The Power of Harriet T
By Michael Miller
Study
Guide
By Mary Code, Kelsey Oke, Nick Schorse, Marta Warner
Adapted for Manitoba by Renee Gillis, Former Curriculum
Consultant, Manitoba Department of Education
For Grades 4 to 8
Costume sketch by designer Julia Tribe
Manitoba Theatre for Young People would like to thank the following sponsor and supporters:
SPOTLIGHT SPONSOR
EDUCATION SPONSOR
TOUR SPONSORS
2 Forks Market Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 4X2 | Box Office: (204) 942-8898 | Fax: (204) 943-4129 | mtyp.ca
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT HARRIET TUBMAN ........................................................................................................................................ 2
MANITOBA CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS ................................................................................................................ 3
BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Black History Resources and Glossary ..................................................................................................................... 4
Glossary ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
More About the Underground Railroad ................................................................................................................. 5
Found Music (music) ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Cultural Norms (Social Studies)............................................................................................................................... 7
Discussion Questions: .............................................................................................................................................. 7
Trade and Barter (Mathematics)............................................................................................................................. 8
A Change in Status (Social Studies/Drama)............................................................................................................. 9
POST-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................... 10
What Do You Think? (Language Arts) ................................................................................................................... 10
Role Models and Heroes (Social Studies/Drama/ Visual Arts) .............................................................................. 10
Underground Railroad (Social Studies/Mathematics) .......................................................................................... 11
My Path to Freedom (Language Arts / Social Studies) ......................................................................................... 12
Role on the Wall (Language Arts, Drama, Social Studies) ..................................................................................... 12
Weather Conditions (Science) .............................................................................................................................. 13
Octopus Escape (Physical Education) .................................................................................................................... 13
Hot Seating Harriet (Drama/Language Arts) ......................................................................................................... 14
Creative Writing (Language Arts/Music) .............................................................................................................. 14
Changing Characters (Drama/Physical Education) ................................................................................................ 15
My Path to Freedom ............................................................................................................................................. 16
MTYP’s Drama Resource Program ....................................................................................................................... 17
The Power of Harriet T
by Michael Miller
Director – Cherissa Richards*
Set & Costume Designer - Julia Tribe
Lighting Designer - Dean Cowieson
Composer & Musical Director - Andrew Penner
Stage Manager – Katherine Johnston
Featuring
Harriet Tubman – Gabrielle Graham & Reanna Joseph
Musicians - Tom Keenan* & Isaac Gutwilik
*members of Canadian Actor’s Equity Association
The Characters
Two actors play Harriet Tubman at different stages of her life as well as many other characters. Two musicians
on stage perform the live soundscape and music for the show.
The Story
The play is based on the inspirational story of Harriet Tubman and her struggles against slavery. She fled slavery
in Maryland in the 1850s and risked her life to help slaves find safe haven in Canada via the Underground
Railroad. Harriet believed that if she could escape, others could too, and she worked with a network of people
who hid and guided slaves north to freedom. She was completely devoted to the idea that “all people are
created equal.”
The Writer
Michael Miller is a Chalmers Award winning playwright who has been writing plays for young people for the
past twenty years. The Power of Harriet T was his first play, originally written, directed and produced by him in
his role as Artistic Director of Theatre Fountainhead. Touch the Sky, and In the Freedom of Dreams, the Story of
Nelson Mandela were produced at the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre where he has been playwright in residence a few
times over the years. A Patchwork Quilt was produced in Great Britain, where it was short listed for the Writers
