“Follow the Drinking Gourd”
Content: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies Teacher: Kari Arnoldussen
Topic: Civil War, Underground Railroad Date: November 17, 2009
Level: 5th Grade Time: 45 minutes
Standards:
National Standards for Music:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
MMSD Social Studies Standards (Grade 5):
Political Science and Citizenship
1. Describe the struggle in our society for equal rights for all people.
2. Give examples of current and historical ways in which citizens may voice opinions
History
3. Explain how other regions of the world influenced the history of the United States.
5. Identify key events, causes, and effects of a major period in U.S. history.
MMSD Language Arts/Communication Standards (Grade 5):
Participate effectively in discussion.
1. Actively participate in discussions with large groups, small groups and/or peer
2. Ask and answer questions related to the topic
3. Reflect and respond to others ask for clarification of unfamiliar words and ideas
Develop vocabulary of words, phrases and idioms to communicate in academic settings.
1. Understand word meanings and the concepts they represent
2. Use specific vocabulary when discussing text (e.g., dialogue, table of contents, glossary)
3. Acknowledge and use new vocabulary in reading, listening, speaking and writing
Objectives:
1. Given the reading of Follow the Drinking Gourdstudents will write responses to all of the comprehension questions listed on the worksheet.
2. Given instruction, students will describe the significance of gourds and the North Star to slaves trying to escape slavery.
3. Given instruction and the lyrics, students will sing the chorus of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
4. Given instruction and discussion, students will be able to explain what the Underground Railroad was and how it worked.
Why is it important students learn my lesson? What academic subject will I link to?
The Underground Railroad was a significant part of American History. It served as a lifeline to hundreds of slaves who risked their lives to escape the horrors of bondage. It is important for students to understand the various aspects of slavery – including escaping to freedom. This lesson will help students understand the immense stress and danger involved with escaping slavery, as well as the methods African Americans used to aid them in their journey north to freedom. Through reading Follow the Drinking Gourdand listening to the song, students will gain a better understanding of how slaves pursued their “freedom” by stealing away to “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to the north and to freedom.
Materials:
- Copies of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” lyrics for all students
- Computer with internet connection to access (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3693061079263073672&ei=yMUAS7i2HofCrQLngJWcBw&hl=en#)
- Laptop speakers in order to hear the song throughout the room
- Copy of Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
- Overhead Projector
- Transparency of the lyrics to “Follow the Drinking Gourd”
Background for Teachers:
The Underground Railroad was a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the Northern United States and to Canada. It was not run by any single organization or person. Rather, it consisted of many individuals (many whites but predominantly black), who knew only of the local efforts to aid fugitives and not of the overall operation. The Underground Railroad moved hundreds of slaves northward each year -- according to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850. The American folksong Follow the Drinking Gourd was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map. These directions then enabled fleeing slaves to make their way north from Mobile, Alabama to the Ohio River and freedom. The "drinking gourd" refers to the hollowed out gourd used by slaves (and other rural Americans) as a water dipper, but in the song it is used as a code name for the Big Dipper star formation, which points to Polaris and North.
Steps in Lesson:
1. Introduction/Building Background Knowledge
a. Explain to the students that we are continuing our study of the American Civil War. Today we will be reviewing the Underground Railroad through the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter and the lyrics to the song by the same name.
b. Tell students that the words used when talking about the escape routes formed a specialized secret vocabulary. Make sure students understand the meaning of these terms:
i. The "Underground Railroad" was neither underground nor a railroad. It was a series of routes (paths, roads, trails, waterways) that started in the South, moved through the North or West (and sometimes South) and ended in Canada, the western territories, Mexico or the Caribbean.
ii. The "passengers" were those who had escaped their slaveholders and sought freedom.
iii. The "conductors" were brave persons, from all ethnic groups, who risked their lives to escort runaways to freedom.
iv. The "station masters" risked their own safety and their homes to provide shelter for the runaways.
c. To make sure that students have sufficient background information to continue, ask students to discuss the following questions briefly:
i. Why was the Civil War fought?
ii. What were some of the effects of slavery on the country and on the people in the country?
iii. Where did the funds come from to help the slaves? (volunteers,churches, Quakers, abolitionists)
iv. How did the slaves gain access to safe houses? (code words)
2. Body
a. Read the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter
i. After reading, have the students complete the comprehension worksheet which includes the following questions:
1. Why was the folk song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” so important to slaves?
2. Why do you think Peg Leg Joe hired himself out to plantation owners as a handyman?
3. What special mark did he leave to guide the escaping slaves?
4. How do you think the escaping slaves felt on their journey?
5. What might have happened to the slaves if the slave owners caught theme trying to escape? How successful would slaves be by just waiting to move around at night?
6. How would they hide out during the day?
7. What effect would the weather or geographical land changes have on how quickly they would move from one location to another?
