Childrens Literature Assignment

Taylor Weaver
EDUC 128/228

1. Name of Childrens Book:

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry's freedom box. New York: Scholastic
Press.
2. Summary of Childrens Book:
Henrys Freedom Box is a picture book based on the life of Henry Box Brown, a slave
who escaped to freedom by mailing himself from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in a wooden crate. Henry was born and raised a slave. When he was a young man,
working at a tobacco factory for the son of his former master, Henry met a young slave woman,
Nancy, who eventually became his wife. The couple was able to be married and live together
even though they had different masters. They had three children together and were relatively
happy, but they worried that Nancys master would sell their children due to financial struggles.
One day, Henry was informed that his wife and all of his children had been sold at the
slave market. Henry was devastated. Knowing that he would never see his family again, Henry
decided that he would attempt to escape to freedom. He enlisted the help of his friend James and
a white man, Dr. Smith, who was against slavery. They nail Henry into a wooden box and mail
him to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Henry spends many cramped hours in his crate, sometimes
upside down and in very uncomfortable positions. He travels on a steamboat to Washington
D.C. and in a railroad car to his destination. Henry arrives safely and becomes one of the most
well known runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad.
Grade Level: 5th
3. Questions:
Pre-Reading:
What are some things you know about slavery in the United States? You can tell us
things you have learned through our unit so far or things you already knew.

What prior knowledge do you have about the Underground Railroad?

The title of the book I am going to read to you is Henrys Freedom Box. Based on the
title and the cover art, what predictions do you have regarding what this story might be
about?

During Reading:
What would you do if your family were taken away like Henrys was?
What struggles do you predict Henry will encounter during his trip to freedom?
What do you think Henry is thinking about while he is in his box?
Post-reading:
Do you think this story is a true story? Why or why not?
What do you think Henrys life was like after he reached Philadelphia? What do you
think he did next?
What adjectives would you use to describe Henry as a person?
Henrys life was obviously very different from all of your lives. What connections can
you make to Henry or the story to help you really comprehend?
4. Activities to follow the Book
ACTIVITY ONE:
a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music,
expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.
b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand II (Time,
Continuity, and Change) because it helps students to gain perspective that will help them
construct their knowledge and understanding of historical events.
c. Objective: Having read Henrys Freedom Box and experienced the imaginary journey inclass activity, students will create a reflective product (thoughtful essay, poem, song lyrics, rap,
painting, art project, etc.) to demonstrate the connections they have made to the text and the
reality of the Underground Railroad.
d. Activity
Materials:
- Desk chairs
- Sound effects CD (or digital track) of waves/sea sounds and train sounds
- Paper
- Pens, pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, tape, miscellaneous art supplies
Procedure:
Read the portion in the back of Henrys Freedom Box that gives more details about
Henry Box Brown

Prepare students for an imaginative journey, explaining that the lights will be off, they
will be closing their eyes, they need to exhibit maturity, and that they will need to be
listening and reflecting upon the narrative so they will have material with which to create
an important project.
Warn students again that the lights will be turned off, reminding them of the expectation
that they will be mature, and turn off the classroom lights.
Ask students to close their eyes and imagine that they are a slave, just like Henry. Lead
students through an imaginative journey, using descriptive words that will evoke emotion
and understanding. Detail is good, but use judgment about what level of detail your
students can handle. Here is an example of things you could say:

You live with your parents and your brother and sister in a one-room shack on your
masters property. The floor is dirt and your feet are always caked in it because you do not have
any shoes. Your feet are calloused from walking barefoot your whole life and your hands are
blistered from working in the fields all day long. It is hot where you live and you are almost
always sweating. The stench of body odor fills your home, but you hardly notice because it is
what you are used to. There is no bathroom but a hole in the ground inside a small wooden
shack, infested with bugs and rodents. You dont have any friends other than your family
because you are not allowed to talk to the other slaves while you work, and you work every day,
except for Sunday mornings when you are expected to attend a church service performed by your
master. You know that some of the other slaves dont have a family like you do, so you feel very
lucky. You know, though, that any day, the master could decide to sell one or more of your
family members and you would not have a say in it. You are in constant fear that you or your
parents or one of your siblings will be sold. Then one day, you are pulled from the field and
brought to the big fancy house where the master and his family live. Waiting there is a tall man
with a black beard that is starting to grey. His eyes are slate grey and look mean. He narrows
them at you and comments on every part of your body and asks the master questions regarding
your age and how hard you work. Then he and your master argue over how much money you
are worth. When they reach an agreement, a rope is tied around your wrists and you are led on
a leash, like a dog, to the back of a wagon where a few other slaves you recognize are already
huddled together and you are forced to join them there. Your family is not there. You start to
cry, but you worry that if you protest or scream, you will be beaten with a whip, so you hold your
breath. You forgot to tell your parents that you love them that morning. You will never see them
again.