Guild award for excellence in playwriting. Michael is married to designer Julia Tribe, and they have three
children.
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ABOUT HARRIET TUBMAN
Harriet Araminta "Minty" Ross was born into slavery in
Maryland in 1820 and spent her entire childhood working
without pay at the Brodess Family Plantation. Preferring to
work in the fields, she was able to learn from her father
survival skills, herbal remedies and geographical orientation.
In 1834, as Harriet witnessed a man escaping to his freedom,
she was struck by an iron weight and suffered a serious head
injury, which caused her health problems all her life. In 1844,
Harriet married John Tubman, a free Black man, but the
marriage was not legally recognized and she remained a
slave. After many years together, she tried to convince her
husband to escape to the north with her, where they could
both live in freedom, but he would not go.
When her owner fell ill, Harriet Tubman was in a difficult
position. Owners with debts would often sell their slaves and
split up families of slaves. She fled north to find freedom
with the help of some Quakers and the Underground
Railroad. After facing many dangerous risks, she returned
south to help her niece and daughters escape to freedom.
This was the beginning of her work as a "conductor” for
many rescue missions on the Underground Railroad.
In 1850 The Fugitive Slave Act was changed to state that fugitive slaves in the northern states were to be returned
to their owners. This meant that former slaves living in the northern United States were no longer safe. Canada
had abolished slavery in 1833, so as many as 30,000 racial refugees followed the North Star to settle in Canada.
Harriet planned a new escape route to lead to Ontario. She was based in St. Catharine’s, Ontario for eight years
(1851-1858), where there was a community of refugee former slaves. Her house in St. Catharine’s was just behind
the church she attended, the British Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as the BME Church, Salem Chapel.
Harriet escorted her family and about 70 former slaves to Canada in ten rescue missions, forging her own routes
through swamps and forests at night, and using the North Star as a guide. She later returned to the US with her
family, settling in Auburn, New York. She developed a network of abolitionist friends dedicated to social justice
and ending slavery, and she became active in the women’s suffrage movement. Until her death in 1913 she
devoted her life to working for freedom and universal human rights, and she has become an icon of social justice
in the United States and Canada.
Source: adapted from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/harriet-tubman/
Picture: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Harriet_Tubman.jpg
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MANITOBA CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS
The Power of Harriet T Study Guide connects directly with many learning outcomes in the Manitoba Curriculum.
Interdisciplinary activities may be used to complement many of the themes and key concepts in the Manitoba social
studies curriculum, including human rights, citizenship, respect, and overcoming racism.
Arts Education, Drama:
-
Connect drama to contexts of time, place, and community, and develop understanding of how drama reflects and influences
culture and identity.
Analyze, reflect on, and construct meaning in response to their own and others' dramatic work.
Arts Education, Music:
-
Collaboratively and individually generate, develop, and communicate ideas in creating original and interpretive music.
Arts Education, Visual Arts:
-
Individually and collaboratively generate, develop, and communicate ideas in creating original visual art.
Physical education /Health Education
Movement outcomes in physical education:
-
Design and perform rhythmic sequences that use movement concepts, and selected rhythmic steps, positions, and patterns.
Design and perform movement sequences with others that use movement concepts (e.g., leading, following...).
Mathematics General Learning Outcomes
-
Develop number sense.
Use patterns to describe the world and solve problems.
Use direct or indirect measurement to solve problems.
English Language Arts General Learning Outcomes
-
Explore thoughts, ideas, and feelings.
Comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, literary, and media texts and experiences.
Enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.
Science General Learning Outcomes
-
Understand the properties and structures of matter (gas, liquid and solid).
Understand the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere (weather).
Understand the composition of the universe and the impacts of humankind’s continued attempts to understand and explore it
(Note: link to North Star in the play).
Social Studies General Learning Outcomes
- Explore concepts of identity, culture, and community in relation to individuals, societies, and nations.
- Explore the dynamic relationships of people with the land, places, and environments.
- Explore how people, events, and ideas of the past shape the present and influence the future.
- Explore the global interdependence of people, communities, societies, nations, and environments.
- Explore the processes and structures of power and authority, and their implications for individuals, relationships, communities,
and nations.
- Explore the distribution of resources and wealth in relation to individuals, communities, and nations.
The activities may be used to complement the following units at each grade level:
