Webquest

My overall interest in this WebQuest is to have students study the slavery and the path to freedom via the Underground Railroad.

1. A Day in the Life of...
Topic: Have students gather information on a day in the life of a slave
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are a slave telling a reporter (since you can't read or write) about your daily life. You include any work you do, how you are treated, any fears you have, etc.
Roles (at least 3): Slave on the plantation - You are a slave working on a plantation. How are you treated? Do you know any free slaves? Have you ever attempted/thought about running away?
Runaway slave - You have just runaway. What has your journey been like so far? How close/far away are you from reaching freedom?
Free slave - You have reached freedom! What was your journey like? Was is very dangerous? How does it feel to be free? How is your life different now?

2. Travel the Underground Railroad!
Topic: You are a runaway slave on your way to freedom in the North. You are traveling the dangerous Underground Railroad and keeping a journal of your travels as you go.
Grade Level: 5th
Task: Keep a daily or weekly journal as you travel the Underground Railroad. Be sure to include any people you meet along the way, any dangers you encounter, and whether you made it to freedom or got caught.
Roles (at least 3): Child - You are a child traveling with your parents.
Woman - You are a woman trying to make it to your family who has already reached freedom in the North.
Man - You are a man who is following the Underground Railroad to reach freedom in Canada.

3. A Helping Hand Along the Way
Topic: Research safe houses along the Underground Railroad and how they hid slaves from the slave hunters.
Grade Level: 7th
Task: Your home is one of the safe houses along the Underground Railroad. It is your job to prevent the slaves passing through from being caught by slave hunters and brought back to slavery. How will you keep these runaways safe?
Roles (at least 3): Safe house owner - You are one of the many safe houses along the way. It is your job to protect and prevent your guests from being caught.
Runaway slave - What is it like at the safe house? Do you fell safe?
Nearby Neighbor - You don't approve of your neighbors harboring runaway slaves, yet you won't snitch on them because they are close friends. How do you handle the situation? Will you keep quiet or tell the authorities?

4. Famous People in the Anti-Slavery movement
Topic: Research famous or important people of the Underground Railroad.
Grade Level: 6th
Task: You are an important person in the path to freedom from slavery. You are very well liked and trusted among slaves, free or not. You are being interviewed for the local newspaper about your role in the freedom of slaves.
Roles (at least 3): Harriet Tubman - Led hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. She was a runaway slave from Maryland and was known as "Moses of her people."
Frederick Douglass - A leader in the anti-slavery movement. He was an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln and played an important role in human rights during the Civil War era.
Harriet Beecher Stowe - Known for her book Uncle Tom's Cabin and other novels about slavery. She was familiar with slavery, anti-slavery movement, and the Underground Railroad.