8. How would the escaping slaves eat?
9. Why is the name of the song Peg Leg Joe wrote “Follow the Drinking Gourd?”
10. What is the Underground Railroad? What was it used for?
ii. When the students have completed the comprehension worksheet, have a class discussion about the book. Some possible discussion questions include:
1. On page 5, what was Joe’s plan?
2. On page 10, what did Molly and James do when they heard the quail call? And why?
3. On page 20, what kind of hardships did James and Molly’s family face while traveling?
4. On page 28, where were the slaves headed? What was the Underground Railroad?
5. Was the ending happy? Why or why not?
iii. Discuss the song found at the end of the book, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
b. Display lyrics to the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd” on overhead projector.
i. Read the words out loud in unison.
ii. Model each phrase by singing it.
iii. Have students echo.
iv. Listen to the 1st verse on the CD.
v. Repeat and ask class to sing along.
vi. Continue in this manner until all verses are learned.
3. Closure
a. Explain to the students that we will be continuing our exploration of the American Civil War in future lessons through song, dance, and readings.
4. Assessment
a. Teachers will formally assess students individually based on their responses to the comprehension worksheet.
i. Within their responses each student should demonstrate their understanding of the Civil War, the use of the gourd, and the purpose of the Underground Railroad
b. Teachers will assess students in groups based on their ability to sing “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
i. Echo the teacher
ii. Sing without the teacher
iii. Tap the beat along with the song
Adaptations/Extensions:
- Students can create different hand or body movements to go along with different words or phrases in “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” There are many parts of the song that repeat multiple times. Creating movements for these parts would help students remember the words.
- Students who are more tactile learners will be able to use the sheet of lyrics throughout the lesson to make them comfortable and able to participate fully.
- If there are any students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have them sit closer to the speakers so that they may feel the vibrations of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
Next Steps/Connections to Other Subjects:
This lesson can be part of a larger unit on the American Civil War. The lesson will most likely be part of a focus on the influence of the Underground Railroad in the American Civil War. Students will discuss important people, such as Harriet Tubman, and their roles in the successful transport of slaves from the South to freedom in the North and Canada.
Some possible future or connecting lessons include:
- Students can have a simulation of a slave auction. Students can take the roles of slaves, buyers, abolitionists, and auctioneers.
- Students can research the diet of slaves. What kinds of foods did they eat? Was there a variety of foods? Was the diet healthy? This would connect to science and nutrition.
- Students can create their own construction-paper slave quilt based from the story "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson.
- Students can research and create a wanted poster for a runaway slave. Students will learn what information was included on such a poster and when/where they were used.
Content: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies Teacher: Kari Arnoldussen
Topic: Civil War, Underground Railroad Date: November 17, 2009
Level: 5th Grade Time: 45 minutes
Standards:
National Standards for Music:
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
MMSD Social Studies Standards (Grade 5):
Political Science and Citizenship
1. Describe the struggle in our society for equal rights for all people.
2. Give examples of current and historical ways in which citizens may voice opinions
History
3. Explain how other regions of the world influenced the history of the United States.
5. Identify key events, causes, and effects of a major period in U.S. history.
MMSD Language Arts/Communication Standards (Grade 5):
Participate effectively in discussion.
1. Actively participate in discussions with large groups, small groups and/or peer
2. Ask and answer questions related to the topic
3. Reflect and respond to others ask for clarification of unfamiliar words and ideas
Develop vocabulary of words, phrases and idioms to communicate in academic settings.
1. Understand word meanings and the concepts they represent
2. Use specific vocabulary when discussing text (e.g., dialogue, table of contents, glossary)
3. Acknowledge and use new vocabulary in reading, listening, speaking and writing
Objectives:
1. Given the reading of Follow the Drinking Gourdstudents will write responses to all of the comprehension questions listed on the worksheet.
2. Given instruction, students will describe the significance of gourds and the North Star to slaves trying to escape slavery.
3. Given instruction and the lyrics, students will sing the chorus of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
4. Given instruction and discussion, students will be able to explain what the Underground Railroad was and how it worked.
Why is it important students learn my lesson? What academic subject will I link to?
The Underground Railroad was a significant part of American History. It served as a lifeline to hundreds of slaves who risked their lives to escape the horrors of bondage. It is important for students to understand the various aspects of slavery – including escaping to freedom. This lesson will help students understand the immense stress and danger involved with escaping slavery, as well as the methods African Americans used to aid them in their journey north to freedom. Through reading Follow the Drinking Gourdand listening to the song, students will gain a better understanding of how slaves pursued their “freedom” by stealing away to “Follow the Drinking Gourd” to the north and to freedom.