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-
Grade 4, Cluster 2, Living in Canada (relevant concepts: Canadian geography, historical figures of Canada)
Grade 5, Cluster 4, From British Colony to Confederation (Relevant concepts: history of British colonialism and Canada-US
relations)
Grade 6, Cluster 4, Canada Today: Democracy, Diversity, and the Influence of the Past (Relevant concepts: democracy, citizenship
and individual freedoms)
Grade 7, Cluster 2, Global Quality of Life (Relevant concepts: universal human rights, racism)
Grade 8, Cluster 5, Shaping the Modern World (Relevant concept: history of slavery)
BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE
BLACK HISTORY RESOURCES AND GLOSSARY
The website www.blackhistorycanada.ca is a great resource that provides activities and ideas. We suggest that you
download the Black History in Canada Education Guide by Lawrence Hill (author of The Book of Negroes) from this
website. This innovative guide explores important events and personalities in Black Canadian history through
discussion and interactive activities. Structured around themes of journey, slavery, human rights, passage to Canada
and contemporary culture, the guide asks students to examine issues of identity, equality and community.
GLOSSARY
Here are some words to review with your students before the play.
Abolitionist – A person who wanted to do away with or abolish slavery.
Deep South – Those states closest to the southern border of the United States. The old cotton belt, including parts of
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
Discrimination – A difference, often unfair, in the way people treat each other, usually those from minority groups.
Overseer – Someone who supervises the work of others, in the context of slavery, a person hired by a plantation
owner to supervise the work of slaves.
Plantation – An estate or farmland used to grow large scale crops such as sugar cane or cotton, on which slaves worked.
Prejudice – An opinion, often unfavourable, that is made without taking the time to judge fairly, especially ill-regard
toward members of other races, religions, nationalities, etc.
Quakers: a Christian group in Pennsylvania that supported pacifism and the abolition of slavery,
Society of Friends.
also known as the
Racism – The inferior treatment of one race by another merely because of the colour of a person’s skin. The term is
often extended to include national origin and religious beliefs.
Slave - Someone who is owned by another person.
Underground Railroad – a secret network of routes and safe houses used by slaves in the United States to escape to
free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and free blacks who hid and guided slaves north to freedom.
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MORE ABOUT THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
(From www.blackhistorycanada.ca)
Between 1840 and 1860, before the American Civil War, enslaved Africans followed the North Star on the
Underground Railroad to find freedom in Canada. The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad but
a secret network of routes and safe houses that helped people escape slavery and to reach free states or
Canada. Sometimes there were guides available to help people find their way to the next stop along the
way. Travelling on the Underground Railroad was dangerous and required luck as much as a guide.
The "railroad" actually began operating in the 1780s, but became known as the Underground Railroad
in the 1830s. The organization used railroad terms as code words. Those who helped people move from
place to place were known as "conductors" and the fleeing refugees were called "passengers" or "cargo."
Safe places to stop to rest were called "stations." Conductors were also abolitionists—people who wanted
slavery abolished. They were blacks and whites, men and women. Many of them were Quakers or
Methodists. Some of the conductors and others associated with the railroad became famous for their
efforts; Harriet Tubman, Mary Ann Shadd and Josiah Henson are but a few.
Places had code names to help keep the routes secret. Detroit, from which most left the United States, was
known as "Midnight." The Detroit River was called "Jordan," a biblical reference to the river that led to the
promised land. The end of the journey also had a code name, such as "Dawn." People could communicate
without being specific: "Take the railroad from Midnight to Dawn." The refugees arrived all across Canada,
from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, but most came to what is now southwestern Ontario, to places such
as Windsor, Fort Erie, Chatham and Owen Sound.
It is impossible to know for certain how many slaves found freedom by way of the railroad, but it may have
been as many as 30 000. The railroad's traffic reached its peak between 1840 and 1860, especially after the
United States passed a law that allowed slave hunters to pursue and capture enslaved persons in places
where they would legally be free. It resulted in several attempts to kidnap escapees in Canada and return
them to former owners in the Southern States.
Picture: http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/12/underground-railroad-hero-H.jpeg
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FOUND MUSIC (MUSIC)
How do you make music when you don't own any instruments? This activity involves students making
music using common items found in a classroom.
Materials:
Any items found in the classroom, such as desks, pencils, textbooks etc.
Procedures:

