Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Teachers:
Maria Armenta, Robyn Tober, Tabitha Fanning, Taylor
Allen
Common Core State Standards:

Subject:
Social Studies

PO 1. Describe factors leading to the Civil War: a. role of abolitionists and Underground Railroad b.
sectionalism between North and South c. westward expansion
E-1: Drawing pictures that represent the main idea and details and writing captions using a
sentence/patterned text frame.
ELA: 3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
ISTE.4.a: Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
Objective (Explicit):

SWBAT discuss the role that Harriet Tubman played in the Underground Railroad.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):

Students will write one paragraph on a lantern outline, in the perspective of Harriet Tubman or a
runaway slave, describing the experience they had while traveling through the Underground
Railroad.
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):

SWBAT discuss the role of slaves and slave owners during the 1860s
SWBAT understand the differences between the North and the South
SWBAT make connections between life in the 1860s and today
Key vocabulary:
Slavery
Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman
Abolitionist
Abolition

Materials:
Paper
Pencil
Lantern Outline
Map of North and South
Map of Underground Railroad
Online Underground Railroad Activity

Opening (state objectives, connect to previous learning, and make relevant to real life)

Once teacher has students attention, teacher will ask if anyone has experienced a situation
that they desperately wanted to get out of and how they managed to overcome the situation.
After discussion on past experiences, teacher will let the class know that during the Civil War
era, slaves were in a situation that they were very unhappy with and desperately tried to get
away from. Then, teacher will introduce Harriet Tubman and ask students to share any facts
about her and why she is an important part of history.

Instructional Input

Teacher Will:

Student Will:

Teacher will take facts and information

from student discussion from the opening
to lead into the proper introduction of
Harriet Tubman, building discussion off of
how Harriet lead slaves to freedom, the
secret code system that was used in order
to keep the railroad a secret, and how
Harriet not only traveled this Underground
Railroad once but multiple times in order
to free slaves from the south.

Students will raise their hands to ask any

questions about Harriet Tubman and the
Underground Railroad.

Teacher will then show students a map of

the of the North and South and ask
students to predict the route of the
Underground Railroad & how Harriet
managed to free so many slaves without
getting caught.

Students will pay close attention to the

biography video.

Students will work in groups of 3 or 4 to

discuss possible ways that Harriet Tubman
traveled the Underground Railroad.
Student will share their ideas with the rest of
the class.

Students will address any questions or

concerns before moving on.

Teacher will let students share their ideas

with the rest of the class.
After discussion, teacher will play the
Harriet Tubman-Mini Bio video, letting
the students that the information in this
video will come in handy for the activity
they will participate later on.
Teacher will debrief the video by showing
students a map of the Underground
Railroad and the route that Harriet took to
free herself and many salves.
Co-Teaching Strategy

Teacher will walk around when students are working in groups and hint at possible routes
or tricks for not getting caught.

Differentiation Strategy

Guided Practice

Teacher will group ELL students with English proficient students so that they can help aid
the discussion and encourage vocabulary use.
Teacher Will:

Student Will:

Teacher will say, Now that we know a

little more about Harriet Tubman and the
Underground Railroad, we will participate
in and Underground Railroad simulation a
class.

Students will listen to the directions given by

the teacher.

Teacher will then pull up the Online

Underground Railroad Activity on a smart
board or projector where the whole class
can see.

Students will raise their hand and participate

during the Underground Railroad simulator.

Teacher will tell students to raise their

hand before speaking if they want to make
a certain decision during the simulator.

Students will address any confusion about

what they are expect to do.

Students will listen when the teacher

discusses information about the Underground
Railroad.
Students will ask questions and give feedback
while going through the simulator.

Teacher will discuss important facts about

the Underground Railroad and Harriet
Tubman throughout the simulator. (e.g.
Secret Codes, Quilts, Stations)
Teacher will allow students to comment on
the simulator, what they think, how they
would handle this situation, etc.

Co-Teaching Strategy

Teacher will guide discussion throughout the simulator activity by asking open ended
questions like What would you do after this? Why? Or Can you think of any other codes
that these people could have used during this time?

Differentiation Strategy

Independent Practice

If it is possible, students can work in groups to complete the activity. This way students can
have a more personal experience and can share their ideas with their group, helping those
students who have language barriers or difficulty with technology.
Teacher Will:

Student Will:

After the Online Underground Railroad

activity, teacher will regroup with the class
and debrief the activity. Asking students to
share something that they learned through
this activity.

Students will share something interesting that

they learned by completing the online activity.

Teacher will then ask students to think

historically and write a paragraph about
the Underground Railroad through the
eyes (perspective) of Harriet Tubman or
one of the slaves that she freed.
Teacher will hand out the lantern outline
where students will write their paragraph.

Students will think historically and pick either

to write in the perspective of Harriet Tubman
or a slave on their way to freedom, traveling
through the Underground Railroad.
Students will write a paragraph in the
perspective of their chosen person on the
lantern outline.
Students will ask for help if they are
struggling.

Teacher will encourage students to write

about the experience, feelings, or sights
that these people might have encountered
during this time in their lives.
Co-Teaching Strategy

Teacher will walk around aiding students with their writing. Teacher will have example
writing pieces for students to look at for inspiration.
Differentiation Strategy

For ELL students writing a paragraph can be challenging, teacher will use sentence frames
that they can use in order to build their paragraph. Sentence frames can include, My
name is ________, I travel through the Underground Railroad on my way to freedom. I see
________ all over and I feel very ______.
Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections:

In the closing discussion, students will share what they thought was the most important they
learned throughout this lesson. Teacher will then tell students about the importance of knowing
4

about slavery in America and how people tried to escape in order to gain their freedom, like
Harriet Tubman. Teacher will then ask students if they can think of any other way that slaves
could have escaped, other than the railroad. After students discuss, teacher will state that the
following week they will learn about a boy named Henry who also wanted his freedom, and with
the help of a box, he was able to get it. (Henrys Freedom Box)