Materials:
- Copies of “Follow the Drinking Gourd” lyrics for all students
- Computer with internet connection to access (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3693061079263073672&ei=yMUAS7i2HofCrQLngJWcBw&hl=en#)
- Laptop speakers in order to hear the song throughout the room
- Copy of Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
- Overhead Projector
- Transparency of the lyrics to “Follow the Drinking Gourd”
Background for Teachers:
The Underground Railroad was a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the Northern United States and to Canada. It was not run by any single organization or person. Rather, it consisted of many individuals (many whites but predominantly black), who knew only of the local efforts to aid fugitives and not of the overall operation. The Underground Railroad moved hundreds of slaves northward each year -- according to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850. The American folksong Follow the Drinking Gourd was supposedly used by an Underground Railroad operative to encode escape instructions and a map. These directions then enabled fleeing slaves to make their way north from Mobile, Alabama to the Ohio River and freedom. The "drinking gourd" refers to the hollowed out gourd used by slaves (and other rural Americans) as a water dipper, but in the song it is used as a code name for the Big Dipper star formation, which points to Polaris and North.
Steps in Lesson:
1. Introduction/Building Background Knowledge
a. Explain to the students that we are continuing our study of the American Civil War. Today we will be reviewing the Underground Railroad through the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter and the lyrics to the song by the same name.
b. Tell students that the words used when talking about the escape routes formed a specialized secret vocabulary. Make sure students understand the meaning of these terms:
i. The "Underground Railroad" was neither underground nor a railroad. It was a series of routes (paths, roads, trails, waterways) that started in the South, moved through the North or West (and sometimes South) and ended in Canada, the western territories, Mexico or the Caribbean.
ii. The "passengers" were those who had escaped their slaveholders and sought freedom.
iii. The "conductors" were brave persons, from all ethnic groups, who risked their lives to escort runaways to freedom.
iv. The "station masters" risked their own safety and their homes to provide shelter for the runaways.
c. To make sure that students have sufficient background information to continue, ask students to discuss the following questions briefly:
i. Why was the Civil War fought?
ii. What were some of the effects of slavery on the country and on the people in the country?
iii. Where did the funds come from to help the slaves? (volunteers,churches, Quakers, abolitionists)
iv. How did the slaves gain access to safe houses? (code words)
2. Body
a. Read the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd, by Jeanette Winter
i. After reading, have the students complete the comprehension worksheet which includes the following questions:
1. Why was the folk song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” so important to slaves?
2. Why do you think Peg Leg Joe hired himself out to plantation owners as a handyman?
3. What special mark did he leave to guide the escaping slaves?
4. How do you think the escaping slaves felt on their journey?
5. What might have happened to the slaves if the slave owners caught theme trying to escape? How successful would slaves be by just waiting to move around at night?
6. How would they hide out during the day?
7. What effect would the weather or geographical land changes have on how quickly they would move from one location to another?
8. How would the escaping slaves eat?
9. Why is the name of the song Peg Leg Joe wrote “Follow the Drinking Gourd?”
10. What is the Underground Railroad? What was it used for?
ii. When the students have completed the comprehension worksheet, have a class discussion about the book. Some possible discussion questions include:
1. On page 5, what was Joe’s plan?
2. On page 10, what did Molly and James do when they heard the quail call? And why?
3. On page 20, what kind of hardships did James and Molly’s family face while traveling?
4. On page 28, where were the slaves headed? What was the Underground Railroad?
5. Was the ending happy? Why or why not?
iii. Discuss the song found at the end of the book, “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
b. Display lyrics to the song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd” on overhead projector.
i. Read the words out loud in unison.
ii. Model each phrase by singing it.
iii. Have students echo.
iv. Listen to the 1st verse on the CD.
v. Repeat and ask class to sing along.
vi. Continue in this manner until all verses are learned.
3. Closure
a. Explain to the students that we will be continuing our exploration of the American Civil War in future lessons through song, dance, and readings.
4. Assessment
a. Teachers will formally assess students individually based on their responses to the comprehension worksheet.
i. Within their responses each student should demonstrate their understanding of the Civil War, the use of the gourd, and the purpose of the Underground Railroad
b. Teachers will assess students in groups based on their ability to sing “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
i. Echo the teacher
ii. Sing without the teacher
iii. Tap the beat along with the song
Adaptations/Extensions:
- Students can create different hand or body movements to go along with different words or phrases in “Follow the Drinking Gourd.” There are many parts of the song that repeat multiple times. Creating movements for these parts would help students remember the words.
- Students who are more tactile learners will be able to use the sheet of lyrics throughout the lesson to make them comfortable and able to participate fully.
- If there are any students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have them sit closer to the speakers so that they may feel the vibrations of “Follow the Drinking Gourd.”
Next Steps/Connections to Other Subjects:
This lesson can be part of a larger unit on the American Civil War. The lesson will most likely be part of a focus on the influence of the Underground Railroad in the American Civil War. Students will discuss important people, such as Harriet Tubman, and their roles in the successful transport of slaves from the South to freedom in the North and Canada.
Some possible future or connecting lessons include:
- Students can have a simulation of a slave auction. Students can take the roles of slaves, buyers, abolitionists, and auctioneers.
- Students can research the diet of slaves. What kinds of foods did they eat? Was there a variety of foods? Was the diet healthy? This would connect to science and nutrition.
- Students can create their own construction-paper slave quilt based from the story "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson.
- Students can research and create a wanted poster for a runaway slave. Students will learn what information was included on such a poster and when/where they were used.