Split the class into groups of 3 or 4.

Each group will be responsible to for creating or choosing a found instrument in the class to “play” on;
some groups can also clap or stomp if there are not enough materials in the class.

Give the students a few minutes to explore their instrument of choice. Encourage different
rhythms and tempos.

Clap a pattern to the class, and have the class repeat that pattern back to you using their
instruments. Repeat several times.

Tell the class that they are going to create a symphony. Clap a 4/4 beat and hold it steady. Tell the
class they must play along to that beat. You can also try to recreate popular rhythms such as Queen’s
“We Will Rock You”, which is 3/4 time.

Were the students surprised that they could make music without traditional instruments? Did
they like the way their music sounded?
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CULTURAL NORMS (SOCIAL STUDIES)
How do people react and feel when they are forced into a strange new place?
Procedures:

Have students get into groups of four to five. Students must decide on a “cultural norm” that identifies
their group members. A simple example might be that after they finish a sentence, they clap their
hands. Their cultural norm MUST be a secret for only their group.

Each group then chooses someone to send as an ambassador to another group. Ambassadors must
ask the group they are visiting several questions. As a class, the teacher and students can decide on
these questions ahead of time. The object is to guess what each other’s cultural norm is.

Once the ambassadors have visited their groups, they return to their original groups. The students
then reveal what they thought the cultural norms were for each group.

Teacher then leads a discussion on the idea of being identified as belonging to a specific group.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

How did it feel for the ambassadors to visit groups of people and not know their norms?

How did it feel as a group member when the ambassadors didn’t have the same cultural norms as your
group?

How did the ambassadors behave in the groups they were visiting? How did group members behave
toward the ambassadors?

Did the conversation between groups and ambassadors feel comfortable? Why or why not?

How do you think the southern slaves felt when they first entered Canada?

Have we studied any other people in history who may have had similar
feelings as Harriet and other escaping slaves?
Extensions: The activity can be extended into a study on contemporary
Canadian citizenship, focusing on how newcomers to Canada may feel when
they arrive in Canada. This activity may be linked to Cluster 4 in Grade 6 Social
Studies.
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TRADE AND BARTER (MATHEMATICS)
If you have little money of your own – how do you acquire the things you need? This exercise provides
a trade and barter experience for students.
Materials:
A variety of every day household items that students to handle and
exchange. For example:
 Plastic drinking cups
 Popsicle sticks
 Elastic bands
 Unsharpened pencils
 Paper plates
 A large quantity of fake currency (Monopoly money).
Procedures:

Divide students into small teams. Depending on class size, a group of two to four might be best. The goal is to have
enough people to a team so that collaboration is needed, but enough teams to encourage sufficient mingling and
negotiating.

Supply each team with a quantity of one household item and an allotment of currency. Household items will
not be equal in quantity (one team might have 16 cups, while another team has 40 elastics).

Explain to students that the aim of the exercise is to use your money and items to barter and trade with other
teams for additional items and money. The goal is to accumulate the greatest variety and amount of supplies at
the end of the time limit.

Explain to students that it is up to them, during their negotiations, to determine the value of each item in a trade.
For example, they might decide that a pencil is worth more than a paper plate because it can be used many times
over a long period, while a paper plate is usually used only once.

Give teams some time to strategize their approach and identify ways to make their item appeal valuable in a
trade. What selling points for their items can they emphasize? Will they go out to teams together or split up? Will
they spend money first, or keep money for later barters?

Students begin trading. Depending on the age level, 10-15 minutes may be appropriate.

Have teams reconvene and count their supplies and money. Record final totals on the board or chart paper.

Discuss strategies and tactics. Which approaches worked best?
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A CHANGE IN STATUS (SOCIAL STUDIES/DRAMA)
This activity explores differences in power and requires the students to act and observe distinctions between high status
and low status.
Procedures:

Have students stand at a normal height. Instruct them that they are going to explore the concept of status. Tell them
that their current posture is a Level 5 (or neutral) status.

Ask what a Level 1 (powerless) posture may look like. Have students show with their bodies a Level 1 pose. Ask what
emotions people might have if they feel like a Level 1. Ask what sorts of situations might make them feel like a Level I.

Ask what a Level 10 (powerful) posture may look like. Have students show with their bodies a Level 10 pose. Ask
what emotions people might have if they feel like a Level 10. Ask what sorts of situations might make them feel like a
Level 10.

Split students into groups of five. In each group, one student is assigned to be King/Queen, and one student is
assigned to be a servant. The King/Queen is always a Level 10 status and the servant always a Level 1.

The King/Queen has just learned that a visiting royal family will be dining with them tonight. However, the meal the
kitchen staff has prepared contains fish that one of the royal guests is allergic to. Therefore, the kitchen must fix the
problem immediately.

The King/Queen does not talk directly to the servant. The message must pass through a chain of power and status.
Just below the King/Queen is the Royal Advisor. Below the Royal Advisor is the Head of House. Below the Head of
House is Chief of Kitchen Staff. Below the Chief of Kitchen Staff is the kitchen servant. Assign these roles to students
from each group.

