and not get caught. Record
this conclusion in the second Conclusion box on the graphic
organizer.
•• Apply Ask pairs of students to work together to draw
another conclusion using the text and graphic features in the
book. Remind them that they are looking for clues they can
use to figure out ideas that the author does not state directly.
After each pair shares its clues and conclusions, record the
information on the graphic organizer. Finally, ask volunteers to
read the completed graphic organizer aloud.
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Date__________________
Escape to Freedom:
The Underground Railroad
Draw Conclusions
Clues
© 2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Conclusion
Notes
©2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC
Notes
©2012 Benchmark Education Company, LLC