Continue on with a story that is similar to Henrys where the students decide to try to
escape to freedom. When it comes time to get in the box, have the students crouch under
their chairs, making their bodies as small as possible. Continue the imaginative journey,
describing emotions and physical reactions one might have to being cramped in a tiny
box fearing that you will be discovered and beaten or killed.
Give students a frame of reference for how long the 27 hour journey would be, by talking
through the daily activities of a typical 5th grader.
Once the imaginary journey is complete, turn the lights back on and allow students to
chat with a partner or in small groups about things they thought and felt throughout the
journey.

Explain that each student will create their own project to express their reflections upon
slavery, the Underground Railroad, and Henrys Freedom Box.
Pass out copies of the project rubric and spend time giving ideas and examples and
answering questions. Make sure to let students know that they are not bound by the
examples of projects given and that they can be as creative as they like.
Allow students to brainstorm with each other and meet individually with students who
appear to be struggling to come up with ideas.
Give students ample time to work in class.

Ideas for Differentiation:

Since this assignment is arts based, differentiation is built into its DNA. Students can be
as creative as they like and choose a medium that works for them. Some students, however, may
need a bit more structure. As a teacher, it is important to meet individually with these students
and to help them develop a plan for their project. You may even need to give them a more
specific checklist than what is listed on the rubric.
e. Assessment

Henrys Freedom Box Project Rubric

Create a project that expresses your feelings about and reflections upon the story
of Henry and his freedom box and the class imaginative journey. Project ideas
include but are NOT limited to: short story/creative writing, poem, song, rap
lyrics, drawing or art project, play. Write a short (at least one paragraph)
explanation of your project that explains why you chose your project and how it
connects to the text and the activity. Be as creative as you can and make sure to
do your very best work!
It is clear that very little
effort has been put forth.
The work is sloppy and
incomplete.

Work is complete, and

some time and effort
spent are evident, but
parts are sloppy.

Project is complete and it

is clear that a lot of time
and thought went into
creating it. Work is neatly
done.
(Points:
2-3)
(Points: 0-1)
(Points 4-5)
The project is loosely tied The project is connected The connection to the text
to the text and/or activity, to the text and/or activity, and activity is clear and
or is completely
but lacks evidence of
thought provoking.
unrelated.
thought and reflection.
(Points: 0-2)
There is no
accompanying
ACTIVITY
TWO:
introduction or
explanation included.

(Points: 3-5)
The accompanying
introduction or
explanation is too short or
unclear.

(Points: 0)

(Points: 1-2)

(Points: 6-7)
The project is
accompanied by a brief
but clear explanation or
introduction.
(Points: 3)

a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music,

expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.
b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand III (People,
Places, and Environments) because it requires students to think about human-environment
interactions using prior knowledge about regional landscapes and a map to identify challenges
slaves might have faced on the Underground Railroad.
c. Objective: Having read Henrys Freedom Box, 5th grade students will identify the route Henry
took on a map of the Underground Railroad and will work in small groups to list possible
challenges slaves would face on two other routes of the Underground Railroad using the map and
their prior knowledge about regional landscapes.
d. Activity
Materials:
- Henrys Freedom Box
- Copies of Underground Railroad Map for students (view possible option below)
- ELMO or other projection device
- Paper and Pencils
-Highlighters

http://mapoftheweek.blogspot.com/2012/02/pennsylvania-underground-railroad.html

Procedure:
Re-visit the challenges Henry faced on his road to freedom.
Clarify for students, using a projected image of the map as an aide, that the Underground
Railroad was not one route, but a complex web of many different routes to many different
destinations. Discuss the fact that slaves attempting to escape would face different
challenges depending on which route they took. Specifically mention challenges due to
terrain, weather, distance, etc.
Pass out individual copies of maps to students.
Review the features of the map with the class. Point out the color borders between slave
states and free states, the lines that represents routes of the Underground Railroad, the
fact that some routes overlap, etc. Clarify that slaves were not only located at the
beginnings of the routes and would be beginning their journey from wherever they
were enslaved.
Ask students to attempt to identify the route Henry took to freedom. Remind them that
he began his journey in Richmond, VA and ended up in Philadelphia, PA by way of
Washington D.C. Allow students to help one another.
Once most students have found the route on their maps, lead the class in highlighting the
route on their maps.
Divide the class into small groups of no more than 4 and instruct the groups to select two
different routes by highlighting the routes on their maps.
Have students work in their groups to brainstorm about challenges slaves traveling along
their highlighted routes might encounter based on their knowledge of the terrain
(geography lessons about regions in the United States will have taken place earlier in the
year) and inferences they can make based on their knowledge about the Underground
Railroad.
A recorder for each group will write down their groups ideas.
Lead a class discussion to compare and contrast the results of group discussions.
Students will complete an Exit Slip to individually demonstrate their understanding
about the challenges of escaping from slavery.
Ideas for Differentiation:
Gifted students can work in a separate group and use the internet to research a particular
route of the Underground Railroad, map it on the classroom map, and present their
findings to the class.
Struggling students could receive maps with pre-selected routes and paragraphs (written
in simple language) describing the land and climate for those routes.
e. Assessment
The teacher will use a class list to notate whether or not students are participating in groups and
speaking up in class discussion. Students will also be evaluated using a checklist on their
response to a prompt on an Exit Slip.