The activity proceeds as a string of conversations between two people. First, the King/Queen calls the Royal Advisor
and scolds him or her for allowing the mistake to be made. The King/ Queen is Level 10 status and the Royal Advisor is
Level I status. Next, the Royal Advisor calls the Head of House, and passes the blame. Now the Royal Advisor is Level
10 status and the Head of House is Level 1 status. Next, the Head of House calls the Chief of Kitchen Staff. Now the
Head of House is Level 10 and the Chief of Kitchen Staff is Level 1.
Finally, the Chief of Kitchen Staff calls upon the kitchen servant. In
each conversation, students change status roles (The Royal Advisor
is a Level 1 when talking to the King/Queen, but Level 10 when
talking to the Head of House, and so on.) This continues until the
message reaches the servant.

The servant goes off and discovers that the problem cannot be fixed
as ordered and the disappointing news must be passed back up the
chain of command.

After viewing the activity, discuss the idea of changing status with
the class, and ask how it felt to be a Level 1 or 10.
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POST-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES
WHAT DO YOU THINK? (LANGUAGE ARTS)
Facilitate a discussion about the students’ views and feelings after seeing the play. Encourage each student’s
opinion and ask for justification of their views.
1) How did the company create a world onstage that took the audience to many different places? What did you
see and hear that helped you to imagine these places?
2) How did the performers played many roles – how well did that work? Was it always clear when they were
playing Harriet and when they were portraying a different character?
3) This play used a lot of music – how did that contribute to the story and the emotions of the characters?
4) What do courageous people like Harriet teach us about how to make choices in our own lives?
ROLE MODELS AND HEROES (SOCIAL STUDIES/DRAMA/ VISUAL ARTS)
As one of the most successful black women to act as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman
was a great hero to us all. She was able to guide many people to freedom, including many members of her family.
Her actions inspired others to seek freedom and use the Underground Railroad. She got the nickname “Black
Moses” because she led her people to freedom as did Moses in the Bible. Photo of Harriet Tubman below.
Procedures:

Ask students to think of a famous positive role-model in their lives.
This person might be an actor, scientist, athlete, musician, activist, etc.

Students will research their role models and identify 5 reasons why
the person is a positive influence on them.

Students will create visual displays or presentations of their role
models.

Pretending to be their role models, students will take turns
participating in an imaginary press-conference. Classmates will take
the role of news reporters and ask questions For example, what
obstacles have you overcome on your road to success? What
accomplishment are you most proud of? What advice do you have for
others looking to follow in your footsteps?
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UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (SOCIAL STUDIES/MATHEMATICS)
This activity teaches students about the Underground Railroad and links to the National Geographic “Route
to Freedom” online journey.
Materials:

Map handouts of United States and Canada and Google Maps on Computers

Pencil and paper

Access to a computer to take National Geographic’s “Route to Freedom”
Procedures:

Each student will visit the National Geographic website and take the online journey called “Route to
Freedom” by following the link: www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/index.html

Have the student make notes as they go through the steps recording the names of the communities
mentioned and record the names of people they met along the way from each of the communities.

Display a map of the United States and
Canada on the board or computer
screen.

Distribute handouts of a similar map to
the class. (The map may be blank or
labeled depending on students’ grade
level and knowledge of landmarks.)

Using Google Maps, determine and mark
each of the locations on the map.

Using Google Maps, have the students
find and record the distances between
each two points on their maps.

Have the students calculate the overall
distance travelled on the Underground
Railroad.
Extension: Have the students choose one of
the names of the people they met along the
journey and research what was their
contribution to the Underground Railroad?
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MY PATH TO FREEDOM (LANGUAGE ARTS / SOCIAL STUDIES)
Materials:

Access to a computer to take National Geographic’s “Route to Freedom”

Handouts of Activity Sheet “My Path to Freedom” on last page of this guide.
Procedures:

Imagine you are a passenger on the Underground Railroad.

Select an identity/role (a child, a mother or a father) to travel through the Underground Railroad.

Have the students revisit the National Geographic’s online journey called “Route to Freedom” and make notes of
what happens from their character’s point of view and how they feel at each step along the way.

Distribute the activity sheets to each student. Have the students use the space provided to summarize what
happens and how they feel at 4 different stops along the way.
ROLE ON THE WALL (LANGUAGE ARTS, DRAMA, SOCIAL STUDIES)
This activity explores character by examining both personality traits and external factors that influence a person's life.
The goal is to have students create a collage of words and ideas about Harriet Tubman (and perhaps other characters),
including personality traits, appearance, and life circumstances.
Materials:
 Chart paper and 4 or 5 different coloured markers
Procedures:





Attach chart paper to the chalk board or wall. On the chart paper, draw the outline of a human body (similar to the
outline of a gingerbread man.) Provide enough space inside the outline to allow many words to be printed.
Explain to students that they will be summarizing information about Harriet Tubman.
Inside the human outline is where Harriet’s inner traits (personality, goals, etc.) will be listed. Ask the students to
identify these traits and print them inside the outline.
Outside the outline is where life circumstances will be added. Include such factors as Harriet’s social and financial
position, other characters’ attitudes, and historical facts about the time period. Ask the students to identify these
life circumstances and print them around the outline.
Extension: Students might create a Role on the Wall depiction of an historical figure
studied in class, a character from a novel or short story studied in class themselves.
Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have
within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to
change the world. - Harriet Tubman
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WEATHER CONDITIONS (SCIENCE)
This activity requires students to identify obstacles and weather conditions as solids, liquids or gases. Harriet's journey
through unknown lands and terrain will serve as a reference point.
Materials:
 Chalkboard, Chalk, Pen and paper
Procedures:

Explain that Harriet travelled at night, through forests, in cold weather, waded through rivers, and across
unknown land to escape slavery. Ask the class to brainstorm some of the conditions that Harriet would have
faced by making a graffiti wall of words about weather conditions and physical obstacles on the board.

Have the class get into pairs and take out a piece of paper and a pen.

Review with the class the three states of matter: solids, liquids and gas.

Explain that Harriet Tubman encountered all three states of matter on her outdoor trek.

Pairs will have two minutes to list obstacles Harriet could have faced during her escape. Each obstacle must be
labelled as a solid, liquid or gas. For example, a pair might identify "river" as an obstacle, and would label it a liquid.

Have students read their answers aloud. The pair with the most correct items wins.
OCTOPUS ESCAPE (PHYSICAL EDUCATION)
Harriet and her brave co-travelers embarked on journeys that took them through difficult weather, physical
obstacles, and emotional stress. This activity invites students to experience some of the physical challenges involved
in arriving at a desired destination.
Procedures:

This activity should be played in either a gymnasium or outside.

Select a student to be the “octopus” and position this student in the middle of the room.

Instruct the class to line up against a wall.

The “octopus” calls out: “Come swim in my ocean” and classmates pretend to swim across the open space.

The “octopus” tries to tag as many people as possible. Those tagged become seaweed and help the octopus by
entangling people.

When “survivors” of the first trip reach the other wall the octopus replaces “swim” with another action, (For
example,“Come skip in my ocean”) and classmates perform that action while crossing the space.

Play continues until everyone is caught, and the last player becomes the octopus for the next game.

After several rounds (whatever class time allows for), conduct a debriefing discussion with the following questions:
How did it feel to be the octopus? To be a fish in the ocean? How did it feel to become part of the octopus team?
How did it feel to make it safely to the other side? Did you strategize with any other players? Who held the most
power in the game? Why?
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HOT SEATING HARRIET (DRAMA/LANGUAGE ARTS)
Materials:
 Paper/notebooks
 Black board/chalk/whiteboard/markers for recording class discussion
 Classroom Chairs
Procedures:

Tell students that they will soon be participating in an interview scenario. Ask for examples of interviews they
have witnessed or read about.

Identify components of a good interview (e.g., probing questions, thoughtful responses, etc.)

Brainstorm with the class some interesting or useful questions that can be asked when interviewing any
highly successful person.

Assign students to groups of 4. Depending on class size, one or two groups will prepare questions for Harriet as a
young woman before she escapes the plantation; one or two groups will prepare questions for Harriet during her
escape (when she is alone in the forest); one or two groups will prepare questions for Harriet after she successfully
escapes to freedom and she begins earning money; and one or two groups will prepare questions for Harriet when
she decides to help others escape.

In each group, have students elect someone to take the role of Harriet. Other group members become
reporters. In the interview, reporters will ask questions already devised by the group.

“Harriet” sits in a chair ("the hot seat") in front of the group and answers “reporters’” questions. Allow students
time to practice and rehearse their interviews. Groups discuss ways to improve their interviews.