EXIT SLIP
This is your pass to recess!!!
Using what you have learned from the book Henrys Freedom Box and our
activity in class, list at least 5 dangers and/or obstacles slaves faced when
attempting to escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

CHECKLIST:
Valid danger or obstacle given. (1)
Valid danger or obstacle given. (2)
Valid danger or obstacle given. (3)
Valid danger or obstacle given. (4)
Valid danger or obstacle given. (5)
Statements made are related to Henrys Freedom Box or the in class
activity.
Statements are clear and logical.

ACTIVITY THREE:
a. Content Discipline: Geography, history, creative writing or reading/language, drama, music,
expressive arts, science, math, science, OR economics, etc.
b. What NCSS strand(s) fits this activity? This activity fits into the NCSS Strand II (Time,
Continuity, and Change) because it requires students to use acquired knowledge to reconstruct
the past by creating pieces of writing from the points of views of historical characters.
c. Objective: Having read Henrys Freedom Box and learned detailed information about slavery
and the Underground Railroad, 5th grade students will use the RAFT format to create pieces of
writing, at least one page in length with minimal mistakes in writing conventions, that highlight
the points of views of fictional historical characters.
d. Activity
Materials:
- RAFT brainstorming forms (see attached)
- ELMO or other projection device
- Chart paper
- Markers
- Pencils
- Computers with word processing software
- Printer
Procedure:
Introduce or review the RAFT format. R = Role, A=Audience, F=Format, and T=Topic.
Project the form students will use on the board so they may become familiarized.
Explain that students will be using the RAFT writing process to create a piece of writing
that deals with the Underground Railroad and slavery. Explicitly say that the T or topic
of everyones RAFT form will be Underground Railroad and slavery in America.
Divide students into three groups and assign each group one of the remaining letters of
RAFT.
Ask the groups to come up with examples for their part of the RAFT form that would
work with the topic assigned.
Circulate around the room to help struggling groups and make sure every students voice
is heard.
Bring the class back together and make a large chart, using chart paper and markers, that
lists the ideas for R, A, and F.
Make sure that plenty examples are given for each letter. Some ideas are listed below:
Role:
Audience:
Format:

Slave, Freed Slave, Slave Owner, Reporter, Abolitionist

Slave Master, Newspaper readers, Slaves
Letter, Diary, Newspaper article, Instructions

Tell students they will choose their own Role, Audience, and Format and will be able to
brainstorm and draw up a rough draft on their own RAFT form before typing a final
draft.
Go over expectations for the assignment and the rubric (see attached).
Pass out RAFT forms (see attached) and rubrics and circulate the room to help students
who appear to be stuck or struggling.
Once students have completed their rough drafts, have them proofread for errors and then
exchange with a partner for editing and feedback.
Have students type their final drafts in a word processing document.
If desired, laminate and bind students final drafts to create a book to show parents at
conferences. If students are aware you are doing this, they will likely give their best
effort.

Ideas for Differentiation:

Give gifted students the option of working together to create a play or working
individually to create a monologue. These students could put together presentations
(complete with costumes! ) to share with the class.
Struggling students may need more guidance and clarity on what options would work
best together and require assistance getting started. It may be prudent to assign specific
roles, audiences, and formats to these students. For example: I would like you to pretend
you are a slave and write a letter to your slave owner.
e. Assessment:
Students will receive and be evaluated according to a rubric (see attached

RAFT Rubric
4-5 Points

2-3 Points

0-1 Points

Perspective and
Focus

The role and

audience are clear.
The ideas and
topics are relevant
to the role and
make sense within
the format.

The role and the

audience are not
always clear. The
ideas expressed are
relevant to the topic
but do not always
make sense for the
role or within the
format.

It is unclear what
role is being played
and who the
audience is.
Thoughts are
unorganized and
irrelevant.

Historical
Accuracy

There is clear
evidence of use of
information learned
about slavery and
the Underground
Railroad and the
information is
accurate.

Some historical
information is
included. It may
not be entirely
accurate.

Either no historical
information is
included or the
information
included is
inaccurate.

Mechanics

There are few to no There are some

errors in spelling,
errors present in the
grammar,
writing.
capitalization,
punctuation, etc.

There are many

distracting errors
present in the
writing.

Creativity and
Effort

The final product is The final product

well thought out
makes sense, but is
and creative.
not the students
best work and lacks
some thought.

The final product is

thrown together,
unoriginal, and
demonstrates little
to no effort.

Final product is at
least one page.

Final product is
either much too
short or
incomplete.

Length

Final product is
almost one page.