Groups present their interviews to the class. Presentations should occur in chronological order of historical
events. After hearing the interviews, discuss facts and ideas presented from Harriet’s point of view. What did
we learn about her story and her character?
CREATIVE WRITING (LANGUAGE ARTS/MUSIC )
Procedures:
Write a poem or lyrics to a song describing the emotions likely to be felt by people such as:

Harriet Tubman, while leading people to freedom

A plantation owner or overseer trying to capture a runaway slave

An abolitionist hiding a runaway slave

A newly arrived slave who reached freedom in Canada
14 | P a g e
CHANGING CHARACTERS (DRAMA/PHYSICAL EDUCATION)
In The Power of Harriet T, each actor takes on multiple roles to bring Harriet’s story to life. This exercise
allows students to portray different characters physically, demonstrating the ability of posture and
gesture to communicate personality and circumstance.
Materials:

Gymnasium or open classroom with enough space for walking

List of character traits prepared in advance for reference
Procedures:
To begin, have students walk about the space in a manner that communicates no attitude or
personality. (This posture is called neutral.) Tell them to avoid running or bumping into each other for
safety reasons.
Tell students that as they walk about the space, you will give examples of different types of people, and
the students will use their bodies and facial expressions to portray each one. No speaking is allowed.
Suggestions could include:

A king/queen at a grand ball

A beggar on the street

A very important celebrity in an airport

A vacationer on the beach
Give the students examples of situations, and they will communicate their reactions through
movement and facial expression. No speaking is allowed. Suggestions could include:

You’ve just done really well on an assignment that you worked hard on.

You’ve just found out that your best friend is moving away.

You’ve lost the money you had in your pocket to buy something special.

You think that someone’s spreading rumours about you.
Next, tell students that you will give examples of types of people + situations, and they will use their
bodies and facial expressions to portray each one. Suggestions could include:

A king/queen at a grand ball who is ill but doesn’t want everyone to know

A beggar on the street who found a winning lottery ticket

A businessman/celebrity in an airport who is worried about missing the plane

A vacationer on the beach who has been robbed
Split the class into two groups, and allow each half to observe the other as they move about the
room, creating characters. Ask students to observe what their peers are doing, and describe what
actions, gestures, and facial expressions were particularly effective.
MY PATH TO FREEDOM
Imagine you are a passenger on the Underground Railroad. As you follow the path, write what happens and
how you feel at each stop along the way. When you reach the last stop, write in the star how it feels to be free.
Stop 3
Stop 2
Stop I
IThe South
I
MTYP’S DRAMA RESOURCE PROGRAM
Creativity, Confidence, Awareness. Workshops at MTYP foster creativity, confidence and social awareness. With
the help of our skilled and experienced instructors, we offer a range of programming that is unparalleled in
Manitoba.
MTYP's Drama Outreach Program provides a number of different ways to bring a fresh approach to your
curriculum. We offer:

A number of drama workshops, as well as the opportunity to customize a dramatic workshop to meet
any of your educational needs.

Professional development for educators. With the implementation of the new Manitoba Arts Curriculum
a growing number of educators are inquiring about professional development possibilities here at MTYP.

Satellite programs and residencies. One of the most rewarding ways to encounter the art of theatre is to
work on a long-term project. MTYP provides the opportunity to set up a weekly course, or an in-school
residency for students of any age.
Play-related Workshops: Theatre for Living
Theatre for Living gives workshop participants the opportunity to experience theatre as a language to express
feelings, ideas, and relationships. An invaluable resource to explore challenging topics within The Power of
Harriet T such as human rights, discrimination, respect, leadership and more. Guaranteed to incite dialogue and
empower your students to deepen their understanding of key issues and themes presented in the play.
Drama Workshop Price List
Workshops for Students age 4-18 (groups of up to 25)
At MTYP: $85 per hour
At your school: $170 (first two hours) + $75 each additional hour (minimum 2 consecutive hours)
Workshops for Professionals (groups of up to 25)
At MTYP: $125 per hour
At your workplace (minimum 2 consecutive hours): $250 (first 2 hours) + $100 each additional hour
To book your workshop, please call or email:
Theresa Thompson, Drama Outreach Coordinator
(204) 947-0394 ext 227
Email: [email protected]